Duality, the existence of two and only two, is a contrast that has jaded and glared our eyes from the truth. It has sometimes scarred us beyond recognition. Duality is present in every facet of society. We see duality in conflict. In our political world, it is Democrats vs. Republicans, Liberals vs. Conservatives. In our social world, it is the New vs. the Old, Nature vs. Technology, Traditional vs. “New Age” or radical. In our social world, it is white vs. black, or white vs. any color. In everyday life, it male vs. female. In our global world, it is Democracy vs. Communism and Democracy vs. Terrorism, or Freedom vs. Tyranny. In our philosophical world, it is Religion vs. Technology and Monotheism vs. the occult. Eventually, it becomes Idealist vs. Realist and the Individual vs. the Whole. Many individuals do not necessarily agree with many of these conflicts, and yet society as a whole still perpetuates these sometimes pointless conflicts. Social psychologists would call this “Group Polarization”, the tendency for a group to take more extreme stances than those of the individual members. Gnostics would call this proof of the Demi-urge, and conspiracy theorists would blame this on an evil within government and/or the heads of society. Whatever you call it, our state of duality is our undoing. It is troubling predicament that is hindering our progress.
Some would argue that duality is necessary for us to understand our world. I agree, duality is necessary to gain an understanding of our world; however, dualistic understanding is only useful for children. For children, the truth is in black and white, right or wrong. For Freud, this was the Id, one’s basic biological urges (the unconscious) and the Superego, the values and ideals of society (lies in the conscious). The Ego was necessary to balance these two. The social connotations are evident, the Id is evil and the Superego is good, the Id is the primitive dark and the Superego is the quintessential light. It is these basic assumptions that blind our vision. What is primitive is not necessarily evil because “the values and the ideals of society” is not the quintessential light. The laws of society, every facet of it, including both government and religion, are not necessarily just. Democracy isn’t justice, just like Communism isn’t Tyranny. Humanity is stuck in Kohlberg’s second stage of moral development, conventional morality: morality that is based on trust, loyalty or understanding of social order. It is this trust that divides; we trust in what society says, and not in what our soul says. Interestingly, like the dualistic nature of the number 2, this stage of morality is the 2nd stage. The 3rd stage, post-conventional morality, is based on the understanding that laws are situational and can be changed. It is an understanding that not everything is black or white, not even just shades of grey; it is understanding that black and white are the extreme opposites on the outside and the inside, one absent of color and the other containing all color, and that the true nature of color lies in between them.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
May the Force be with Us: How Star Wars, Plato, and Gnosticism can help us evolve
Despite all of our technology and scientific progress, humanity is ignorant. If you take away the technology, we are not much better than our hunting and gathering ancestors who lived in caves. Perhaps we are even worse. At least, as modern anthropology is proving, hunter and gatherer societies cooperate and exist peacefully. We, on the other hand, are mired in a state of duality, and we have lost touch with our true human nature. Our entire focus is centered on extremes, Light and Dark, Capitalism and Communism, Tyranny and Democracy, Black and White, Patriotism and Terrorism, Poor and Rich, Republican and Democrat, Evil and Good. This tiresome state of duality does nothing but create a stagnant atmosphere were society is held back from evolving. Our current monotheistic religions do nothing except perpetuate this trivial state of us against them, right and wrong, black and white. It was monotheism that first created the concept of good and evil with the rise of Zoroastrianism. This concept was then taken by Judaism, and later filtered down to Christianity and Islam, where it then infected the whole world. This duality has since spread from religion to philosophy, where religion and science are supposed to mingle. By separating religion or the occult (Greek for the hidden) from science, we have furthered this dualistic approach and halted our development. Until we can learn to move beyond dualistic thought and merge science with the occult, we will not evolve. Fortunately, Plato, Star Wars, and Gnosticism give us a glimmer of hope.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
The Philosophy of Time Travel
This is just an experiment:
Jon Headlee
Sally Doud
Honors English 200
April 15th, 2005
The paper you're about to see unfold was written during my second semester of VCU - during a 4-day period in which I didn't use drugs but still achieved the "high" that is Kundalini.
;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Jon Headlee
Sally Doud
Honors English 200
April 15th, 2005
The paper you're about to see unfold was written during my second semester of VCU - during a 4-day period in which I didn't use drugs but still achieved the "high" that is Kundalini.
;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Final Reflective Paper
Final Reflective Letter
Jon Headlee
Without a doubt, this course has been the most challenging in my brief college career. Even though I am technically a first year student, my work in high school has allowed me to skip ahead of the typical path. The journey through this semester has been wild to say the least. I began this course with hardly any ideas, and by the time the course was over, I could hardly figure out how to contain my ideas within the allotted space. Despite the hardships I faced writing this paper, I can definitely say that taking this course was worth my while.
My paper began as a search for why Star Wars has become so popular, but I quickly found out that the topic was too little in scope or importance to be of any use. I was also afraid of coming up with just a regurgitated report, rather than an informative research paper. So, I changed directions and analyzed myth, specifically the hero myth. Researching the hero myth, I found out that the hero myth was the base myth for the occult. I was also heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s essay, “The Occult in Myth and Literature”. Through my research on hero myths and the occult, I started making connections between the power of the hero myth within sci-fi films, like Star Wars, the Matrix, and Donnie Darko. These connections led me to my next thesis, “the return of the hero in sci-fi cult films”.
Unfortunately, this thesis, while interesting, was too broad, so I eventually narrowed it down to the return of the hero in Star Wars. This still, however, was not satisfying, and I began to intensify my research in the vast amount of occult-related material. It was here that I discovered Gnosticism, and came across a very important website, “The Occult Investigator”. The introduction of Gnosticism radically changed my viewpoints on many different topics, including my own personal religious beliefs. Though painful at first, I began to understand more and more about the occult and the mistruths (or flat out lies) of my Christian heritage. Tim Boucher’s website was very helpful in giving me a basis and educated viewpoint on various occult-related topics. Reading many of Boucher’s articles allowed me to make further connections, connections which would expand my ideas greatly.
The increased knowledge and philosophical thought that I researched and logically deduced came with a heavy price. Since I was doing most of my occult research for my English paper, the connections I was making were all being related to my topic. Thus, my topic quickly grew out of control. When I finally decided to sit down and write out my ideas, it took me nearly two weeks. After writing over 50 pages of material, I forced myself to stop, but the damage was already done. My paper had become too long, had consumed too much of my time, and I missed the opportunity to participate in the large group workshop, which made revision very, very difficult. I was also caught emotionally. I wanted to get all of my new thoughts and ideas (some of them very, very radical) out onto paper, but it was impossible to do so in any short fashion. I eventually came to a compromise. I decided to focus my paper on one aspect of my growing philosophy, and then spend the summer writing a book (an idea I plan to follow through with).
This focused attempt led me to my current paper. The paper, however has consumed my time, a fact that has cost me quite a few hours of good sleep. Despite the loss of sleep, I never hated writing it. I love philosophy. The only thing I disliked was page limits placed upon the assignment. Without any limits, my paper would have become a 400 page philosophical dissertation. Nevertheless, this course and my paper have been worth my time and effort.
I’m glad I took this course, despite the fact that it swallowed my time and forced me to drop another course. I have learned a great deal in a short amount of time, and I have discovered an area of research that I truly love. I actually enjoyed spend late nights (or all-nighters) in the library reading and researching. This course has truly allowed me to find what I enjoy most.
Despite not being able to participate in the group workshops, there were quite a few influences on my paper. Sally, for one, was a huge help in focusing me on various aspects throughout the entire semester. Without her, I probably would have written an unsatisfying report on nothing. Instead, her prodding and questioning showed me various ways to think outside the proverbial box. It was those initial pokes and prods that launched me on my present course. My small group members also impacted the outcome of my paper. If it hadn’t been for them, I might have never considered writing about Star Wars. Instead, I probably would have written about drug legalization or some similar used and abused topic. Lastly, my mother has had a pretty significant impact on my paper. It was her philosophical questioning that stimulated new ides in my mind (even if she didn’t agree with them). She also supported me and recommended that I write a philosophical manifesto of sorts, which was encouraging considering the fact that she is a published historical fiction author.
I also recognize that there were some downsides to this course, or at least my completion of it. I did not fully learn how to exert control over my paper, and I am willing to bet that there are errors in the way my paper is constructed. I understand these limitations. In spite of these limitations, I feel that I gained enough control to lead the reader through my ideas. I also feel that my ideas have much more power than any amount of control. As such, I merely tried to guide the raging bull, the rampant flow of ideas, the endless stream of consciousness, instead of trying to completely control them. Did I succeed? I think so, but I also understand that decision ultimately lies in the minds of my readers.
Overall, this semester, and specifically, this course, has been one wild ride after another. In the end, though, I feel confident that I will arrive safely to my desired destination, publication. It may take more than just this summer to do all the necessary writing and research, but if this course has taught me anything, it would have to be patience. Patience is definitely a virtue. I’m confident that I’ll be able to put together a compelling series of essays (or one massive idea) to fill a book. I’m also confident that my ideas will get published, eventually. My hope is that my ideas, the ideas created through this course, will one day change the world, for the better.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Jon Headlee
Without a doubt, this course has been the most challenging in my brief college career. Even though I am technically a first year student, my work in high school has allowed me to skip ahead of the typical path. The journey through this semester has been wild to say the least. I began this course with hardly any ideas, and by the time the course was over, I could hardly figure out how to contain my ideas within the allotted space. Despite the hardships I faced writing this paper, I can definitely say that taking this course was worth my while.
My paper began as a search for why Star Wars has become so popular, but I quickly found out that the topic was too little in scope or importance to be of any use. I was also afraid of coming up with just a regurgitated report, rather than an informative research paper. So, I changed directions and analyzed myth, specifically the hero myth. Researching the hero myth, I found out that the hero myth was the base myth for the occult. I was also heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s essay, “The Occult in Myth and Literature”. Through my research on hero myths and the occult, I started making connections between the power of the hero myth within sci-fi films, like Star Wars, the Matrix, and Donnie Darko. These connections led me to my next thesis, “the return of the hero in sci-fi cult films”.
Unfortunately, this thesis, while interesting, was too broad, so I eventually narrowed it down to the return of the hero in Star Wars. This still, however, was not satisfying, and I began to intensify my research in the vast amount of occult-related material. It was here that I discovered Gnosticism, and came across a very important website, “The Occult Investigator”. The introduction of Gnosticism radically changed my viewpoints on many different topics, including my own personal religious beliefs. Though painful at first, I began to understand more and more about the occult and the mistruths (or flat out lies) of my Christian heritage. Tim Boucher’s website was very helpful in giving me a basis and educated viewpoint on various occult-related topics. Reading many of Boucher’s articles allowed me to make further connections, connections which would expand my ideas greatly.
The increased knowledge and philosophical thought that I researched and logically deduced came with a heavy price. Since I was doing most of my occult research for my English paper, the connections I was making were all being related to my topic. Thus, my topic quickly grew out of control. When I finally decided to sit down and write out my ideas, it took me nearly two weeks. After writing over 50 pages of material, I forced myself to stop, but the damage was already done. My paper had become too long, had consumed too much of my time, and I missed the opportunity to participate in the large group workshop, which made revision very, very difficult. I was also caught emotionally. I wanted to get all of my new thoughts and ideas (some of them very, very radical) out onto paper, but it was impossible to do so in any short fashion. I eventually came to a compromise. I decided to focus my paper on one aspect of my growing philosophy, and then spend the summer writing a book (an idea I plan to follow through with).
This focused attempt led me to my current paper. The paper, however has consumed my time, a fact that has cost me quite a few hours of good sleep. Despite the loss of sleep, I never hated writing it. I love philosophy. The only thing I disliked was page limits placed upon the assignment. Without any limits, my paper would have become a 400 page philosophical dissertation. Nevertheless, this course and my paper have been worth my time and effort.
I’m glad I took this course, despite the fact that it swallowed my time and forced me to drop another course. I have learned a great deal in a short amount of time, and I have discovered an area of research that I truly love. I actually enjoyed spend late nights (or all-nighters) in the library reading and researching. This course has truly allowed me to find what I enjoy most.
Despite not being able to participate in the group workshops, there were quite a few influences on my paper. Sally, for one, was a huge help in focusing me on various aspects throughout the entire semester. Without her, I probably would have written an unsatisfying report on nothing. Instead, her prodding and questioning showed me various ways to think outside the proverbial box. It was those initial pokes and prods that launched me on my present course. My small group members also impacted the outcome of my paper. If it hadn’t been for them, I might have never considered writing about Star Wars. Instead, I probably would have written about drug legalization or some similar used and abused topic. Lastly, my mother has had a pretty significant impact on my paper. It was her philosophical questioning that stimulated new ides in my mind (even if she didn’t agree with them). She also supported me and recommended that I write a philosophical manifesto of sorts, which was encouraging considering the fact that she is a published historical fiction author.
I also recognize that there were some downsides to this course, or at least my completion of it. I did not fully learn how to exert control over my paper, and I am willing to bet that there are errors in the way my paper is constructed. I understand these limitations. In spite of these limitations, I feel that I gained enough control to lead the reader through my ideas. I also feel that my ideas have much more power than any amount of control. As such, I merely tried to guide the raging bull, the rampant flow of ideas, the endless stream of consciousness, instead of trying to completely control them. Did I succeed? I think so, but I also understand that decision ultimately lies in the minds of my readers.
Overall, this semester, and specifically, this course, has been one wild ride after another. In the end, though, I feel confident that I will arrive safely to my desired destination, publication. It may take more than just this summer to do all the necessary writing and research, but if this course has taught me anything, it would have to be patience. Patience is definitely a virtue. I’m confident that I’ll be able to put together a compelling series of essays (or one massive idea) to fill a book. I’m also confident that my ideas will get published, eventually. My hope is that my ideas, the ideas created through this course, will one day change the world, for the better.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Open Letter to Obama - Changes Pt. 3 - Paying it Forward
[Taking a break from our regularly scheduled program]
Mr. President, Facebook, and MySpace:
You may or may not know who I am. You may or may not care. Doesn't matter. What matters is the words and the actions that follow them up. I've been guilty of not following through on many things I've said. I've been guilty of not working hard enough for the things I believe in. I've been guilty of breaking laws - laws that are old and outdated, and are only used to support the burgeoning capitalistic plutocracy, of which you are just the balls-less front for. I've been guilty of not giving credit where credit is due. I've been accused of being sexist, racist, and a creep. That changes now.
I didn't vote for you, Barack - in fact, I didn't vote for anyone because the system is broken, and politicians are just puppet slaves to the all-seeing dollar. You've done nothing of REAL VALUE to fix it, the economy, or anything else. I see you're fighting to get rid of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Good, that's a start. Maybe the military would open up to not shooting and killing innocents if they didn't have to lie to themselves.
The next thing you need to do is legalize cannabis and hemp. But you know this. What you may not know is that the same amendment that granted you the ability to vote, the same amendment that corporations used to become the power mongers in this country (the 14th Amendment) is the same amendment which was never consulted in the first place when The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was pushed through under false pretenses. Those pretenses?
It was said that marijuana was worse than heroin or opium. Having done all three (opium twice and pure heroin once), I can tell you that idea is poppycock. Marijuana use, in moderation (even better when it is kept sacred), stimulates brain activity, openness and creativity. Heroin and Opium make you a vegetable. Why is marijuana (a healing drug) and hemp (an all purpose fiber that can change the world and boost our sagging economy) illegal? At this point, the only thing I can think of is an alliance between darker elements (shades of ethos not skin) of the government (ATF and DEA), powerful corporations (like the ones building private prisons and killing us like the Pharmaceutical Industry, Altria, and DuPont), and the mafia/gangs/drug dealers, etc. Why don't you clean that up? Are you afraid of having a target on your head? Don't worry, I've been there, and I'm not afraid of death - you should stop idolizing Lincoln, because we all know how that ended, and we don't want that for you, we want you to be the face of a new America.
Now, allow me to present my case in laymen's terms:
Premise 1: Capitalism was created by Adam Smith.
Premise 2: Adam Smith was influenced by the ideas of another John, Mr. Locke.
Premise 3: Locke's idea of ownership was based on work - you own what you work for.
Premise 4 (14th Amendment's Due Process clause): prohibits state and local governments from depriving persons (individual and corporate) of life, liberty, or property.
What does this mean? It means that if you own land, and you work to grow hemp or marijuana, then the DEA is violating OUR RIGHTS to do with our property what we choose. The US does not own this land. The US is tenants of a land stolen from others. And we've been really bad at taking care of business. Why?
Because of that very same amendment, corporations became considered the same as people, given the same rights and granted the same power. That's not right, and you know it. It means that anyone who's a part of these corporations actually has double power (their vote/taxes and the monetary contributions of their company). Or triple power if they're part of the mob, too. It also means that corporations become more powerful than even politicians at times - how many are stuffing your pockets? To be perfectly blunt, it's disgusting. I was raised to believe in democracy, but all I see is a facade for aristocracy, plutocracy, and selfishness.
Now, you may be seeing conspiracies all around you, but let me show you a real one. If you don't legalize in this country, then the country WILL turn against you. If you don't act like the boss, then people will take power into their own hands. If you don't end this, then we will force your hand. We'll build an economy without you. We'll build the underworld if you can't build a world we want to live in.
Did you see The Dark Knight? I did. I watched it a lot when everyone thought I was going crazy, mostly because I was obsessed with the Joker (I had a secret crush on Heath, but I also wanted to be him, the actor not the Joker). What happened when Gotham went after the entire underworld? It created chaos. If you don't legalize marijuana and hemp, then you may have to build more prisons (by the way, about 67% of prisons are full of non-violent offenders, if that isn't passive aggressive, then I don't know what is).
Did you see V for Vendetta? Instead of using a mask, grow a V-garden, grow so much hemp and weed that the government has no choice but to submit to the WILL of its people. If you want a revolution, revolutionize yourself, and start doing.
My father once ask me, what do you want your Legacy to be? Well with TRON: Legacy days away, I ask you, Mr. Obama, what do you want your Legacy to be? The people are tired. The people are poor. Whispers of revolution have been churning since Bush, and now people are serious. They're seeing the truth about corporations and they're saying NO! Legalizing hemp and marijuana (combined with tax benefits for small co-ops and high taxes on large corporations) would stimulate the economy, give people an alternative to cigarettes and alcohol, and that money would be put back into the system, preferably the education system (which has an ass-backwards view on drug use and actually subconsciously creates drug abusers - D.A.R.E. is a subconscious challenge to do drugs).
So what are you afraid of? Religion? Guess what, I'd rather see a religion where communion is a safety meeting (aka, smoking weed) or communal dinner (with cannabis butter on the side), rather than alcohol and something that perpetuates child abuse (the broken PC in this equation is Protestant/Catholicism). Spare the rod; smoke a joint.
Who knows, maybe if you shared a blunt with the Hamas, Palestinians, and Israelis we might see a new age of peace in Jerusalem. But it's up to you. It's up to you to grow some balls and listen to your people. It's up to you to be The Chief. It's up to you to bring REAL CHANGE.
And really, isn't that why you won in the first place?
Follow me @MrHeadlee on Twitter if you like, retweet if you agree. I'm going to get back to working with those who want to work with me - working with video and green screens. I'm not an egomaniac, I'm just an ego that is tired of dealing with maniacs (I never became a drug dealer, but this economy nearly drove me to become one).
Now, the media may think I'm crazy, but that's just because I don't trust them (Hollywood stole "King Arthur" from my mom's book, "Dawnflight" - it's why she used a pseudonym for "Liberty"). Hey media, if you want to earn my trust, make sure you give me credit, but you're at Liberty to use/edit it. Oh, and I write to my own tune with my own face in my own space. What do you do? I want to know. Send me an email at jon@mrheadlee.com if you work in the TV/Film industry with your rates.
Preston and RVA, thank you and I'm sorry.
"Eye of the Tiger" just came on as I'm writing this, sober. The year of the tiger is nearly over, but Barack, this is your chance to do something we all want to see. Good luck and good night, Mr. President.
Feel free to comment, just don't expect a response - I'm a little busy ;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Mr. President, Facebook, and MySpace:
You may or may not know who I am. You may or may not care. Doesn't matter. What matters is the words and the actions that follow them up. I've been guilty of not following through on many things I've said. I've been guilty of not working hard enough for the things I believe in. I've been guilty of breaking laws - laws that are old and outdated, and are only used to support the burgeoning capitalistic plutocracy, of which you are just the balls-less front for. I've been guilty of not giving credit where credit is due. I've been accused of being sexist, racist, and a creep. That changes now.
I didn't vote for you, Barack - in fact, I didn't vote for anyone because the system is broken, and politicians are just puppet slaves to the all-seeing dollar. You've done nothing of REAL VALUE to fix it, the economy, or anything else. I see you're fighting to get rid of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Good, that's a start. Maybe the military would open up to not shooting and killing innocents if they didn't have to lie to themselves.
The next thing you need to do is legalize cannabis and hemp. But you know this. What you may not know is that the same amendment that granted you the ability to vote, the same amendment that corporations used to become the power mongers in this country (the 14th Amendment) is the same amendment which was never consulted in the first place when The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was pushed through under false pretenses. Those pretenses?
It was said that marijuana was worse than heroin or opium. Having done all three (opium twice and pure heroin once), I can tell you that idea is poppycock. Marijuana use, in moderation (even better when it is kept sacred), stimulates brain activity, openness and creativity. Heroin and Opium make you a vegetable. Why is marijuana (a healing drug) and hemp (an all purpose fiber that can change the world and boost our sagging economy) illegal? At this point, the only thing I can think of is an alliance between darker elements (shades of ethos not skin) of the government (ATF and DEA), powerful corporations (like the ones building private prisons and killing us like the Pharmaceutical Industry, Altria, and DuPont), and the mafia/gangs/drug dealers, etc. Why don't you clean that up? Are you afraid of having a target on your head? Don't worry, I've been there, and I'm not afraid of death - you should stop idolizing Lincoln, because we all know how that ended, and we don't want that for you, we want you to be the face of a new America.
Now, allow me to present my case in laymen's terms:
Premise 1: Capitalism was created by Adam Smith.
Premise 2: Adam Smith was influenced by the ideas of another John, Mr. Locke.
Premise 3: Locke's idea of ownership was based on work - you own what you work for.
Premise 4 (14th Amendment's Due Process clause): prohibits state and local governments from depriving persons (individual and corporate) of life, liberty, or property.
What does this mean? It means that if you own land, and you work to grow hemp or marijuana, then the DEA is violating OUR RIGHTS to do with our property what we choose. The US does not own this land. The US is tenants of a land stolen from others. And we've been really bad at taking care of business. Why?
Because of that very same amendment, corporations became considered the same as people, given the same rights and granted the same power. That's not right, and you know it. It means that anyone who's a part of these corporations actually has double power (their vote/taxes and the monetary contributions of their company). Or triple power if they're part of the mob, too. It also means that corporations become more powerful than even politicians at times - how many are stuffing your pockets? To be perfectly blunt, it's disgusting. I was raised to believe in democracy, but all I see is a facade for aristocracy, plutocracy, and selfishness.
Now, you may be seeing conspiracies all around you, but let me show you a real one. If you don't legalize in this country, then the country WILL turn against you. If you don't act like the boss, then people will take power into their own hands. If you don't end this, then we will force your hand. We'll build an economy without you. We'll build the underworld if you can't build a world we want to live in.
Did you see The Dark Knight? I did. I watched it a lot when everyone thought I was going crazy, mostly because I was obsessed with the Joker (I had a secret crush on Heath, but I also wanted to be him, the actor not the Joker). What happened when Gotham went after the entire underworld? It created chaos. If you don't legalize marijuana and hemp, then you may have to build more prisons (by the way, about 67% of prisons are full of non-violent offenders, if that isn't passive aggressive, then I don't know what is).
Did you see V for Vendetta? Instead of using a mask, grow a V-garden, grow so much hemp and weed that the government has no choice but to submit to the WILL of its people. If you want a revolution, revolutionize yourself, and start doing.
My father once ask me, what do you want your Legacy to be? Well with TRON: Legacy days away, I ask you, Mr. Obama, what do you want your Legacy to be? The people are tired. The people are poor. Whispers of revolution have been churning since Bush, and now people are serious. They're seeing the truth about corporations and they're saying NO! Legalizing hemp and marijuana (combined with tax benefits for small co-ops and high taxes on large corporations) would stimulate the economy, give people an alternative to cigarettes and alcohol, and that money would be put back into the system, preferably the education system (which has an ass-backwards view on drug use and actually subconsciously creates drug abusers - D.A.R.E. is a subconscious challenge to do drugs).
So what are you afraid of? Religion? Guess what, I'd rather see a religion where communion is a safety meeting (aka, smoking weed) or communal dinner (with cannabis butter on the side), rather than alcohol and something that perpetuates child abuse (the broken PC in this equation is Protestant/Catholicism). Spare the rod; smoke a joint.
Who knows, maybe if you shared a blunt with the Hamas, Palestinians, and Israelis we might see a new age of peace in Jerusalem. But it's up to you. It's up to you to grow some balls and listen to your people. It's up to you to be The Chief. It's up to you to bring REAL CHANGE.
And really, isn't that why you won in the first place?
Follow me @MrHeadlee on Twitter if you like, retweet if you agree. I'm going to get back to working with those who want to work with me - working with video and green screens. I'm not an egomaniac, I'm just an ego that is tired of dealing with maniacs (I never became a drug dealer, but this economy nearly drove me to become one).
Now, the media may think I'm crazy, but that's just because I don't trust them (Hollywood stole "King Arthur" from my mom's book, "Dawnflight" - it's why she used a pseudonym for "Liberty"). Hey media, if you want to earn my trust, make sure you give me credit, but you're at Liberty to use/edit it. Oh, and I write to my own tune with my own face in my own space. What do you do? I want to know. Send me an email at jon@mrheadlee.com if you work in the TV/Film industry with your rates.
Preston and RVA, thank you and I'm sorry.
"Eye of the Tiger" just came on as I'm writing this, sober. The year of the tiger is nearly over, but Barack, this is your chance to do something we all want to see. Good luck and good night, Mr. President.
Feel free to comment, just don't expect a response - I'm a little busy ;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Friday, December 3, 2010
Chapter 0-1: Beginning where it ended, The Event fading behind the Horizon
There is one lie in this part, but there will be 0 in part 2. There may or may not be mistakes, I’m not guilty of just a few.
How many trufs lie herein is open to interpretation.
I like truf over truth because while missing thending, it is still true – though not complete. Incomplete is how I feel a lot of the time, but then I turn to poetry and find Trufism to be a suitable rhyme (for Sufism) - the key to the bickering triangle that is Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Despite discordant dictations & dissenting dervishes, do as would be done if you could make your actions a Universal Law. Agape.
You might be wondering what this is all about. Well, to be Frank with you, minus the bunny suit, it’s about how I followed the white rabbit like Lewis and Clark from VCU to IdR (gotta thank Ben Muri for that one) to RVA to TIME to Vice to Style to Transformus, with a few guardian angels thrown in. It’s a story of 7 years, 7 months, and 7 days. It’s about my addiction to cigarettes and my firm belief that I would be able to conquer this evil addiction once and for all if Weeds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrWLdWh7Ayg&feature=related) were legalized.
It’s about how I love to do two things at once, and typically fail to do anything right. It’s a tale filled with the Juxtaposed Context that only two can provide – two cities (Richmond and NYC), two burns (Heartburn and Transformus), two communities (PLF and PEX), two K’s (Kostume Kult), two mentor figures (Parker Parker and Christian Detres), the memory of two dancing women at Transformus that haunts me still, the haunting difference two years (2009 and 2010) make, and the differences between two filmmakers who should be working together to finish something great.
It includes the two week period (from the June solstice 2009 to Independence Day 2009) in which I spiraled into a DPT and opium-induced madness (during which I became convinced the gay mafia was first after me, then protecting me – nearly became a male stripper – started questioning the devilish nature surrounding Richmond – and finally broke down and cried while listening to Gills and Wings perform Time Travel at Gallery5). It’s about dirty little secrets and secrets so surreal they just might be real. It’s about rooftops and alleyways, and the intercourses had on and in them. It’s also about growing up and finding one’s identity in this 21st century Sanitarium of existence we deem civilized.
Some people describe Richmond as a black hole – I used to describe it as home. They say you can’t truly leave Richmond, that it will always suck you back in. I think in my case, you’re going to witness the opposite (like some Strange anti-Matter). There are various theories as to why Richmond is a black hole – mine is that the pentagon/Graham that is Monroe Park creates a vortex, and VCU feeds off it (if you noticed in the prologue, the IdR link to a Richmond.com interview doesn’t work – I noticed this the same time I noticed that Richmond Times Dispatch had seemingly erased all their obituaries, articles, etc about Graham Stevenson – a friend of Sera Tabb’s who died in an unexplained bridge death). Others might point towards Philip Morris and DuPont as the massive capitalistic singularities driving Richmond’s economy and devouring its soul (or at least its lungs and rivers).
Some might venture a guess that Richmond sold its artistic soul to advertising because the only good that seems to come out of it is from the Martin Agency, Park Group, and other advertising/marketing companies. I would say they are the keys to its current revival and future survival, as long as they resurrect the corpse of Cannabis. To pair a phrase for my field of dreams, “If you (legalize) it, everyone will come.” I’ll speak more on this in the appropriate chapters.
Speaking of singularities, have you ever noticed the Persephone statue above the entrance to Johnson Hall - maybe that's why it made into High Times? Its gaze is clearly purveying Monroe Park, and it’s a miniature version of the same statue that presides over the US Capitol building. It isn’t the only famous miniature to be found in Richmond. Did you know that Richmond has its own Statue of Liberty? Indeed – right in Chimborazo Park (Part of Church Hill) there is a Statue of Liberty about 12 feet tall facing south. It’s a good reminder that Richmond, not the Mason-Dixon line, is the true divider between North and South (and that it was NY who rebuilt Richmond following its burning at the hands of the Confederates).
Ironically or intentionally, there is another statue in an adjacent park, Libby Hill Park. Here resides an unnamed Confederate Soldier, adorning a massive column, looking westward straight through the heart of Shockoe Bottom and Downtown, straight to Monroe Park. I wonder if its ass is intentionally facing the Statue of Liberty. It kind of reminds me of Parker at Preston and Becca’s apartment during a Pre-Halloween party last year. I guess it’s just a Dixie thing – better than a Jersey thing, but definitely not like the NY State of mind.
I don’t know much about the Dixons, but I do know some Masons, and their fingerprints are all over Richmond. The first US Masonic temple was built in Shockoe Bottom, and off 9 (4+3+2)-Mile Rd is a massive Mason complex. Monroe Park, for all we know, could be a Masonic experiment gone wrong – or maybe it is the key to time travel – at least for this story. Allow me to share a different memoir – one that I wrote for an Advanced Writing course at VCU in Spring 2006:
“Shadows and Reflections of a Lifelong Journey”
People are always hounding me with the same three questions, “Who are you, what do you want, and where are you going?” I doubt there is any way to truly answer these infinitely deep questions, yet they still haunt me like a Baskerville on a moor.
With these questions in mind, I light the cherry clove in my hand and leave my friend (Danton)’s apartment. As I begin my long walk through the persistent fog, our conversations are still fresh in my mind. Words of Plato, heretical Gnostic concepts, Cthulhu dreams, Timothy Leary’s theories, RAW (Robert Anton Wilson), and all the great mysteries flow through the vast connections in my mind. I have no real connection to any of them, yet somehow they are relevant to me.
The air is moist and diffused with the harsh light of street lamps. Storm clouds disperse above me as their loads have already scattered reflection pools throughout my journey home. The immediate answer to one question is my apartment, but beyond the immediate future, ideas of where I am going, plan to go, and the like are as clouded as the air in front of me and the sky above me.
Walking through Monroe Park, I am surrounded by a gang of shadows. Some move quickly, and others slink by slowly. Concerned that I am being followed, I take another puff of my clove and glance behind me. It’s nothing but my own shadows. Looking around, I notice street lamps, not people, surrounding me. Plato’s Cave immediately surfaces in my mind. These shadows are like the faint traces of what was, what might be, and what could have been.
The shadows behind me are the burdens of depression that once nearly killed me, and now linger as a nagging reminder of all I have lost. The shadows to my right and left are all the people I could have been. I could have been a collegiate football player, and perhaps one day a great coach. In another life, I could have been a grey-robed Christian hiding in the shadows from the persecution of a tyrannical religion. Maybe in some other life, I was a mystic or a real-life hero. Perhaps I’ll never know. In front of me is the long shadow that reminds me of the ominous dreams of Cthulhu, a name (Ktulu) I ignorantly took up as an online alias, only to become him in a vivid dream.
Continuing my stroll through the park, my mind maintains its travel through RAW’s reality tunnels and out of Plato’s Cave. I can only hope these tunnels will take me somewhere useful. A shadow droops over a nearby puddle as a powerful mustang roars down Franklin St. With the puddle rippling through my mind, I see a distorted image from my past. Gone is the park and all of its lights. The wrinkling puddle is now the churning waves of the Baltic Sea, and I am leaning on a cruise ship’s railing. As I contemplate the pros and cons of jumping to an assured death, the flickering street lamp pulls me out of my past. The next puff of my clove is the sweetest of the entire night.
The next reflection pool I stare into, I see the scar above my right eye. It is an eternal reminder of the car crash that should have been my last. I can’t help but wonder if I was saved for a yet-unknown purpose. The desire to be someone or something great has forever been a friend and a foe. It is the angel on my right, telling me I have a purpose and guarding me in my most vulnerable times. It is also the devil on my left, telling me I have the ability to do whatever I want and always providing opportunities to prove it. Sometimes I think they’re both right, and sometimes I think I’m just crazy.
With my journey nearly over, I stare into one last puddle. It is by far the largest of all the pools I have come across tonight, and I can see almost my entire reflection. I notice my Star Wars t-shirt and can’t help but wonder why I can’t be Joseph Campbell’s multi-faced hero. I see the images of both Luke and Anakin Skywalker superimposed onto my own. I have Luke’s youth, and Anakin’s scar-hardened face. My hair is a blend of the two, and my heart is bigger than both of them. I know they are mere fictions in the imagination of bearded man, but I’m always asking myself, am I Darth Vader or his redeemer, or perhaps, something greater?
Nearing my apartment complex, I take one last puff of cherry smoke from the only friend to share this journey with me. The streetlights are ominously silent, and there are no more shadows for me to contemplate and no more pools to reflect in. The fog has finally cleared from the late night air, and for the first time tonight I behold the full moon.
A surge of energy storms up my spine; a mystic would probably call it a Kundalini Awakening. Basking in the glow of the moonlight, I see a thousand self-projections replace the man on the moon. I recognize a few: the ancient Plato arguing with a rebellious student, Timothy Leary saying something about tuning in and dropping out, a black mask with a menacing voice, a monstrous entity with tentacles for a beard chewing on a glowing hound, and an old man radiating with the spark of gnosis. I can only smile as my journey comes to an end.
What wasn’t included in the original was the fact that we smoked a lot of weed and drank really good beer (I was 19 at the time) while engaging in a mental mindfuck – then we played video games, Halo, I think. I used to waste a lot of time playing video games, but I mostly played Halo, GTA, Madden, Snowboarding, and Star Wars games. Now, I wish I had spent that time making short films and learning animation in my spare time, instead of wasting my waking, non-studying hours in front of a TV. Also missing in this reflection was an admission to the loss of heterosexuality. Bi the way, the last paragraph was complete hyperbole, because the only Kundalini Awakening I had sober was when I discovered 432 in the midst of a Joseph Campbell essay on Altruism (Altria, ;-)
The Star Wars t-shirt I mentioned was actually a “Sith Park” t-shirt, in which Darth Maul, Darth Vader, and Darth Sidious are standing around and one of them says, “Oh my god, we killed Qui-Gon”. Some would argue that Darth Vader wasn’t present, but if it weren’t for Qui-Gon’s insistence that Anakin was the Chosen One, he probably wouldn’t have died in the manner that he did. Missing from the shirt is Obi-Wan screaming, “You Bastards!” In the end, I may end up being more like Han Solo or Cade Skywalker than anyone other character. All right, that’s enough geekery, for now.
Reading it now, for myself, is like reading Crowley’s “Book of the Law” for the first time (http://www.myspace.com/mysticaltruth/blog/234737819) - I’m losing myself in 4.32 years of extended meanings, memories, metaphors, and metafictions (4.32 years to the day I wrote this reflection would be 2010’s July First Friday – a day I spent with Corey Daniels, Arianna Vincenzi, and Shelley Illmensee – the day that started a chain reaction of events that led me to NYC). I won’t explain why, at least for now, but allow me to relate this to my last trip to Richmond, in part two (& Chapter 34).
“Policy of Truth” by Depeche Mode from their album, “Violator” is playing on Roman Zelgatas’s “New Order” Pandora playlist as I write this. Consider it an omen, but I doubt it’s from Roman. There are many who would question my skills, talents, and intentions as a filmmaker and photographer, but it would be unwise to have the same questions about my writings. This story doesn’t begin in Richmond, nor will it end in its lifelong rival, New York City (it begins in Woodstock), but Richmond is where I found myself, and it is here, in my words, where I will make myself, or fall crashing back to Earth.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.twitter.com/mrheadlee
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Prologue
I have some confessions to make. Many of you who might be reading this may not know who I am or what I am, but most of you either know the others involved with this story, the events that this story includes, or the places and organizations wrapped up in this story. This confession is my perspective, and since I’m no god (though I may be an alien), do not take it as fact.
In fact, I’d rather you just take it all in – the words, the pictures, and the videos – before attempting to comprehend what’s really going on, or labeling me crazy. To some, “what I have done, will be puzzled over,” to others, this will be seen as Socialcide.
To those who really get it – this is just the turning of a new page, a new leaf for a squirrel that left the SquirrelPlex.
Before we dive into the depths of this story, I must set down some guidestones for this journey:
First of all, for reasons that will become apparent, I have a lot of Facebook friends. The most troubling thing is that some of those who I care about the most have not only defriended me, but also completely blocked me. It is a painful lesson, even more so when you know mistruth and pettiness is involved. In most cases, a simple face-to-face conversation, or even a phone call (no excuses because I leave my number on Facebook) would clear up many issues.
Second, I am not a “burner” (though I am one of the few to own a PLF, Party Liberation Front, shirt), I’m not a goth/fetishist (though Richmond's only fetish bar, Fallout, plays prominently in this story), I’m not a punk (though I love their festivals - like Slaughterama and Best Friends Day), I’m not a jock/meathead (though my first trip to Richmond was also the last time I played football - in the state championship game), I’m not an art elitist (though I would someday like to be an elite artist or auteur), I’m not a cop (though I worked for VCU Police as a security guard), I’m not a Cowboy (though I was born in Colorado Springs), I’m not part of the gay mafia or any mafia (or gay, unless I’m a lesbian trapped in a man’s body), I'm not pagan or Christian or atheist/agnostic (all fall short of my standards), and I’m not innocent. I am a bubble hopper (I can’t take credit for this term, but if you read on, you’ll find out who I got it from), and sometimes I pop them too. The beauty of bubbles can only be fully appreciated once you transcend the boundaries of one and see the deeper humanity that is at the core of all human social bubbles. If you want to give me a label, call me an ex-party fiend.
What is a party fiend? They come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors – kinda like drugs, though not all party fiends use or abuse drugs. Some are just there for the music. Some come out to support the DJ like churchgoers go out to support their pastor. In fact, in the age where music can literally change worlds, the DJ exposes the difference between preachers and magicians – speakers and doers. The DJ, scratching and twirling records like a dervish joker whirling and spinning amongst the Sufis, is like a magician dictating the whims and wills of the dancing masses below. In front of the magic, there is always a figurehead, and here, it is the MC, the preacher of a dancing revolution. All revolutions eventually come to an end, though.
“Party Fiend” is also a list or label I created for better managing my massive amounts of “friends” (I have about 40 of these lists to help me categorize and manage faces of people I’ve never really had an in-depth conversation with). Notice that the only difference between friend and fiend is an “r” – which might as well stand for respect, something I’ve lost quite a bit over the course of this story.
It is also important to know a few things about me. I share my birthday with the deathday of one of my great, great, great uncles – Rimsky Korsakov (Russian composer who died June 21st, 1908). Being born on a solstice didn’t mean a whole lot to me when I was growing up in a conservative Christian environment, but having transcended that, learned about other practices and beliefs, and taught the true nature of Christmas, I’ve come to realize the importance of the solstices. For those who are unaware, Christmas is not Jesus’s birthday. It is a pagan celebration of the coming of the sun because 12/25 is the first day that the amount of daylight is noticeably longer than the absolute minimum we experience on the winter solstice (in the northern hemisphere).
This novella is named “Last Friday Confessional – Diary of a Party Fiend” for several reasons. “Last Friday”, besides being the name of several movies, is also the name of a show I helped create with Baylen Forcier for RVA TV, and a name I penned for the show (because it was to be released the final Friday of every month to recap that month’s First Friday artwalk and get our viewers amped to come out the next week). “Diary of a Party Fiend” is a reference to Aleister Crowley’s first novel, “Diary of a Drug Fiend” – a work of fiction that most believe to be based on his own drug experiences. Lastly, this is a confessional, albeit a very public one, about my addiction to partying (if you think you're in this story, you may want to send me a message with an alternative name to protect yourself - I'll soon kill mine).
The last guidestone before we begin this journey is a simple truth that needs to be admitted in a social forum. I’m no longer associated with the Identity Richmond documentary project. Some of you are shocked; others of you don’t understand the context. Just keep reading (the links, pictures, and video are necessary for context), and the story will unfurl like a lotus blossom (beginning 12/3)…
Or a metafictional autobiographical novella for and about 21st century media, a story that begins the day I should have died (April 19th, 2003)...
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
http://www.youtube.com/squirrellyjesus
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