Did you you know … That I was born on the same day as: 

• Charles Baudelaire – French poet, and Nadar camera scowling bohemian… 
• Edward Muybridge – A guy who liked to take a lot of pictures of naked folk walking up and down stairs 
• Tamerlane – A turkish conquerer who really resented Kit Marlowe’s adding of a “B” to his name. 
• Hugh Hefner – Another guy who liked to take a lot more pictures of naked people…doing a lot more than walking up and down stairs… 
• Tom Leher – Some piano playing fool who never liked having his picture taken! (But, man, he was funny!) 
• Cheeta – A chimp! Tarzan’s OTHER mate! Don’t believe me? Just ask Jane. “That F**KING APE BIT ME!!” ( he is ALSO a painter AND the world’s OLDEST Chimpanzee at 75! Have a banana cream pie for me, Cheeta!) 
• Jim Fowler – The only guy who could get a bird to poop on Bryant Gumbal…on command! 
• Dennis Quaid – Heh…he was in “Innerspace”…and “Dragonheart”…SHUDDER… 
• Mark Pellegrino – “Where’s the f**king money, Lebowski! Bunny says you’re good for it!!” 
• Jenna Jameson – Someone who’s been in a lot of naked pictures…doing WAY MORE than walking up and down stairs…Whew! Dang. 
• Katsuni – Someone who’s done even more than Jenna…and got sued over it! Her filmography is SCARY! 
• Keshia Knight Pulliam – “Rudeeee!” 

I’ve noticed an interesting trend in our society. It’s a sad…and, frankly, scary notion of what is happening. What’s even more frightening, is where I noticed the trend!

In our horror movies….

Before I tell you what I’ve noticed, let me give you a little history lesson regarding how horror movies reflect the trends in society.

We’ll begin in the 1920’s. The first film that we really see a reflection of society is in F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu”. In the movie, an unauthorized dramatization of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (whose wife sued Murnau over copyright), Max Schrek plays Count Orlock (Dracula). The element of horror that is played open the most, is the fact that the main vampire is the bringer of plague… accompanied by thousands of infected rats. The film was made in post WWI Berlin, where disease and poverty was threatening the roots of German society. Fears of infestation are apparent in Some might almost consider the film to be a pre-Nazi parable about the dangers of foreign influence on communities trying to live out their peaceful lives.

We then move on to the 1930’s. Even though the Great Depression was going on, people were still flocking to the movie theaters to watch the likes of Frankenstein. Even though Gothic/Romantic films like The Mummy and Dracula had their place…nothing says 1930’s horror like Boris Karloff in Frankenstein. The films were religious parables – about the dangers of exploration in science…and the spiritual consequences that might ensue. Although the “tamper not with the forces of the divine” was a strong theme throughout many films of the time (“Now I know what it feels like to me God!”), perhaps there was a slightly prophetic implication buried within – that science would eliminate the need for God.

The 1940’s was the decade in which monsters first stopped being…monstrous. They became parodies of themselves (even Frankenstein…now played by Lugosi/Strange/Chaney was laughable alongside Abbot and Costello). A new monster appeared – the diabolical madman. Whether he be strangler, scientist, invisible pervert, or surgeon…the “madman” was a reflection of society’s revelation that the greatest monsters in the word were human beings. We had been exposed to the horrors of WWII (a the hands of both the Japanese and Nazi’s) through newsreels, and we were shocked that people could behave with such wanton cruelty.

The early 1950’s again examined horrors of science – earthbound or otherwise. Space aliens were certainly dominant…but the one kind of horror movie that embodies the 1950’s was the “giant bug movie” (like the classic giant ant movie “Them”). These movies were prophecies of what might go wrong if we continued our pursuits in atomic weapons and power. Even schlocky films like “Plan 9 From Outer Space” warned of the dangers of the bomb. 

The late 1950’s exposes us to a new fear – commies. Movies like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” or “Invaders From Mars” were thinly veiled propaganda films warning little Billy that even his mommy or daddy could be something other than what they appear to be – COMMIES! 

Even though Great Britain’s Hammer Pictures were churning out sexier/bloodier versions of the Universal Classics…the horror films people were paying attention to in the 1960’s were movies like Psycho and Rosemary’s Baby – in which everyday people that we think we should be trusting are, in fact, doing terrible things when the lights go out. 

In the 1970’s, after the morbid details of the exploits of serial killers like The Zodiac, Son of Sam and the Manson Family began to pervade the front pages of newspapers, a new breed of monster came out of the shadows – the masked killer! Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween were the grandfathers of this genre – creating a juggernaut industry of copycats and sequels. People were fascinated and terrified of bloodthirsty (and morbidly creative) lunatics who became real-life boogeymen in the collective unconcious of society.

Even though we, as Americans, were still fearing a war with the USSR (with nukes…lookout! Giant Bug!), we began to no longer fear the boogeyman – we began to treat them as a kind of anti-hero! There were a lot of monster movies (many of them awful) being churned out by Directors who grew up on the movies of the 40’s and 50’s, and were merely shadows of their ancestors.

About the same time…however..there was a new kind of monster that had taken hold in the 80’s – The “Beasts of Morality”. Characters like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger would certainly be stalking seemingly “innocent” pre-teens…Ah, Wait! But they weren’t innocent! They were drinking, smoking and *gasp!* having sex…usually not long before having a garden shear being jammed into their eye socket! The monsters of the 1980’s became a symbolic (and oddly conservative) “fun police”. They were “Just Say No” on steroids. Even though there was an outcry against the violence in these films…we also began to see parents paying less and less attention as to what their teens were watching – almost as if they approved (in a way) of what Freddy and Jason were actually “saying” (Teenagers shouldn’t drink, smoke or fuck…or else!)

Then the 1990’s came! Even though a recession in the first half of the decade allowed more “Beasts of Morality” movies to be made, an interesting thing happened – We stopped being afraid. That’s it. We stopped being afraid. Again…monsters were no longer out to get us – quite the opposite. We were out to get THEM! Many films features protagonists who tried to fight back against the creature, but it wasn’t until Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn” that the genre of the “Monster Killer” had taken root. Suddenly, there was a human who was willing to do terrible things, even to himself (like cut off his own hand with a chainsaw) to get rid of the supernatural! This mentality even began to effect other films like “Edward Scissorhands”, in which people are the real threat and the creatures are the gentle victims.

In the turn of the Century/Millenium, yet another genre was born – torture porn. Movies like Saw and Hostel began to break box office records. The characters that were once hunting down monsters with clever schemes and gadgets, were now doing it to real people. Some would credit a post-9-11 world on this phenomenon…where we fear people with no regard for humanity. Not only that…we fear what we might be capable of. What would WE do if we were in that situation? Would we avoid it entirely? Would we be transformed into the monsters?

Which brings me to my original point (which started this whole thing)… The Monster as the pure-hearted hero. Movies like Hellboy and Underworld feature supernatural forces trying to protect humanity – even if humanity would rather destroy them. The prevalence of these movies (and the Monster hunter movies) proves to me that despite all of our society’s talk about acceptance and equality…we still fear what is DIFFERENT – and will kill anything (literally or figuratively) that goes against our norms. Statistically speaking…even today…the people who talk the most about true equality are the people who discriminate the most (take that how you will). We must rely upon what were once demonized forces to be our heroes (devils, witches, vampires)…which is an interesting thought considering a general decline in spirituality. It’s as if we’re starving for legends, and monsters and things that go bump in the night. We WANT to believe in these creatures.

Sad, actually.

It’s not like enforced conformity is anything new…I find it sad that it still exists in our society – and I’m not sure the general population is aware of how it’s being reflected in their popular media forms.

I’ll be interested in seeing what the future holds in store for our friends – the creatures of the night.

On Our Wedding Day

Today is Cat Taylor’s birthday. 

It was not that long ago that this lovely woman and I met, by chance, at PantheaCon…where she invited me to her birthday party. I found myself intensely attracted to her. I’m afraid I was kind of “hovering” around her for the rest of that afternoon…wondering if a woman like Cat would ever be interested in a man like me. There was a bit of a snag…I was already married (to my first wife). I decided to be a good boy and politely accepted Cat’s offer and left it at that. 

Time passed. I was suddenly single, and looking to be social…but I had missed Cat’s (legendary) birthday party. So, I thought I would invite “The Boss” (To me, she was still the mighty Entertainment Director at Dickens Fair) out to a friendly dinner. She accepted. What started off as a simple dinner quickly built up from a casual flirtation to an amazingly passionate relationship. 

The rest is history. 

Cat is a very special woman. Everyone loves to go out of their way to tell me this at Fair(e)s and shows…and all I can do is agree – because I do. Cat is talented in all her endeavors, intelligent , patient (except with printers…but we BOTH hate printers), loving…I don’t think I’ve ever been with a woman with so much heart, funny, dedicated, curious, and let’s not forget – she’s a babe! Meeee-Yow! 

My life would not be as rich as it is…as fun as it is…or as full of joy as it is now if I had decided to swallow my impulse to invite her out to dinner. I had no idea that this lovely woman would, one day, be my wife….Ain’t life full of dandy surprises!?

I love her with all my heart – Today is this special woman’s birthday. So raise your glass of champagne and gimme a “Meow!” 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Kitten!

I love you!

"Faith n' begora! Is it more booze ye be lookin' fer, lassie?"

I hate St. Patrick’s Day. 

Seriously. I hate it. Not only that…but I hate it for reasons that may surprise anyone reading this. Okay…”hate” might be too general of a word. Let me rephrase by saying…

I hate what St. Patrick’s Day has become.

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t some quaint little holiday to me about “Being Irish”. I am Irish…mother’s maiden name is Clancy. I drink single malt whiskey when I can manage it, and enjoy Celtic tunes. I even married a woman who plays fiddle in a Celtic rock band (Avalon Rising). I love green as a color in general …it’s a pleasant color – I think it goes well with my red hair.

Yet, I hate St. Patrick’s Day. 

St. Patrick’s Day is, technically, a celebration of St. Patrick (who wasn’t even Irish -he was the Roman-British born Magonus Succetus) driving “The Serpents out of Ireland” (about AD 387 – AD 461). This is misleading. There aren’t any snakes in Ireland…never were. The “Serpents” the legend is referring to are Pagans…whom Magonus “drove out” of Ireland by converting citizens of the country to the Roman Catholic faith. That’s fine, except this is AD 400 – when people were being tortured and burned in the streets (to cheering crowds) for their faith. SO…needless to say, like many missionaries of the time, Magonus’ actions merely spread persecution and hatred (even if their intentions are good).  

Hell…even if you go with the fact that Magonus wasn’t the “real” Patrick (there’s something called “The 2 Patricks Theory”…huh? TWO saints!?! WTF?) the initial “reason” to celebrate St. Patty’s Day is about the whole “snakes” thing. What? We’re celebrating intolerance (and genocide, frankly) wrapped up in a bright green mini-skirt with shamrocks on it? HUH!? 

Folks…We need to get our heads together!

We don’t celebrate Columbus Day by dressing up in paper conquistador helmets. We don’t celebrate Black History Month by holding 2-for-1 watermelon sales. We don’t have a St. Custer’s Day to celebrate the “martyrdom” of General George Custer’s “valiant efforts against the buffalo” (that last one is me being passionately sarcastic – Custer’s a dick too). Hell, I have a lot of Latino friends who think that Cinco de Mayo goes a little overboard with perpetuating stereotypes. It’s all about perspective.

I’m a pagan. Technically … I’m one of the Serpents … AND I’m Irish. This meaning behind the holiday is insulting to me.

Okay…the whole “meaning” thing aside. Let’s just say “Okay, ignore St. Pat, and let’s focus on how cool it is to be Irish.” Wait…by celebrating our heritage with racial stereotypes!?! Heavy drinking? Green beer? Leprechauns!?!

Let’s start with the drinking. Irish drinking is as much of a stereotype to me as watermelons. We’re not a bunch of red-haired alcoholics, folks! Jesus!

Okay…the green beer thing. Not ALL Irish like the Green thing, people. Some are the Orange variety (like my mom…who is probably wearing Orange today). People in Ireland are STILL fighting over it because of the Catholic/Protestant conflict. STILL! Yes…the hills of Ireland are lovely and green, but that’s NOT WHY THE GREEN IS THERE. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and he was … BING! … CATHOLIC! Oh yeah, and that whole “pinch you for not wearing green thing”…that harkens back to religious conflicts in which they would do a WHOLE LOT WORSE to you if you weren’t wearing green. My mom almost got into a fight with someone for pinching her when she wasn’t wearing green.  

And Leprechauns…*sigh* … Must I really go there. Okay … here I go … Leprechauns are insulting on TWO levels for me. 1-They’re as much of a stereotype to me as “Lil’ Sambo”. 2-If you can take the stereotype thing…and you want to say, “Well, leprechauns are a tie to the mythological heritage of Ireland.”…it’s still insulting because you’re using one person’s image of faith as a joke to celebrate a faith that did its best to oppress another.

I’m not against being proud of being Irish. I’m against the double standards we have regarding holidays. We’ve boiled down every holiday from the kitchy fervor to what it REALLY means…EXCEPT for St. Patty’s Day. Columbus Day is viewed with scorn…why shouldn’t St. Pat’s? Oh…that’s right…because you have an EXCUSE to drink on St. Pat’s?

I have no real issues with Catholicism. No…Really, I don’t. Not for me. I was even baptized into the faith once. Just not for me. Bless folk of ANY faith for following their beliefs. But DON’T expect me to be pleased with anything celebrating religious oppression … no really, don’t.

I have no issues with big bashes of drinking, girls in green miniskirts, midgets dressed up, etc. 

I have no issues celebrating a rich culture, and remarkable heritage. Like I said, I’m Irish, and PROUD of it.

All I ask, is when you have that pint of Guinness or threaten to pinch someone for not wearing green…or put up a leprechaun decoration…just take a moment and have a little perspective on what the celebration is really about. 

As much as I hate being politically correct – I don’t do well with double standards. I’ll squawk less when it’s no longer named “St. Patrick’s Day”, and named “Irish Pride Day”… period. Until then, I’ll keep posting this rant every time I see green derby’s and shamrocks all over the place.

Holy humu humu nuku nuku āpuaa, Batman! They’re trying to demolish the Tonga Room! Whoa Bruddah! 

Apparently, there are plans to DEMOLISH the historic Tonga Room! One of the classic tiki bars in the Bay Area…and one of the COOLEST, frankly. IT RAINS in there for goodness sake! DON’T let this staple of serious drinking disappear!! 

www.savetonga.com/

Visit and sign the petition. 

I say we stage a LUAU-IN. A mass protest of grass skirt wearing, hula dancing, and mass consumption of she-she Fru-Fru drinks! We show up, en masse, and FILL the Tonga Room with tiki-drinking, hula-lovin’, sons of fun! We show them that we need the Tonga Room! Who’s with me!?! 

SPREAD THE WORD! 

Okay.

Simply put. I have too many things I want to do in my life. PERIOD.

I am able to do many things…draw, paint, sew, sculpt, act, sing, dance (kinda), direct, write, etc. etc. etc….And they’re all fun. I swore to myself when I was very young (5 years old) that I would experience and accomplish as much as I could before I died (I was aware of my own mortality at 3…which can certainly fuck a kid up…but I digress). If I could clone myself, I would…just so could accomplish everything. But I can’t. So I just have to prioritize my time to accommodate only things that I want to do that will truly fulfill my soul. 

So … Soon, I will be setting some new projects in motion. Some will last. Some will not. Frankly, I’m going to be a lot more frank on this blog than I’ve been elsewhere…because knowledge of this blog is limited.

Okay…whew…Off I go to prepare for the next few months of “excitement”.

I’m in a weird state these days.

I have so many projects I want to do…but not enough time to do them. That is…if I wish to maintain a healthy relationship with my wife (and I do). 

So, I know I’ve been confusing a lot of people with my “I love this…I hate this…” attitude. It’s mostly me trying to emotionally prioritize – so please just bear with me.

Hello There. 

Many of you who may, or may not, be reading this remember me from Tribe. As a matter of fact, many of the posts dated before this one (mostly in September 2008) were taken from Tribe and posted here. I’ve decided to make this my new home…and do my best to keep this my little secret for as long as I can.

I know the axiom of “If it’s on the internet, it’s not private.” However…Making things public in a large community is harder for me to deal with than posting things in a quiet little corner of the internet. I tried Tribe…but starting having strangers coming up to me in real life knowing far too much about me. I tried Facebook…but its privacy / content ownership issues just creeped me out. So, back to the Raven King’s Roost I go.

If you’re reading this…you’re, more than likely, a good friend of mine and I actually DO want you to be reading this. If not…you don’t know me, you were never here, this never happened.

Cat called me into the living room to watch the Democratic Convention tonight. I’m not really one for politics…I’m a cynic and man who pokes fun at most forms of authority – it’s just my nature. I am never moved by modern political rhetoric….

I cried during Barack Obama’s speech tonight!

Up till now, he had been adopting a “speak softly and carry a big stick” method of running his campaign…Something that his opponents have been using against him. What does he stand for? Who is he? Can the people believe in him? Tonight he raised his voice and held his stick high in the air – and on the end of that stick was a sign…and it said, “CHANGE”. My heart soared to witness history of the first African American become the official Democratic Nominee for President of the United States.

Tonight…Obama’s speech put power back in the hands of the everyday American…ALL OF US! He as much of the word “We” as he did the word “me”.

Tonight…Obama showed me a side of himself I hadn’t fully seen yet – that he could make us a UNITED States of America again, through his charisma, leadership and determination.

Tonight…Obama secured my vote for him.

Doc Holiday once said that, “…poker is an honest trade. Only a sucker bucks the tiger when the odds are for the house.” Tonight, Barack’s poker face cracked just enough to say, “You want the American people to gamble on you, McCain? Okay…I’ll see your twenty and raise you a hundred. Gimme your best shot.” I play poker…and I know this game isn’t over yet. But my money is on Obama!

Sorry to wax poetic…But I am truly moved, and just had to get it out there. I’m still actually holding back tears a bit…because I think he can do it.

It was just so wonderful to see him voice many things that I’ve been dying to hear from a Presidential candidate for a long…LONG time!

It made me happy…and I just wanted to share.