TRANSHUMANISM AND THE AGAPEROS

tshirts, drawings, and comics

2011-06-26T10:54:00.001-07:00

Systems within Systems: How it all began...

2011-03-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Systems within Systems: How it all began...: "So I’m in the kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner, trying to find the best words to convey my “oh-so-brilliant-plan-at-the-time” idea to ..."

2010-09-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

ART is a waste of time

2010-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

As i sit in this closet of a room in bedstuy, my new indefinite "home" slash studio, i keep thinking about my upcoming art projects. i have a number of blank canvases and several large pads of heavy paper, a lighting fixture with two harshnesses of lightbulbs that last for seven years, and a minifridge of beer. the way i get ideas for what to make next on my 2d surfaces is this: i stare at a blank object and i get these flashes of figures and colors, of symbols and a sleuth of other things ive seen over the years all jumbled into some flash of coherent order. i get excited and think more about how this painting will look.

And then i remember that i have bills and i need to check my youtube subscription updates, and my facebook updates, and my gmail, and my droid. and then i usually put on a movie on netflix instantwatch and burn 2 or 3 hours feeling depressed that i didnt take that moment with the flash and the excitement and just start working.

This happens a lot and i wish it wouldnt. and it probably happens because at that moment of excitement i remember all the other times i do work hard and create something cool, some detailed drawing with a strong presence, or that colorful painting of the psychadelic influence, or that mysterious thing im not sure how i arrived at but it gives me pleasure to know it now exists in the world; even if it is filling up a spare room in my parents' house, or in a pile under the couch collecting dust, or in a sketchbook rarely noticed and never opened on the bookshelf.

What im trying to get at is that, like so many of my fellow creative acquaintances who have not gotten a break or plugged into some market and are forced to find some other means of just barely scraping bye in an overpriced city (because you need to be in the city to make it, even if you cant afford it), i put so much work into this, and get nothing tangible back. it is soo frustrating to put in so much effort and time and money, and get minimal enjoyment from the process, but wish only to be rewarded by the world enough to live a modest means. nobody cares. a handfull of teenager comments (which i must be terribly thankful for) on my archive website jamespost.net (which has over 2 dozen pages of art going back to middleschool) ... and i hear this all the time from others, that we put in so much time and effort and money and get back nothing. absolutely nothing. and in the back of my mind i am hoping that although these were made years ago and i have kept them, they may be sold off in the future, that i keep my art hoping that one day it will pay off so i can live a modest way, and have a venue or purpose with it so that at least the world will tell me that it wasnt a waste of time, all those hours and evenings and sacrifice. because im introverted and have to make an effort to show and discuss my work and hit the social night scene and talk myself up, and hit the bar and try to meet new people and network, and get them interested in what im doing. and create events surrounding my work and use facebook and other social networks to create buzz and interest and hope that all this effort wasnt a waste of time and that i will get something back. and i will be able to make a career on it and be able to support my family, and get my wife to accept me again, and to be happy.

years ago i presented an even less clear case of this to an old artist who was supposed to be teaching me something, who i was racking up tens of thousands of dollars in debt with 6 consecutive years of art school, who told me once that it never ends, and the day never comes, and even when something tangible does come back and something affectionate comes back to you, there is still nothing and it is still a waste of time and we as artists are never allowed, never given permission to stop hurling all our love out to the world, yelling IM HERE!, yelling to nobody and hearing no response. and yet, as i live on this bed now in a new chapter of my minuscule art-making career, i look at the blank canvas. and i get excited.

youthfist

2010-08-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

yang tai chi 1st chapter

2010-08-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Shaolin 5 Animal Form

2010-07-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hung Gar (Second Form) from Donglai Gong on Vimeo.

Hung Gar (Form) from Donglai Gong on Vimeo.

Hung Gar (Form Part 2) from Donglai Gong on Vimeo.

The Human Temple

2010-07-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

"Human Temple"

Transcribed by James Post

The Original Video can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG22t7ksI0o

Kalev: So saying what you’re saying about being a part of the collective unconscious of creation, do you feel that the individual ego gets in the way of that?

Sifu Hill: You know, you look at Shaolin, and the idea of evolution as a human being, people really have a misconception of what it’s representing. True Shaolin is lost. Even the temples fell because of politics and people attaching to things. I think now we have an opportunity because the world has become so small. Through the internet, through being able to communicate, we have an opportunity now to really blossom and grow, to really experience what we can be. As an organization we can just evolve from that. But first, true Shaolin is really stripping away the ego. You know, it’s almost like getting naked in front of your partner.

When you think about sex on a different term, the vulnerability in sexual acts is amazing, because it’s two people at the most vulnerable point of their lives just coming together as a team. So if you’re not looking at it as a matter of lust or pleasure, the vulnerability of two people just showing themselves to one another in their most vulnerable part of their lives is amazing. Just stripping everything down and just being there takes on a different meaning. When you look at ego the same way, put it in its place, and just strip it down first confronting all the things that make you uncomfortable.

When you’re standing in front of a person you’re challenging or moving against, true sparring is not about beating the person. It’s about becoming the person. And that way you learn about wood element, you learn about earth element, you learn about fire element metaphorically speaking, you know, what they represent, and what they represent to you. That brings you into all the elements, which brings you into void and into endless creation. Because we are always recreating ourselves and that’s the goal. If you become happy in the sense of where you are, that’s a nice thing. That would be great, I would love that, you know, but it’s always about a journey. It’s always about recreating the self. Really understanding the self.

So yeah, I think ego, whatever that may be, has to be something that you confront and deal with. The human race is great because we’ve survived up to this point because of that. But now we’re at a point where we really need to break down those egos and move beyond the brain stem. And get more into the material and what the mind is and what it represents. To me we’re still in our survival mode and we have all this grey matter that we’re just not using. The brain is just this massive computer, and we have the ability to keep evolving energetically with that. If you look at the universe as a body, and we’re just an organism within the body of self discovery, then you don’t look at the universe as being something that’s just there, you look at everything as being alive. How you move through it and what level you come into understanding, it’s all part of the journey.

Even in the end, if it just ends, then who cares because it doesn’t even matter any more at that point. But it just doesn’t feel right. I don’t think that the universe is that poorly designed. Everything has a level and an awakening of understanding. To me we’re walking in this universe. You have the sun, the most powerful thing that we know. The sun goes, we go. Right? The sun doesn’t know it’s going to go. It doesn’t have a brain and know ok, I’m going to blow up now and kill everything, you know? The cool thing is that you know you’re going to go. As small and as insignificant as you are to that Sun, you have conscious awareness that I’m going to die. That’s cool. To have that level of understanding shows that your energy is alive; it’s a part of something. Everything, I believe, energetically and invisibly, is chi—is interconnected. It’s what you do with that is what allows you to explore that interconnectedness on all the different levels of understanding.

James: There’s a great metaphor of the human vessel being the center of an hourglass where you have all the time of the future in the weight of the sand above, but it’s all passing through you. So really in time aspects, it’s all future, present, and then whatever the mound at the bottom has. But also if you look at it as you’re the macro and microcosm of the universe, where the universe in all of its infinite expansion exists, but really it’s only you experiencing it. And then everything inside you, down to strings or whatever, is a fractal.

Sifu Hill: So why did the universe create you? Because you’re here to experience it. It’s here to experience itself. That to me is what god is. You coexist and are moving with it. You are learning about the god that’s within you. I don’t know because we’re limited with our knowledge to who and what we are and who we are within our society, within our realm. What we think possibly may be after existence. But I don’t have an opinion. Maybe death is nothing more than a perception of where you are and who you are at that time. And that coexistence may be. I don’t know. But I do celebrate that I don’t know. And I like that I don’t know. And therefore, it allows me to know. Because I know that I don’t know nothing. (laughs)

Kalev: and perception can always change.

Sifu Hill: Yeah. Perceptional reality. You’re always growing. Always experiencing, always moving. And that’s what I believe. You know, with the kung fu and the Shaolin and all this—it allows you to challenge it in a way, because there are no absolutes. There are no definites. Only challenge. And when you can really confront, build up enough character and personality to be able to challenge it and face the ramifications of your challenge, and not lie to yourself, then you’re also able to take another step beyond that one. You can’t just say oh, this is it, this is terrible, this sucks and that’s the end of it. No. That’s where you are now in your state of consciousness and your state of being. Now the challenge is moving through it. Some people come to a wall and they hit that wall and they sit down and that’s as far as they go. Some people see that wall and they climb over the wall. I don’t see a wall. All I see is something really little to step over. And when I reach it, it’s just a matter of going *takes tiny step over* and to me, death is the same representation. It’s not a wall. It’s just this little divider that you need to step over. ▪

2010-04-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

chi drawings

2010-04-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

my framed labor hugs the unpainted stippled walls
with wretched Bodhisattva warrior monks

poised in stone-like contortionist postures
that would break a normal hero

i blow liquid energy over shiny pages
tempting faint, for chaotic ink

then gust scriptorium worthy fu;
a fortnight that would shame an outsider

sam adams

2010-04-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

when courting with a slender sam
drink deeply to forget-me-nots
for budding up with friends or fam
needs frosty pints said sam a lots

2009-12-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

san mai three the power to be
kydex and paracord robe the sword
grommet and pommel humble when held
wrapped and sheathed, my side in accord

fingering the spine and nail on the grind
thumb locked on jimping, palm around tang
parry, thrust, slash, pierce, gouge, block, slice, cut
seven hours I train, with unsheathed steel fang

2009-11-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

the tipsy kitten cowers reflexively
behind the oversized astronomy books

daniel day lewis eats your mustache
while reciting a 5 point buck stomach contents

Bodhisattva warriors overfill the broken elevator
packing in wolvish appetites of chocolate pretzels

basel spires flick crumpled rejects
onto the freshly roombad floor

sam adams winks at you suggestively through
the polished safire crystal of your breitling

2009-09-20T03:07:00.000-07:00

the first of many adventures in the mind of natasha! test for a graphic novel..

2009-09-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

2009-09-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

So this is a first attempt at comic type artwork, not the right layout or inking obviously. however, if you pick up you copy of Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson and turn to the bottom of page 47, you will see that these drawings illustrate it quite well. Basically the Anglo Saxon's dropped a coin with the first written English on it. The coin was found in the '80. Stay tuned for finalized layout and inked, with possible color!

Interview with WHOHUB

2009-06-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here is my art-related interview with whohub

http://www.whohub.com/postjam#continue

Interview with Interactive Blend

2009-04-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an interview with artist James Post and Interactive Blend.. professing advice to upcoming designers. enjoy.

Tunnel Mantis

2009-04-16T17:24:00.001-07:00

praying mantis shaolin kung fu

Chinatown

2009-04-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Why don't robbers steal more art?

2009-03-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Why hasn't crime shifted from secure banks to insecure Chelsea galleries? Sure, there have been thefts from museums of major works like Munch's "the scream," and galleries do lock up at night, but let's face it: The price tags would make one think these artworks are of comparable value to the jewelry next door, and without all that pesky security! No cameras, no alarms, no guards (usually just a small young girl behind the desk)... So why aren't galleries being robbed? Obviously artwork is not an easily sold product outside the racket of existing art dealership. The secret is that the crime is already seamlessly integrated into the system of fine art dealing already! 1. Artists make whatever and fill up a white room with it (maybe a number of store bought trinkets) 2. Gallerists and dealers trump up this stuff with whimsical romantic writings from the artist, interviews in all the hot art magazines (which leach off the whole process), and peddle the art around to elitist folks with money to burn. Remember, this is a status game, nothing more. If the Mona Lisa went on sale tomorrow, it would be bought for probably 500 million dollars by some Russian corporation. That Mona Lisa might easily be sold on the black market, that is, if it could ever be stolen. It is behind an inch of bulletproof glass, surrounded by ropes, cameras, and guards. That cloth of mud has more protection than you or me or most human beings. If all this sounds kind of rediculous, that's because it is. The criminal strategy of fine art marketing inflates an idealogical dream within the general public of status and wealth which leaves most doors closed to the blue collar artist, and the blue collar criminal.

urban survival kit

2009-03-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

I live in Jersey City directly across from Manhattan, and I work in Union Square. If "the day" goes down, I want to get out and to safety. There are a number of plans to follow depending on what type of destruction/attack occurs, be it dirty bomb, full blown nuke, other types of coordinated explosions or other tactics of terror to create wide-spread panic. I want to be ready to some minimum degree. I don't feel the nyc task force for emergency response to threats will be adequate as it was chaotic on 911 and the months thereafter. So building on the wealth and philosophy of the internet survival courses of action and personal preparedness (eaglescout), I have begun to refine a system of capability.

The EDC is the first employment, what I would carry directly on my person at all times, (exploring side pack, waist/belt pack or cargo pocket descreteness. The kit shown is in my day bag, kept in another room, but carried with me every day. This kit might last me a couple days and should be used to get me to my home where my second kit will be. Then that kit will be able to last me for a week or more in order to get me to the next checkpoint where the stockpile and fortification will be available to last me and my loved ones for several weeks/months depending on the conditions.

This kit is preliminary and is of personal preference to NYC and its resources. ie. i have a lighter, not a flint and steel, this is not a wilderness survival kit, but an urban survival kit, and as i said should only last me a day or two. So I can get to my home either by foot or other available transportation.

Here is the list of the items in my personal edc (every day carry). actually it is a last ditch kit in my carry bag, different from what is in my jean pockets. - for now. This list is not in order of importance.

1. swiss army knife, standard, minus cork screw/saw (large, small blade, can/bottle opener, large/small flathead screwdriver, scissors, phillips head, hook, awl, tweesers, toothpick)
2. pen, china marker, small pad of paper (should be greasepaper)
3. rubber bands
4. 550 paracord, 3 arm span length
5. electrical tape roll (should upgrade to guerrilla duct tape)
6. usb flash drive with pertinent data, phone numbers etc. (to contain copy of all identification, drivers lisence, passport, birth certificate, etc.
7. two zip lock bags
8. band aids, q-tips, cotton pads, neosporin, tylenol, cough drops (should add large bandage,tape/gauze)
9. bandanna
10. bic lighter
11. plastic bottle container with screw lid
12. nylon bag to fit bottle in, with belt strap
13. aquamira 20 gallon charcoal filter straw (not sure how needed this is in a city full of bottled water, but incase i want to be law-biding and not start grabbing and looting on my way out of chaos)

On my person ie. belt/jeans pockets:

1. cell phone (verizon samsung alias, should be iphone)
2. keys with whistle (needs kubaton or really a fenix p3d ... thank's nutnfancy! )
3. wallet (keep a wad of singles separate to cough up to muggers ) should keep small bills and small change
4. leatherman charge tti (tons of capability, i won't get into it but here is a fantastic review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2iyutJbVA&feature=PlayList&p=4A62F502BFB2E9D7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
5. watch on left belt loop (currently pos aquatech whose battery has lasted for 8 years strong, not to mention destruction level abuse... but should update to marathon for style or g-shock for capability etc.)

More thoughts and items on this topic later.

Robot playing the flute. Take that, man!!

2009-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

Who said it couldn't be done?

Enneagram discussion with a friend and a couple stories

2008-12-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

Araignee 8 (11:33:54 PM): birthday partay!

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:34:10 PM): yes yes

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:34:13 PM): lotsa drinking

Araignee 8 (11:34:43 PM): Good plan!

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:35:05 PM): i got her some stuff today and had to hide it in the appt, and she wanted to look for it

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:35:15 PM): but i said YOU WONT BE SURPRISED!

Araignee 8 (11:36:09 PM): But did she continue to look for it?

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:36:32 PM): no she forgot, got sidetracked by HEROES

Araignee 8 (11:36:46 PM): That's awesome! Hi-five for girl attention span

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:27 PM): booyeah

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:36 PM): we went to ikea yesteday and got nightstands

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:40 PM): and 2 more shelves

Araignee 8 (11:37:42 PM): Aww how cute

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:51 PM): and we saw punisher

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:54 PM): which was awesome

Araignee 8 (11:37:55 PM): There's a new one?

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:37:57 PM): yeah

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:38:01 PM): its totally badass

Araignee 8 (11:38:05 PM): wow!!! Better than the first?

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:38:11 PM): yes

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:38:13 PM): much

Araignee 8 (11:38:26 PM): Does it follow the continuation, or is it a relaunch, Hulk style?

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:38:56 PM): hulk style

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:38:59 PM): but better

Araignee 8 (11:39:09 PM): *cheers* That sounds perfect.

Araignee 8 (11:39:38 PM): Cool, now I have a movie to see to celebrate end-of-semester.

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:39:53 PM): did u kick ass?

Araignee 8 (11:40:34 PM): I have been!

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:40:47 PM): right, finals soon

Araignee 8 (11:40:48 PM): I have a 90+ average in all my classes as we speak.

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:40:55 PM): rock

Araignee 8 (11:40:57 PM): So finals will determine A's or B+'s.

Araignee 8 (11:41:07 PM): thanks!

Araignee 8 (11:43:02 PM): How has work been? Busy?

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:43:25 PM): not too bad

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:43:39 PM): people keep falling down the stairs and having to be taken away by stretcher

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:43:52 PM): this woman fell and her bone came outta her ankle, and bled all over

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:44:23 PM): mostly quiet though, christmas music over and over

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:44:30 PM): its moving soo very fast

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:44:49 PM): i gotta ask around for an art show

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:45:02 PM): need a solo show space round here

Araignee 8 (11:45:24 PM): Holy cripes... o.O Are you serious about the stair injuries?

Araignee 8 (11:45:46 PM): Something is wrong with those stairs or the signage in that area....

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:46:47 PM): she was old and fat, slipped on the 3rd from bottom step, got up and fell again

Araignee 8 (11:46:59 PM): . . .

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:47:07 PM): thats nyc forya

Araignee 8 (11:47:25 PM): Obesity!!! The silent killer.

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:48:27 PM): toby's the silent killer

Araignee 8 (11:48:29 PM): So you've got a lot of artwork completed - enough for an exhibit?

Araignee 8 (11:48:34 PM): Who's toby? :P

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:48:36 PM): much more

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:49:19 PM): on the office, they have money and want new chairs or a copier, and toby is the HR guy who says there's asbestos in the ceiling, its a silent killer, and michael's like YOURE the silent killer

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:49:25 PM): cuz he hates toby

Araignee 8 (11:49:40 PM): hah!

GohPoeSchtaLL (11:49:46 PM): its the most recent episode, watch on nbc.com

Araignee 8 (11:50:24 PM): Cool, I shall.

Araignee 8 went away at 12:08:08 AM.

Araignee 8 returned at 12:33:07 AM.

Araignee 8 (12:58:34 AM): Michael is such a spineless worm. >_<>

GohPoeSchtaLL (12:58:44 AM): yeah

araignee8 signed off at 11:45:25 AM.

Araignee 8 is offline and will receive your IMs when signing back in.

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:41:32 AM): youre up late

Araignee 8 (1:41:43 AM): Yes! I"m enjoying new Watchmen footage

Araignee 8 (1:41:49 AM): downloading lots of new music

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:41:49 AM): oh? link me

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:42:02 AM): spirit comes out soon

Araignee 8 (1:42:04 AM): http://io9.com/5105823/new-faces-from-the-watchmen-movie

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:42:11 AM): btw, punisher again was awesome

Araignee 8 (1:42:14 AM): The top vid has mostly all new stuff. Lower one is a mix.

Araignee 8 (1:42:28 AM): I will want to see that! Spirit, I don't know much about yet.

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:43:59 AM): spirit looks like frank miller and sin city style

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:44:17 AM): check rotten tomatoes upon closer release date

Araignee 8 (1:44:51 AM): I have been interested in it, for certain!

Araignee 8 (1:45:15 AM): Ok - tonight I found out about this incredible over the top movie-musical that I MUST see

Araignee 8 (1:45:25 AM): It's called Repo! The Genetic Opera

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:45:48 AM): no idea, opera is a hard sell

Araignee 8 (1:47:58 AM): Cast members include Sarah Brightman, Anthony Stewart Head, Paris Hilton, and the lead guy from Skinny Puppy... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963194/

Araignee 8 (1:48:30 AM): It's being screened in select theatres, and will come to DVD early 2009. But there is a show in Baltimore on 12 / 19.

Araignee 8 (1:48:50 AM): I'm thinking of how to justify the ~ 8 hr round trip...

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:49:35 AM): dont do it

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:49:42 AM): see some good stuff in nyc

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:49:51 AM): you just like trips places

Araignee 8 (1:49:53 AM): Gah, it did NYC back in November!

Araignee 8 (1:50:00 AM): I love trips, James. You are right.

Araignee 8 (1:50:27 AM): If I can wander around somewhere new on foot, or hitch a train to I-don't-know-where-yet, or drive for hours for some obscure thing, I'm happy.

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:50:45 AM): there is this girl who teaches at rutgers who is gonna die one day cause she goes to dangerous places around the world and deals with dangerous people to get humanist stories

Araignee 8 (1:51:08 AM): *shivers* Stuff like that isn't for everyone.

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:51:19 AM): but she is following her heart

Araignee 8 (1:51:23 AM): Is she interested in the Middle East? That kind of thing?

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:51:43 AM): burma, central america, drug trafficking islands

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:52:02 AM): only a matter of time...

Araignee 8 (1:52:07 AM): *shakes head*

Araignee 8 (1:52:43 AM): Ukraine was wild enough for me! Heck, Natasha and I shared an empty flower cart with a Grand Central Station bum that night we slept there.

Araignee 8 (1:52:52 AM): You know about that, right?

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:53:11 AM): nope

Araignee 8 (1:53:18 AM): *laughs*

GohPoeSchtaLL (1:53:51 AM): i probably dont know a lot about what she does

Araignee 8 (1:54:02 AM): It's a good story to tell in person, because I do this impression of Natasha curled into a ball on the floor at the techno club we went to.

Araignee 8 (1:55:16 AM): It's the only time I've been out clubbing with her. We went to some techno club in the city, and brought E with us. There was also a guy friend of hers along, I don't *think* it was Paul.

Araignee 8 (1:56:19 AM): So we get to the club, and the music is pretty good - all stuff she knows and likes, mostly new to me. The club is pretty full already with kids dressed in wacky neon clothes and odd raver accessories.

Araignee 8 (1:57:47 AM): Natasha wants to chill out a little bit, so the three of us stand by a wall, watch the scene, and take the E. I only took half of what I had, and am happy to have done so. (My one and only time trying it, btw.)

Araignee 8 (1:58:53 AM): It kicked in quickly, and the guy went off to dance... I sat with Natasha, but she did not want to dance yet, and I couldn't hold still, so I went off to dance nearby.

Araignee 8 (1:59:46 AM): Every few songs, I would come back to see if she wanted to dance yet, but she was curled up by the wall with her chin on her knees, moving her head a bit to the music... No matter what I said, she didn't want to get up, and insisted that she WAS dancing.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:00:02 AM): ha!

Araignee 8 (2:00:52 AM): I wasn't my most reasonable self either, so after a while of this I grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her to her feet... She screamed, "I'M HAVING FUNNNNN! I'M HAVING FUNNNNN...I'm DANCING!!!!

Araignee 8 (2:01:47 AM): This went on for a few hours. Sometime after 3:00, the lights suddenly come on in the club.

Araignee 8 (2:01:55 AM): James, one kid just fell over when the lights came on.

Araignee 8 (2:02:05 AM): It was hilarious! What was that person on?

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:02:17 AM): time to sleep mode

Araignee 8 (2:02:31 AM): Lights come on... Drugged out screams of complaint and where's the music

Araignee 8 (2:02:53 AM): The police rush into the club!!! Everyone out, everyone out... I manage to find Natasha, and we are lucky to grab our coats.

Araignee 8 (2:03:18 AM): When we get outside, we realize that the cops weren't letting anyone get their coats, and there are plenty who weren't so lucky. Because this is January.

Araignee 8 (2:03:26 AM): And not a warm January, like the last two.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:03:38 AM): what year was this?

Araignee 8 (2:03:45 AM): Snow's everywhere. Natasha looks clear headed for the first time in hours, and she's cursing up a storm.

Araignee 8 (2:03:50 AM): Like I've never heard!

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:04:02 AM): like i hear every day

Araignee 8 (2:04:07 AM): "Who the FUCK do they think they are I was HAVING FUN I was HAVING A GOOD TIME"

Araignee 8 (2:04:21 AM): hah

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:04:35 AM): she got a ticket today for like running a red light and fears getting her liscence suspended

Araignee 8 (2:04:40 AM): : \

Araignee 8 (2:04:44 AM): That's terrible.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:04:54 AM): between crying uncontrollably on the phone and bitching out the cops

Araignee 8 (2:04:54 AM): Do you think that's likely?

Araignee 8 (2:05:00 AM): ugh! Not the cops!

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:05:13 AM): she just got a ticket last week for speeding, both give points

Araignee 8 (2:05:20 AM): She's so small... but full of rage

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:05:25 AM): ha

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:05:34 AM): vulnerable

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:05:45 AM): like a wounded creature, dangerouse

Araignee 8 (2:06:06 AM): Be nice to her! No jokes about how you'll use her car to drive everywhere you want when she loses her rights.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:06:29 AM): like to her work every morning? i dont think so

Araignee 8 (2:06:36 AM): Heh.

Araignee 8 (2:07:01 AM): I really hope the points aren't that bad.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:07:11 AM): i think she will be ok

Araignee 8 (2:07:21 AM):

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:07:24 AM): they'd be hard pressed to keep her from gettin to work

Araignee 8 (2:07:56 AM): So it's January, and Natasha and I are outside in the snow at 3 am. That guy friend disappeared somehow.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:07:59 AM): its bad luck, cuz she isnt the worst driver on the road, and two violations back to back, is just bad luck

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:08:12 AM): what year was that?"

Araignee 8 (2:08:18 AM): He either took a cab, or found someone he knew, or wussed out... something.

Araignee 8 (2:08:39 AM): Year... Hmm. Must be early '05? My guess.

Araignee 8 (2:09:02 AM): That sounds right.

Araignee 8 (2:09:58 AM): There are these guys next to us in the crowd of drugged up shivering ravers who say, "Everyone, the party isn't over! There's this club in Long Island, and we are going there, and it will be great!"

Araignee 8 (2:10:26 AM): And amidst ragged cheers, I hear Natasha telling me how we HAVE TO GO

Araignee 8 (2:10:55 AM): I say, "to Long Island? That's far. By the time we get there, this club could be shut down too, and then we'll be even further from home."

Araignee 8 (2:12:01 AM): "Irina, you don't understand, we HAVE TO GO" and then all kinds of ultimatums about how I'm ruining her high, and the party's just beginning... I was so glad I hadn't taken as much E as she had.

Araignee 8 (2:12:16 AM): Because then I would have been thinking it was the best idea ever!

Araignee 8 (2:12:58 AM): Somehow, I reason with her, and drag her off to the subway, where she continues to shiver and point out odd little things. When we get to Grand Cental, we discover that ... there are no trains.

Araignee 8 (2:13:12 AM): No trains! Next one is at 5:45 am or something.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:13:27 AM): that's right

Araignee 8 (2:14:12 AM): Yup. Grand Central is very odd at this time of night... Ghostly homeless people shuffling around, maintenance workers... We saw someone washing their feet in a water fountain.

Araignee 8 (2:15:06 AM): Finally, exhausted and now certain that there really are no trains home, we collapse in the middle of the floor, on the upstairs area by the escalators and benches.

Araignee 8 (2:15:59 AM): I'll never forget the very spot. Natasha and I are so cold, so cold...we both start falling in and out of sleep. At one point, we realize that there are heat vents in the ceiling, and we move to a spot on the floor directly underneath one.

Araignee 8 (2:16:18 AM): We try to sleep. And then a homeless guy steps on us.

Araignee 8 (2:17:01 AM): So I get up, and drag Natasha to a wooden flower seller's stall. It's empty for the night, and after the floor feels like a real bed.

Araignee 8 (2:17:34 AM): And eventually, a homeless person comes and sleeps on the same cart-thing. Right next to us. But we are too passed out to care.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:17:41 AM): u realize im saving this story and posting it on my blog

Araignee 8 (2:18:11 AM): We get the first morning train home. And I don't know if Natasha ever chewed out that guy for leaving us in the city to get stepped on by the homeless.

Araignee 8 (2:18:19 AM): Yeah! Sure! It's a great story. I love telling it.

Araignee 8 (2:18:25 AM): I can't believe she never told you.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:18:58 AM): maybe she did, it was 05 i dont think we were together in january

Araignee 8 (2:19:05 AM): On the train home, I said, "you realize you were rocking in a little ball on the floor of the club and screaming about how much fun it was?" She was like... "what???"

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:19:12 AM): she was in her fuck it all phase

Araignee 8 (2:19:29 AM): Remember, kids. Drugs are bad!

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:19:33 AM): she is in a little ball now on the bed

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:19:59 AM): she said i should wake her when i get home so we can watch a movie or something, but had none of it as i expected when i arrived

Araignee 8 (2:20:11 AM): Awww.

Araignee 8 (2:20:17 AM): She's sad because of the police thing

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:20:22 AM): yes

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:20:52 AM): its the only time somebody besides me makes her feel bad for doing something wrong, breaking her vision of infallibility

Araignee 8 (2:21:15 AM): Ah, so you know about that?

Araignee 8 (2:21:35 AM): You really do get her.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:21:47 AM): as do u

Araignee 8 (2:22:19 AM): She and I have a lot of personality traits in common. It's really fun for me to have a friend like that.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:22:40 AM): how do u think u 2 r similar

Araignee 8 (2:23:25 AM): We're both fixated on appearance, not just beauty but the appearance of competence, success, happiness.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:24:06 AM): that's everybody, doesnt count

Araignee 8 (2:24:14 AM): We're both perfectionists and have times when we stop ourselves from completing something due to that.

Araignee 8 (2:26:05 AM): Maybe like some other people, but only like this sort of other people: http://www.enneagramcentral.com/Enneagram/Style_Three.htm

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:28:46 AM): interesting website

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:29:02 AM): "how you can help"

Araignee 8 (2:29:21 AM): Yes, and those are all very valid for me. Perhaps for her too, but you'll have to find out.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:29:59 AM): i think you should keep pepper spray or something when u go out

Araignee 8 (2:30:08 AM): That's such a good idea.

Araignee 8 (2:30:54 AM): Considering I have a way of making friends quickly. I'm amazed nothing bad has ever happened to me when I think back on some of the "adventures".

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:31:06 AM): its always that 1001 time

Araignee 8 (2:31:12 AM): yes

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:31:32 AM): dont push the luck, get some awareness training, some strategy

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:32:49 AM): what number am i>?

Araignee 8 (2:33:03 AM): You? I have a fairly good idea.

Araignee 8 (2:33:49 AM): Does anything stand out to you?

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:34:19 AM): im reading the 5, just cuz it said observer

Araignee 8 (2:36:48 AM): this personality system is interesting because it's not so much about what people do, but the motivations behind their actions and the personal drive therein.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:37:58 AM): im takin the test

Araignee 8 (2:38:13 AM): Good!

Araignee 8 (2:38:20 AM): You are very likely connected closely to Five, there are many personality aspects you share there. But Fives are often a touch uncomfortable in their own skin, and I don't see that in you.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:40:36 AM): that's cuz u dont live with me

Araignee 8 (2:41:03 AM): Any insight from the test yet? *grins*

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:41:30 AM): would i be more like 5 if i havent worked on myself? i feel i keep changing, maturing....

Araignee 8 (2:41:56 AM): I am sure you are! That is apparent in your artwork.

Araignee 8 (2:42:04 AM): Maturing, rather.

Araignee 8 (2:43:08 AM): But as for being more like one type than another, no. A person is one core type, though their effectiveness and psychological health varies due to stress levels or the amount of self-awareness they've been able to cultivate.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:43:29 AM): some of these questions are tailored for me

Araignee 8 (2:43:41 AM): Oh?

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:45:16 AM): but would be for many introverts

Araignee 8 (2:52:32 AM): *listens to the new Cure album and waits*

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:52:33 AM): hah! i am 5 according to the test

Araignee 8 (2:52:49 AM): *grins* You sound pleased with that!

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:52:50 AM): thats' funny

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:53:42 AM): the second set of questions repeats some to get a more unbiased answer, which i became more aware of, and probably chose more extreme sides but i guess that too is factored in

Araignee 8 (2:54:17 AM): It works out one way or another. Those tests are always accurate in some respect, because Enneatypes have things in common with each other.

Araignee 8 (2:54:45 AM): Based on you testing a 5, there are several types we can write off immediately! Like 2.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:55:13 AM): should i take it again another day?

Araignee 8 (2:55:17 AM): In my understanding, your connection to Five exists because you are right next to it on the circle of the enneagram.

Araignee 8 (2:56:10 AM): The test is a guideline, what works better is self-reflection and reading of material on the system. Or you could decide to trust someone who thinks they know a bit about you.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:56:19 AM): polina myers briggs'ed me, said i was I, ITJ i believe

Araignee 8 (2:56:35 AM): Definitely introverted. Definitely thinking.

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:56:52 AM): sense or intuit

GohPoeSchtaLL (2:57:04 AM): and judge over percept

Araignee 8 (2:57:05 AM): Five, Six and Seven are the "thinking" Enneatypes.

Araignee 8 (2:58:07 AM): Hover over Type Six, and click Subtype Six - Intimate

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:01:19 AM): cool

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:01:39 AM): i like how it brought in fear

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:01:45 AM): which is so true

Araignee 8 (3:02:18 AM): As in fear being something despite which a person moves forward.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:02:46 AM): or as the first trigger, like to start martial arts

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:03:21 AM): terrorists blowing themselves up because theyre afraid they arent courageous/strong enough to do so

Araignee 8 (3:03:43 AM): A lot of the enneagram writing out there about Sixes may not sound like you, because it is geared to Social Subtype Sixes. You can read about them too... But you are not driven by the same concerns that they are.

Araignee 8 (3:04:07 AM): That's scarily true about the terrorists...

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:04:52 AM): people say oh theyre fearless, but they are fearful about something else, greater, but not the death

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:05:06 AM): suprisingly

Araignee 8 (3:06:35 AM): "In fact, at the pinnacle of martial arts is the learning how not to have to fight." I liked this, in relation to type 6.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:07:03 AM): not sure i'd agree with that

Araignee 8 (3:07:15 AM): What does it make you think of?

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:08:29 AM): they mean be free of fear of the confrontation by avoiding the fight, but the highest would be ending the fight very quickly from an attacking threat, that cant be like "talked down" as it implies

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:09:27 AM): but i get it to check the ego in the challenging confrontation and fear of not being able to engage and win

Araignee 8 (3:09:34 AM): Hmmm. Sometimes just knowing that one has the physical authority to do that is enough to give them patience to resolve it peaceably.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:09:39 AM): fear of not being able to win it would lead one into a fight

Araignee 8 (3:09:44 AM): Yeah!

Araignee 8 (3:09:47 AM): Wow, that's spot on.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:10:06 AM): so it has a duality to it

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:10:46 AM): my sifu for example is both unthreatened by people and humble towards them, that's the highest

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:11:13 AM): and youre right, its his ability and power that allow him to do that, as well as his understanding of himself and others

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:11:24 AM): he uses elements as his enneagram

Araignee 8 (3:11:32 AM): He sounds like an excellent person to learn from.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:11:50 AM): have you seen his youtube vids?

Araignee 8 (3:12:12 AM): Hmm. I'm not sure I have!

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:12:27 AM): you may enjoy some, get a taste. www.youtube.com/user/sifuhill

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:12:51 AM): do the playlists

Araignee 8 (3:13:00 AM): I remember watching one that was a discussion! Let's see here...

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:13:30 AM): well that should keep u busy for a couple hrs, hehe, i need to sleep, wed is my long day

Araignee 8 (3:13:43 AM): I am going to sleep too, and will save these!

Araignee 8 (3:13:54 AM): I have my speech final for public speaking class, tomorrow.

GohPoeSchtaLL (3:14:08 AM): rock, ok bye for now, good talkin, and this is goin on postjam.blogspot.com

Araignee 8 (3:14:18 AM): Cool! I didn't know you had a blog.

Araignee 8 (3:14:21 AM): See you Saturday!

Art Critic Frank May's excerpt on my art...

2008-10-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

"Post’s ink drawings are compelling because he seems to start at the end and work his way backward. His work seems to be a revelation, rather than a construction. In a good portion of the drawings, there is this riotous, chaotic gesture that appears to be the primordial element. In contrast, what develops is the uncovering of an even more primordial form or figure. What leads me to this understanding is that he never draws the figure directly because he does not have to, the figure is already there. All Post needs to do is fill in the gaps with the composite shapes. What appears to be the chaotic gesture of the ink splash, in contrast, becomes the very determinism of the hyper-primordial form. This results in an intriguing reverberation, and dialogue, involving gesture, form, and line."

TED talk on gender on youtube

2008-09-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

so i get my gender theory from ken wilber's work which is really from susan cook-greuter and the gray guy who wrote men from mars and women from venus. There are a few others and then there are the wilber books like up from eden where he has some cool anthropological tidbits like men have a million years of hunting and staring/watching, while women have the same time raising children so men are more autonomous and women are more communal.

Also the heavy plow was probably the defining invention of the day to separate masculine and feminine rolls where anybody can use a hoe to till the fields, but if women use a heavy plow they miscarriage, so the man did it as a mutual agreed role to protect the family. These are just examples not to be the last word (barely the first on these topics) so take it as a generalization and overview i'm presenting here, look to the texts for details.

Anyway, i watched this ted talk on youtube where a guy presents the next wave of data/evidence for the differences between men and women in the form of brainscans. This data is used in the corporate workplace to help men and women relate better to eachother and build a stronger company. For instance when men get bored at meetings their brainfunction goes to basically nil and they nod off, which doesnt mean they're devaluing the woman who is speaking (as she may think) but because when he zones out it is severe. Women on the other hand are much more capable of listening and giving cues to the speaker that they are aware.

Another example is when men relate to eachother it is through spatial reasoning so they may throw a ball to one another or a father and son kick a ball to eachother, without eye contact or speaking but as a spatial form of relating. Women should not take this as an undermining of her status and value in the workplace when recognizing these masculine traits that respond more to data and less to discussion. Anywho, this was another interesting layer of data supporting what we all already knew about our differences. Data always helps ;)

new brain memory understanding, we're getting close!!

2008-09-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

from the ny times article, we are finally getting specific correlations, not defining interiority as consciousness as it is experienced, but the one to one down pinnings of memory, recall and the neuronal pathways correlating. as we get closer to mapping the entirety of the regions of the brian and develop a new model to understand it, we can then move towards a software model that can duplicate a human capacity brain in a computer. this will be the goal or holy grail where rapid change in problem solving can increase exponentially due to the speed of computation in hardware, unlike the 800 fps neuron limitation, not to mention essentially unlimited memory, etc. the ai hardware brain can then rapidly develop its own cognitive abilities ad infinitum, leading to solving other problems for us along the way.

now i know problem solving is one language engineers use as motivation in a frothy edged environment of change in their lives, it is not the only way of viewing the world. some view it with more problems = more despair, and others may see it as a natural is-ness of now. i'm leaning towards the pragmatic middle as it is a balance. Peter Hirshberg said in a recent Ted talk that the techie scientists have evangelical dreams and positions about the next big thing, which will change the world as we know it etc. which i thought was a great way of putting it, almost like they relate more to religious fanatics and politicians than other scientists. i can safely say they relate more to artists like myself as well. cheers!

For the Brain, Remembering Is Like Reliving

New York Times, Sep. 4, 2008

Scientists have for the first time recorded individual brain cells in the act of summoning a spontaneous memory, revealing not only where a remembered experience is registered but also, in part, how the brain is able to recreate it.

The recordings, from electrodes in the hippocampus, demonstrate that these spontaneous memories reside in some of the same neurons that fired most furiously when the recalled event had been experienced.

Darpa and the superman

2008-08-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Darpa has been working feverishly on advancements in human capability, to use gene therapy and pharmaceuticals to enhance the soldier of tomorrow. Such promises are to hold a single breath for 4 hours, run a mile in 45 seconds or a marathon in 44 minutes. To have superstrength in the muscles as to lift two tons (gorilla strength, 10-20 that of a man) and this is just the beginning. The future battle unit will have brain/chip interface with all members of the team streaming in details and stats of every member of your team to your memory(which will be photographic and unlimited) and visual field. No more forgetting where the car keys are. Not only that, but internet access in information retrieval will be brain linked yeilding access to unlimited answers about the world as it expands exponentially.

Such future prosepects certainly have peril where we must rely on who has control of these intimate parts of our selves, but i feel this is nothing new and a vast majority of americans will get bye in a complacent fashion. Their interests of comfort and entertainment will be met and upheld by the government and big business. Those demands for the faster computer, the better game, and the feel-good drug can will and should be pushed forward by visionaries like Darpa. We need to think ahead of the curve to protect our assets, and our humanity. I can't wait for the daily pill or gene treatment that gives us the caloric restriction benefit while we indulge in the culinary arts (or in my case beer and redbull).

The dawin of the superhuman is near, and we need to get prepared for it today!

Dean Radin

2008-08-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just watched Dean Radin's google tech talk on psi phenomena and its taboo in the scientific community. Radin is at the institute of noetic sciences which does many scientific studies, statistical analyses and investigation of psi phenomena in latent human subjects. He points out in the talk how variables of lunar cycles, environmental changes, certain magnetic fields and timezones could have an effect on experiments. He also shows how what seems to be a small statistical change, as little as .03 percent of change is a real event and is such a result to lead to major developments in areas like the pharmaceutical industry (asprin affecting the potential of a second heart attack) and others.

Radin maintains he is still as skeptical as ever, and has to be about these studies in psi, the public opinion and taboo. He has not started out as a believer, but was convinced over the years by the data only. This is a non-bias opinion. His question and answer segment is very elloquent where he discusses bias in the academic community (~50 of thousands academics are interested in psi, pro or skeptic). He presents a logical argument about the viability of data accumulated over decades of projects in numerous respectable universities such as Princeton, Harvord, and Stanford.

I have also read his book the CONSCIOUS UNIVERSE and I have heard an interview with him and Ken Wilber on the INTEGRAL NAKED website. Radin shows that the article we read about in the paper is always the negative one where the study fails and shows once and for all that esp doesn't exist with the most cutting edge measurement technology (fmri eg. ) and the 8 experiments prior with the same equipment and positive results are never heard of. Interesting.
James Randi's million dollar prize is brought up in Radin's q & a. He says the reason it hasn't been claimed is because of the 99% probability of having one trial work with a certain small percentage becomes an astronomically high probability.
I'd point out something like the OMEGA particle which was witnessed something like once in a long running quantum physics experiment becomes automatically a real part of physics, because it has been proven to exist. That happens because the realm if which it operates is widely accepted. Radin says that we have cultural amnesia where once something is widely accepted, it is forgotten how it was such a dangerous taboo in the past (where people were burned at the steak in the past for such things). Check out Radin's wiki here

the way of the artist

2008-08-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

the world of the transhumanist is a flux and fast pace, but as we have the human side to us, we are not machines (yet) and it's nice to set aside time to slow down, to focus attention at one thing and be pleasantly aware of the moment, how we feel subtle emotions that need not be named or categorized in our minds, but just felt, ever so slightly..

the future human will be a well-tuned being, integrating a deeper and subtle feeling of existing in the body, and a clearer state of mind, with a razor sharp cognition and problem-solving capability; one who practices tai-chi in an effort to cultivate subtle energies, meaning a deeper feeling for the body, and a moving meditation, attention to detail....

strengthen the mind with the willingness to feel pain and not break or be bothered. the state of mind is fleeting and there is no cause to flinch or break concentration. this is the way of the artist.

consumption of choice (excluding water) :
1. redbull,
2. iced coffee/hot chocolate mix,
3. sam adams beer

not ideal, but they sharpen the mind...

Gabert Farrar : painter, artist, friend

2008-08-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

GABERT FARRAR: painter, Queens NYC 2008

Gabe has been working steadily and unflinching for fifteen years as a fine artist in the US. That's more than can be said of ninety percent of BFA graduates, who stop making work by five years after graduation. He and I shared a studio area for the past two years for the Brooklyn College MFA program. I got to know him pretty well when we stayed late and talked which was often. He is an unassuming and jovial man, honest and sensitive; and totally laid back. The man is a machine. He probably put in more man hours in that two years than any other of the students, and it paid off. He created and developed a massive body of work in abstract painting and drawing.
Gabe began with geometric paintings oscillating with cut out paper and hand-painted strips on large 5x5' works; these were injected with an industrial post-marxist ad symbol clutter and city detritus. His studio floor and his works on the wall were almost interchangable. As he noticed the amount of garbage he produced by discarded bits of masking tape (used for his intricate geometry) it re-entered his work as a conscious recycling of ideas. He experienced a fragmented view of the city and its construction as dilapidated and stacked asymmetry, and his work took on that fragmentation as well.
A new process he adopted in the second year was a gateway to a huge effort, where dozens of large paintings were made. He utilized digital photos of his city world which were then augmented on photoshop but not obliterated, and then were cut up and transferred via gelatin matte medium and ungodly hours of labor. Images of advertising devoid of meaning, but resting as symbols of the emptyness they cultivated in consumers, broken up and flattened, textured and taped, masked and scraped. The garish colors began to tone down as his work took two more turns in the last months of the program. The sitting figure was broken and with a look of disgusted boredom and the rotting pixelated bowl of fruit rainbow sports advertisement, the motel and the ziggurat. The still screenshots from Val Lewton's Curse of the Cat People found their way onto his canvas, views of the ground or from foot level perspective.. and lastly that page ended and he exploded with tens of new drawings, cartoon scenes of men toppling figures of power, men existing in the bar, the room, on the street, workers with a sense of change.
I'm glad we had time to discuss the benign philosopher king who could rule a post-capitalistic world order, a Walt Whitman beholder, and the technological singularity where meaning and change approach infinity. Gabe continues to work immovably in NYC. This man's work ethic is an inspiration to me.

research and development

2008-07-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

i have two main sources of research for my art, where research is meaning intellectual development and not kinesthetic or spiritual per se, but the internet and books are the two main sources. of course the internet is broken into downloadable audio video and documents, youtube and google vids, and then specific sites that offer topical videos eg. ted, integral naked, etc. my youtube subscriptions fall into 3 categories: 1. ted videos or science and tech 2. martial arts videos mainly blacktaoist and sifuruddycurryjr 3. art videos eg. philinthecircle. lastly the multicategory is instructional such as cold steel knife testing videos or wilderness survival and bushcraft instructional videos. recently the singularity summit of 06 and07 has been made available to download so i have been trudging through that. it has a lot to offer, ie. i make most of my drawings from a single source digested and put to image whatever that may be. see my work at www.artconspiracy.com/artists/gopostal.htm -james

Jerzey City

2008-07-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

ok, for all of those in the metro nyc area, i have set up shop once and for all in jersey city, right across from lower manhattan on hudson street. i've got an amazing view of the manhattan skyline, with the empire state building towering over all the other skyscrapers. i'm on the 30th floor and things are good. my library has been moved in and i've been tearing through some much needed tomes. within 3 weeks all of our furniture will be set up and i will be having powwows and shindigs soon enough, and you're all invited. so until then, keep exercising and making art, and sharing it, and i will see all of you soon. best, -james

2008-07-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Meditation:

The clarity gained by sitting still
is time-tested forging iron will.
And looking blankly through thin air,
a piercing honest empty stare.

For one thing surely lacking calm,
is conscious boundary of the palm.
And rumors of the Answer's stealth,
stay hidden from one's sitting self.

-James Post 2008

digestion of ben goertzel

2008-07-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

any complex organizing system suffices to ake an intelligent system, many ways to do such a thing, project stance? novamente design detailled in unpublished manuscripts, one reviews it as a whole, one about reasoning components, one on cognitive development, as it's taught, ...some made public, and some not.

serious ai safety concerns. for a number of years now, we're making slow progress, only a few people, but slow and steady. stage now is primitive baby mind, in 3d simulation world, intention to teach system gradually,
now the baby can pick things up, do word object association, it has mastered object permenance, recognizing that objects still exist behind things. what piaget called infantile stage of development.

after a year, to move to concrete operational stage of development, system understands basic properties of world around it, like mass and volume, basic addition and counting, with interaction with teaching.

after concrete poerational comes formal stage, = logic algebraic reasoning, to speak in complex nested phrase manner, in intellectual human being, where hard takeoff becomes worth worrying about... a singularity is near, but how near?

kurzweil says 2029 for human level ai and 2045 for tech singularity, which is soft takeoff, we believe in unpredictability and perversity of reality

skeptics say we may run into objects, unforseen but statistical outline like novamente may achieve the singularity way before what the statistical model does say. even if kurzweil is right 2029 isnt that far off. in closing these extrapolations arent independent from the actions of us, so we cant just sit back and watch it happen, the curve relies on the activities of us, all of us in the world bent on making this happen very quickly in the furture. we should figure out what to do as quickly and as beneficially as possible or else it may not come true.

curve of number of people killed in each war goes up real fast like exponentially. same as everything else, it is all increasing exponentially so we must be careful, but work quickly to ensure our future.

july 4th and heavy states of consciousness

2008-07-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

so last night we went to some party in east brunswick and i didnt know really anybody there so i drank a couple keg beers, mostly foam, while lying in the above ground pool by the river. natasha was having fun cooking food and preparing meat for everyone so i moved on to the liquor cabinet, downing jagermeister then redbull, then jack and coke, a huge glass of that, then several hours later i was very drunk and playing with natasha, and she told me today i was accidently hurting her by squeezing her and tossing her on the couch, then i made it to the grass and pulled the trigger and nearly passed out, and natasha moved me to the dock where i could puke off the edge into the river, and i almost lost my glasses in the water, and i could barely move, and she said i was forgetting to breathe. then today she told me she got me home and put me in the shower and scrubbed me with soap and got soap and water all in my face, which my right eye has been hurting all day, but none of that i remember. so one of the last things i remember is lifting my head out of my lap for a glimpse of fireworks, and feeling woozy from the bright flashes in the dark knight. i had nothing to drink tonight.

slurve magazine

2008-06-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Postjam's artwork featured in Slurve Magazine!!! Slurve's issue #1 Spring 2007 several of my paintings (improperly tagged) including "Schitzophrenic Self-Portrait," "Transrational Threshold," and "Great Chain of Being" are featured here: http://www.slurvemag.com/Issue1/ ...I was not compensated. -j

links to transhumanism videos

2008-06-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

these videos are a good start in exploring transhumanism ideas...all very interesting, enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd9cf_vLviI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JFIXKcJK-JA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PWXrnsSrf0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSSYyFqpS3U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYIj3VxSdzI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfbOyw3CT6A&feature=related
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=imminst&sitesearch=#
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=imminst&sitesearch=#
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=imminst&sitesearch=#q=alcor&sitesearch=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKZ-GjSaqgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7FVjATcqvc

nutrition

2008-06-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

grossman and kurzweil's supplement program is too extreme for me, ray claims it has worked for him , that is kept his diabetes under control without insulin treatment, just basic greens and 300 supplements a day with several glasses of alkaline water. the caloric restriction has shown to extend life in mice, aubrey degrey's methusula push is catching on more, with millions and credibility.

i have tried in the past to keep a simple and nutritious diet, but i have grown up with sweets and junk. out of laziness, lack of cooking, and easiness of cereal, ive had a mostly grain diet most of my life as the base, the rest are sweets. im 5 10 and 180 lbs which is probably 40 lbs too much, i think a good amount of that is in my thigh muscles, the rest in my belly and ass fat.

prospective technology imagines tech in a belt or pill or gene therapy or something to let everyone eat as much as they want and only keep the calories they need, expelling the rest, so they get the benefits of caloric restriction without the restriction. that would kick viagra off the top of the market... pharmacy companies are pushing this tech. it has worked in mice already.

seems several of these immortalists are restrictive, but not when it comes to beer, de grey is an alcoholic imo (he says his genes allow for it), other say beer is good for you in moderation, which is great cuz i love the schmitwicks and sam adams seasonal mmmmm

i think my best improvement is almost wiping soda outta my diet when it had been what i lived on in college, that and vending machine food (i worked in the studio long hours and ate vending stuffs just to keep sustainance. i thankfully exercise several days out of the week with my kung fu and i have been running more lately. hopefully that will increase, cuz i put on some weight the past few months. i have managed stress well and helped natasha with that too. i'm her verbal punching bag.

i'm holding out for the tech, and doing things in moderation, balanced and watching the tech in awe. ...

the chi lounge

2008-06-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

my shaolin kung fu school has launched off its website the CHI LOUNGE where people can live chat about philosophy and the martial arts... start chatting here http://chilounge.ning.com/

things i want to do before i die as of june 2008 at age 24.5

2008-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

go into space
see austrailian outback
join a metal band and cut a demo
make some money off my art, instead of commissions that mean very little to me
do an artwork that is very large
become a sifu in shaolin kung fu in the eyes of my sifu
learn the fight forms from my sifu
tour europe and rock hard in amsterdam
discover more about my family tree/heritage
read the great books in my parent's house
learn more about my psychology to the point of self-mastery (see martial arts master, sifu)
live past 100
live past 1000
achieve enlightenment whatever that is (this whole list blocks that achievement i think)
visit the shaolin temple
get into the drawing center and have many one man shows and get praise fame and wealth
live humbly almost off the grid with some tech command center and rigorous artist and kung fu practice
find out if there is life on other planets or somewhere in the universe
understand my physiology and how my brain works
witness the breakthrough of advanced artifical intellgence
read all the books in my library ( ive read about 12 percent of them)
become an untouchable fighter (so i fear less others)
see the nanotech revolution
build a house
have a family with several kids i can mold
help out the local boyscout troop wherever i move to
drive across the country on back roads
see the southwest of the us
go back to new zealand and fiji
teach art to enrich the lives of those who are looking for me to do that for them, to help them as i was helped
make enough money to support my extended family, parents, siblings, wife and children, and grandchildren
invest in the stock market and turn a profit
set up my life so i leave the smallest carbon footprint
take more dmt and other entheogens
re-read ken wilber's books
make a movie that inspires transformation of humanity as accelerated progression post-singularity
witness the technological singularity
swim in the ocean again
live in alaska
survive a war and tell the stories to my children
invent something useful for struggling people
eat all the crap and drink all the redbull i want without negative health effects
become more loving to my wife, family, and friends
help out my friends when they need it most
feel good about myself for what i do in the world and know what i do is right
build on the integral practice, and create a new model
have a property with woods and protected trees and a dog to run around outside
go to the rainforest
visit china and japan
climb mount kilamanjaro
make more mature art
start taking taichi lessions from master yu before he dies
learn the knife forms from my sifu as well as the other weapons forms (bow, umbrella)
gain a great understanding of chi, life ,wisdom, and the meaning of it all and teach it to others
keep optimal weight
learn electric guitar so i can shred meshuggah and opeth music
learn drums and get much better at piano and cut a cd
make deep meaningful connections with like-minded people and have long-lasting friendships
volunteer at a hospital
ride and know how to maintain a motorcycle
learn throwing knives
grow bamboo in my house and on my future property
live in an all green house, with some future nanotech that turns all waste into energy
walk the appalachian trail
walk across the united states
visit india, nepal, tibet, thailand, vietnam, borneo, beliz, new guinnea and all the rest of indonesia
write a novel about a movie theater and mysticism
give my parents enough money so they can retire and just do their hobbys
give my parents grandchildren and see their faces when the first hold them
learn another language
explore deep space
get cryogenically frozen and be reanimated in the far future and discover it all
learn more about world history, all of it, western east north south, all epochs and timelines
read up on mysticism, occultism, metaphysics
read up on philosophy
read the encyclopedia and have some brain implant to remember it all verbatim
type a blog

that's all for now

transhumanism

2008-06-25T14:07:00.001-07:00

So i just read this article on Jonathan borofsky who is an artist adam thompson presented to me last year, and he's awesome cuz he counted to like 3 million a quarter of a century ago, and he was shooting for infinity and counted for like 3 hours a day...then he rigorously recorded his dreams and art ideas in this flow fashion as a daily art practice. i like this method of integrating practices of real things that are all inservice to some greater idea of hermetic discovery. borofsky thinks he has learned a lot about people by discovering things about himself in these time- passing activities.

people like john j. oconnor and alfred jensen or even joseph beuys all have these cool art practices, transformative ones, or ones that were research into something of worth to them that they basically later called art to varying degrees, jensen was told what he was doing was art as was mark lombardi. oconnor probably is more aware but his work takes research he compiles of his life (eg weight) and turns it into a beautiful drawing with social commentary, and beuys considered social activism an art form in itself.

i consider my martial arts practice an art form that doesnt need a tri state area fine art social context or something, that is all there, and not much needs to be said about the context, but more of the transformation..that is what matters. ok i'll give a context to my own thought model and process,... i am heavily influenced by integral theory and ken wilber and his model to navigage reality, and like hegel or aurobindo it was a theoretical model that was personal but built on a vast research, some synthesis of as much as the individual could get his hands on and then it just became this huge outgrowth, outpouring of information, and accumulated wisdom in words, and i guess like carl jung the writing style plays a part for the reader to be kind of mesmorized by the writing style and to be put in some meditative lull to absorb the info, something like that.

so i see my artist practice to be residual to my personal hermetic development in consciousness and trying to gain a higher cognitive function ( i should probably do like word problem study guides or practice iq tests or math) ...i want to find a continuous deeper meaning in things, a greater connectiveness, maybe where i am the hub of connection, or acting as the lowest common denominator.

i watch all the TED conference youtube videos and website vids from the annual conference in montery ca where a thousand minds get together and give presentations on big ideas, interesting ideas and problem solving and technology, physics, biology and everything in between, culture talks, music performances, language study and medicine breakthroughs, and lots of talks on the perils of the future as engineering problems with an injection of humanity and how to fix them...the videos are jaw dropping, and they make my head hum in some like 6-7 chakra causal state of being and i feel a swell in my heart and i get a gush of adrenaline as i am motivated to do something to contribute to this world, or to create art as only as i know how (usually drawings, or writing like this) and to share somehow some hope and awareness for the time we live in, which i guess might be how everybody of their time live and navigate, and affirm to eachother their path is not in vain, and should be pursued with rigor and compassion.

So i look at my daily practices as a compassionate way to live, or make some difference, that sounds rediculous..ghandi said be the change you want to see in the world, and i dont know where i heard that first but it definitely stayed with me. it's one of the few quotes i remember. ray kurzweil has also been a big influence more recently because he has a very progressive way of thinking and his research reflects that, and i think the slideshow presentation with video and audio clips is the best way to teach to the global village today, i would like to create some of my own in the future. what's stopped me is with the freedom to do anything i am paralyzed to do nothing. i need some direct points to make and i want to be convincing to like-minded individuals without plagarizing too much, and i'm not sure how to do that.

kurzweil has layed out ideas of tech changes in my lifetime that are truly transformative and lay the groundwork for a rapid ascention into posthumanity , he argues we will merge with our technology on the atomic or at least nano scale and become more human than we are today, a greater depth to be loving compassionate, to be creative, to solve problems to ease suffering, and with every new paridigm the time to the next one will be smaller and smaller , and i know this sounds like i dont like who i am and i want to change it or that i am some elitist or some nazi even who wants to bioengineer some supermen race or something, or make the world flat in its diversity by becoming the "best" and there can be only one best.

it's more like i feel that i want to keep improving, i am happy with myself today, i know many others are not, and many need not be and maybe they want to do something about it, like emotional alchemy which is what i would also like to work on and call it an artist practice, and that entails recognizing my psychology, my shadow elements, my fears and swelling angers, and negativity and understand it, channel it, maybe not change it, but at least recognize it, and maybe find some answers to why i feel mad or abusive or self-destructive sometimes. and with my resources and limited background i think this is the only way i can do anything to change the world, whatever that means.

at least now it feels good to vent this out. until next time.