Mesmerized

Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) discovered 'magnétisme animal' (animal magnetism) which others often called 'mesmerism'. The evolution of Mesmer's ideas and practices led James Braid (1795-1860) to develop hypnosis in 1842.

I was sent to Fort Lauderdale in early November of 2005. The city was just barely recovering from Hurricane Wilma, and I was reminded how quickly the 'First World' glow comes off a place. My day were full, but I was left to my own devices in the evening - so naturally - head for the gay bars! Unfortunately, most of them were closed due to electrical blackout, but I did find one still open.

I entered Club Cathode Ray with few expectations. I'm well past forty, and nobody talks to anyone over forty unless they're a drug dealer. But I did expect a show - Florida's beefcake is some of the finest - and I wasn't disappointed. Perched on a bar stool nursing my beer, I marveled as one well-muscled body after another strutted by. The club is a video bar - dozens of screens all pumping out the same image, the same beat, the same song. For a while I resisted, but it feels good to go with the flow. Everyone moving to the same signal, the image becomes stronger than reality.

Between the video, the beer and the boys, my consciousness sank into another place - a receptive mood. First up was Faith Evans - Mesmerized. Gay bars are special places, with special dance mixes. We get the good shit. On MTV this video is lackluster, but the dance mix is something else - something else entirely. I saw it so clearly...

Faith had become a high priestess, calling the acolytes to worship. Her stage is a Greco-Roman temple, and the four muses do dance before her. Above her is the white light of Lucifer, flashing it's radiant neon sign. Behind her... what the hell IS that behind her? A golden idol? The temple prostitutes dance, and suddenly I'm in Babylon - 2005 BC.

Then the credits - the Freemasons Edit. My eyes bug out, and I furtively glance around the ersatz Temple of Marduk, wondering if anyone else had seen it. But no one had.

Video: Faith Evans - Mesmerized

Dive Bombers

The Ordo Templi Orientis logo is gracing today's post 'Angel of the Morning' from the Wrong Way Wiz - note the dive bombing dove. It occurs to me that I've seen that crazy bird before... a long time ago in a galaxy far away.

Insignia of The Rebel Alliance

Their captain and his mark

Dive bombing rebels on a suicide run

More kamikaze dive bombers - Torah! Torah! Torah!

Ahura Mazda, the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. The Oriental Temple indeed.

Frankly, I've had enough of suicide bombers, death wish angels and eternally dying gods. I choose life, please.

Blue Dreams

It was nearly dusk, and I was inside a small lakeside cabin - hurriedly packing. The news had hit a few hours ago - aliens were invading the earth, and everyone who could was advised to head for the hills. I was nearly finished packing the car, when the UFO's came into view - fast and silent. 

There were several of them - classic saucers, about 50 yards in diameter and colored red, and one came down to hover over a neighbors house, and then one came down over mine. I had nowhere to run, and as the inevitable was about to occur, I was strangely at peace. The UFO briefly hovered over the house and then soon departed, but it had left me with a sense of all-pervading well-being, and blue skin! I got the sense that the good feeling would remain, and the blue skin was the sign of it. --Dream, 8/11

So... what's up with blue skin?

Blue Meany of Pepperland

Blue Boy's Town

Smurfs: Short, blue, identical peasant males who live in mushroom-shaped homes. In other words, anarcho/syndicalist gay clones who live an activated pineal gland lifestyle (commie pinko pot-smoking fags). See the Smurfunest Manifesto. 'Smurf' is a made up word that mean 'salt'. The 'salt' in Pepper Land?

Blue Shiva

Blue Genie

The Adventures of Rex: a homoerotic fantasy by Richard Jasper in which a closeted baseball player is transported by a magician to another dimension called 'Albion'. The magician changes the baseball player into his "alter ego" in the Albion dimension, which happens to be a big, blue, handsome and hung ogre.
Blue honey: When psilocybin mushrooms are stored in honey (used as a preservative), the honey turns blue. Bluishness is the sign of a psilocybin mushroom.

From futurist Syd Mead:

Amanita mushroom evoking landing craft.

Blue saucers, mushroom, jellyfish, cherubim?

Blue Genes

Bee 4 and After

All the recent buzz about bees got me to remembering my college daze - so today I rummaged around in my old photos box and found this gem: Wendy and I at the Kappa Sig Pledge Dance in '81. The costume was her idea.

A drone and his Queen

I was a popular date with coed virgins - of which there were still a few back in the day.

Forsaking my first love?

More rummaging. Here I am in all my eighties glory - teal sweater, button-down, 501's and G&T. This was the '82 Spring Cruise, so by then I was rapidly coming out, but not yet to my frat brothers. I have no recollection about the girl, I probably ditched her as soon as possible to go out to the bars.

Through the Looking Glass

Twin Peaks