http://www.modernmythology.net/Present contributors are engaged in a wide range of work outside of this project: they are film-makers, published authors, they are doing advanced linguistic analysis for behavioral software, they work for ad agencies. It is our belief that the more diverse the pool of contributors, the more unique and relevant the end result will be. As a result our analysis will cross and incorporate many supposedly disparate disciplines: art, writing, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, systems theory, psychology, film. It is our hope that this project can continue to enter classrooms as well as people's homes through the internet, and that it continues to be an open platform for the discussion and dissemination of original, forward-thinking work.ennoreply@blogger.com (James Curcio)Tue, 29 May 2012 18:18:38 PDTBlogger http://www.blogger.com784125http://feeds.feedburner.com/indiemedia?format=skinCreative Commons 3.0literature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaArts/Literaturejamescurcio@gmail.comMythos MediaMythos Mediayesliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaModern MythologyPresent contributors are engaged in a wide range of work outside of this project: they are film-makers, published authors, they are doing advanced linguistic analysis for behavioral software, they work for ad agencies. It is our belief that the more diverse the pool of contributors, the more unique and relevant the end result will be. As a result our analysis will cross and incorporate many supposedly disparate disciplines: art, writing, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, systems theory, psychology, film. It is our hope that this project can continue to enter classrooms as well as people's homes through the internet, and that it continues to be an open platform for the discussion and dissemination of original, forward-thinking work.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://joinmycult.blogspot.comhttp://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/438/1178/660/z/471436/gse_multipart63178.jpgindiemediahttp://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with ODEOSubscribe with PodnovaSubscribe with Attensa for OutlookSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Daily RotationAdd to Any Feed ReaderSubscribe with fwickihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/AhmAKUK410E/nyssa-dark-modern-fairy-tale.htmlmythwritingnyssajamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 27 May 2012 19:13:02 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-50358189974225580272012-05-27T19:13:02.262-07:000By James Curcio "A modern dark fairytale." Or so I say... I realize it is considered in bad form to analyze your own work. In some ways we're furthest from it. But I'd like to make some crucial...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=AhmAKUK410E:VSlni7oQP1I:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/AhmAKUK410E" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/nyssa-dark-modern-fairy-tale.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/ZLnO_SUb4jI/batman-masks-of-shamanism.htmlcomicsmythologybatmanjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Mon, 28 May 2012 00:42:17 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-5053111814091606842012-05-28T00:42:17.781-07:003yes By Sascha Idakaar The mask is an idea, a symbol, we could look at from a million angles. It is, even at first glance, our double, a close relative of the mirror -- but it is something other than the mirror. The mirror shows us our double. A mask creates Mythos Media By Sascha Idakaar The mask is an idea, a symbol, we could look at from a million angles. It is, even at first glance, our double, a close relative of the mirror -- but it is something other than the mirror. The mirror shows us our double. A mask creates a second double atop us. It transforms rather than reveals. At the same time, a lot of psych pop lit has been written about Batman. But I'd like to use Batman as the pop culture model of the role of the mask.&nbsp; What is Batman, really?&nbsp; Is is a story about how an emotionally disturbed, very rich young adult deals with psychological trauma that he cannot let go of. Some ideas, some emotions, are things that we hold onto, and they are done with us the moment we are done with them. But others have us in their clutches, and they are only done with us when they are ready. This becomes a subject of subconscious, and the only way to deal with such things is to try to find a way to speak the language of the subconscious. Not just the subconscious, but our subconscious. Every single one has a different symbolic and emotional makeup. Any therapeutic system that misses this will basically be a crapshoot, whether that system lines up well with the stories that are embedded inside of you. What Batman does in the Batman Begins version is a very shamanic (if simplified) trope -- to try to make contact with and become your deepest fear as the mask to wear to deal with the rest of the underworld. The mask of a protector spirit is precisely this, an ally that you&nbsp;befriend&nbsp;to keep other terrifying forces at bay. That ally or protector spirit is often nothing short of terrifying itself, but in one way or another you have made a truce with it. (Note: "Ally" is used by Carlos Castenada, "protector spirit" is more generalized. There are plenty of examples of this basic model in Eliade's analysis of Shamanism.)&nbsp; In Batman, all he needs to do is confront the fear that underlies the symbol of the bat, and, in conjunction with his other training, he is able to find his ally. Also note the scene, "this -- your face -- is your mask. Your real face is now the face that the criminals fear." I do not mean to belabor this point, as Mr VI has already written at length on this topic.&nbsp; "Just" confronting fear and training in ninjitsu is not always what is called for. Different traditions have different expectations of what one must do to befriend a particular ally, but in my opinion, it is something that happens or doesn't, and takes a bit of trust, a bit of skepticism, and a whole lot of attention paid to the information just at the periphery of your consciousness. The messages you need are there, but you have to learn to look for them, and you have to learn to listen.&nbsp; In my case, I noticed an unusual mask in several locations before my mind latched onto it as a synchronicity, or a message to myself. (From, you might say, myself. Though "inside" and "outside" is far less meaningful than we actually believe when it comes to living symbols.) It took me time to track it down, and to get a sense of the story behind it.&nbsp; Damn thing showed up three times in different places before I realized I should take note. This mask comes from a Central / South American people in Mexico who were invaded by Spaniards. And to protect their indigenous culture, much as many other colonialized locales, the enforced religion becomes merely a carrier for the deeper, esoteric tradition. Of course, the two begin to blend over time. But at first, this mask was used in a dance, and represented Satan, as lord of the Angels who rebelled, in conflict with the Angels of light. But the original diety who himself, you might say, is wearing a mask, was a trickster. This is not unlike&nbsp;Eshu, who at times takes on a form similar to the Christian concept of the devil.&nbsp; What the full nature of this trickster is, I have yet to discover. It seems lost to time, and a verbal tradition that was intentionallyliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaBy Sascha Idakaar The mask is an idea, a symbol, we could look at from a million angles. It is, even at first glance, our double, a close relative of the mirror -- but it is something other than...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=ZLnO_SUb4jI:8LXv3rYzQ4Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/ZLnO_SUb4jI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/batman-masks-of-shamanism.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/cnFJiEPxwbg?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/cqhhq6usxnw/its-not-hobo-beard-its-writer-beard.htmlwriterswritingjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sat, 26 May 2012 20:22:22 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-5997833158055552262012-05-26T20:22:22.259-07:000This was actually the typewriter of demon frog "fame." (This is a rough draft that mashes up some of my contributions to The Nervous Breakdown and other thoughts into what I hope to be the only...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=cqhhq6usxnw:1t43Z2iEJKk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/cqhhq6usxnw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/its-not-hobo-beard-its-writer-beard.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/4tTw80C0idA/redefining-real.htmljamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Thu, 24 May 2012 18:48:25 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-88974957968515056642012-05-24T18:48:25.555-07:000yes Redefining the Real: Metanarratives and collaborative fiction writing as a blueprint for social change. By Dr.* Shackleford &nbsp;(*this denotes honorary ordination and doctorate in metaphysics, College of Aetheric Sciences. The following is an excerpt fMythos Media Redefining the Real: Metanarratives and collaborative fiction writing as a blueprint for social change. By Dr.* Shackleford &nbsp;(*this denotes honorary ordination and doctorate in metaphysics, College of Aetheric Sciences. The following is an excerpt from a lecture series from the curriculum of the College of Aetheric Sciences.) &nbsp;Good morning, class. Today we're going to be exploring the boundaries of what is termed "consensual reality". The memetic structure in question, henceforth referred to throughout as "consensual reality", seems to be at a glance fairly self-explanatory. On the surface, anyway. If you look at the world around you carefully, it shouldn't be difficult to spot the mass hallucination sold to all of us as "real." Make no mistakes, this is by design. The people actively working to build your worldview for you are paid very well to do just that. &nbsp;Millions of dollars are given to well paid and extremely intelligent social engineers every month, as they attempt to discover new methods in which to propagate and to reproduce certain cultural norms, lifestyle decisions, elements of pop culture, fashion trends and other subtle forms of manipulation. Perhaps one of the easiest ways in which to spot the crack at the seams of a mass manufactured take on reality is a well rounded study of American politics. On this level of sociological study, most humans with even half a brain left to make free and autonomous decisions for itself can readily spot the manipulation of language. American science fiction writer and Theological Prophet Philip K. Dick once said that "The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is language. Control the words, and you can control the people who use them." Do you believe that? &nbsp;I here pause to pull up "America Eats Its Young" by Funkadelic on my playlist and spark a small pipe of hashish... &nbsp; 1. The Politics of Hate Political "discourse" in America, if it can even be called that (and it can't) has for the last several decades been reduced to a series of cheap talking points. We routinely hear buzzwords such as "abortion", "new taxes", "war on terror," "war on drugs", "family values", and ad hom attacks on rival politicians from opposing political camps ranging everywhere between "this candidate is a muslim terrorist socialist, just listen to his last name!" to "this candidate supports pornography and hates family values, because he hasn't banned the constitutional freedom for pornography to exist." Beyond this, we further witness the tendency for complex and multi-faceted issues to become broken down into a sort of apocalyptic dualism, a polarization of the collective into a "left" vs. "right" or "red" vs. "blue" dichotomy of viewing the world that is radically different from the well-rounded and scientific inquiry into the nature of reality posited by science and the arts. This is the sort of dualism and hate rhetoric that does the precise opposite of what it purports to do: It does not serve to unify or to bring us together, but rather to distance us from one another using tactics of manipulation and disinformation. It literally "polarizes" us- divides us into opposite camps so that we continue to miss the common enemy at work. (And more on that, later!) Morpheus: "Red pill or blue pill, Neo?" Neo: "Um..." Morpheus: "Republican or Democrat, Neo?" Neo: "Well, I am not sure there is much of a differ..." Morpheus: "COKE OR PEPSI, NEO?" Neo: "This is dumb." Morpheus: "BOXERS OR BRIEFS, NEO... YOU MUST CHOOSE NOW--" Neo: "Fuck this shit. I'm going home." &nbsp;Returning to the analogy of politics, most relatively well educated young adults have learned to spot obvious manipulation of language for political reasons. Smear campaigns, fake polling designed to spread misleading truths or outright lies, and even in the case of one twisted deviant psychotic Richard Milhouse Nixon, breaking and entering and authorization of unlawful physical force (assassination greenlighted by literature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaRedefining the Real: Metanarratives and collaborative fiction writing as a blueprint for social change. By Dr.* Shackleford &nbsp;(*this denotes honorary ordination and doctorate in...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=4tTw80C0idA:ybIYVCaBNbk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/4tTw80C0idA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/redefining-real.htmlhttp://www.mediate.com/GeoffSharp/docs/Naive%20Realism.pdfhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/A0FIyY-ieZo/distributed-networks-thoughts-one.htmlnetwarphilosophyemergencejamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Tue, 22 May 2012 01:02:25 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-76932669001177541072012-05-22T01:02:25.925-07:000By James Curcio Thoughts, one subway ride. It is always concerning to me how much the El in Philly smells like an electrical fire. When you're in a metal box hurtling at 50mph, it seems to me...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=A0FIyY-ieZo:BxKfyNKpP9M:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/A0FIyY-ieZo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/distributed-networks-thoughts-one.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/VCUvSzNK-Cg/writing-for-you.htmlbooksmediamythologyjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sat, 19 May 2012 10:45:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-36827284412702712372012-05-19T10:45:00.164-07:000On a lark I thought some people might like it if I chose which of the Mythos ebooks to send them. So at some ungodly hour I posted on Facebook: Alright, bitches. Look. Got like 8 counterculture...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCUvSzNK-Cg:yvekd1xZO7A:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/VCUvSzNK-Cg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/writing-for-you.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/BWXOBzepgho/labyrinth-of-minos-parts-6-8.htmljamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sat, 19 May 2012 08:37:01 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-78178278275257690822012-05-19T08:37:01.410-07:000By Brian George 6 In the labyrinth built by Daedalus there are mirrors by the thousands, which make its 28 U-turns seem more complex than they are. Truly, there would seem to be no way through or...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=BWXOBzepgho:DnzHarhogA8:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/BWXOBzepgho" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/labyrinth-of-minos-parts-6-8.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/0YpJ30ZsPtk/alchemy-of-word-part-3.htmlmythologylanguagejamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Wed, 16 May 2012 10:14:22 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-91520791500499421162012-05-16T10:14:22.003-07:000Part 3: Loading Language By Aubrey Zich "He understood for the first time that the world is not dumb at all, but merely waiting for someone to speak to it in a language it understands. In the...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=0YpJ30ZsPtk:Fjo6JcBHBog:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/0YpJ30ZsPtk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/alchemy-of-word-part-3.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/VCe47N00aGg/alchemy-of-word-part-2.htmlmythologylanguagejamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 13 May 2012 09:34:22 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-60753517589840507552012-05-13T09:34:22.725-07:000Part 2: Wordsmith By Aubrey Zich "I invented colors for the vowels! - A black, E white, I red, O blue, U green. - I made rules for the form and movement of every consonant, and I boasted of...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=VCe47N00aGg:oN_ZCdwy4Yk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/VCe47N00aGg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/alchemy-of-word-part-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/Bcxd6BpMHHg/alchemy-of-word-part-1.htmlmythologylanguagejamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Fri, 11 May 2012 18:40:06 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-43561882790620912352012-05-11T18:40:06.632-07:004yes Part 1: A Brief and Incomplete Mythology of Naming By Aubrey Zich "Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concerns essences, and it means power." Jeanette Winterson (Oranges are not the Only Fruit) There are many ways to tell this story, buMythos Media Part 1: A Brief and Incomplete Mythology of Naming By Aubrey Zich "Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concerns essences, and it means power." Jeanette Winterson (Oranges are not the Only Fruit) There are many ways to tell this story, but this is variation I know best. In Israel, there was a temple gate guarded by barking dogs. These animals would sound at the passer-bys, jarring their thoughts and causing a temporary mind lapse. Anyone who knew the ineffable name of God would soon forget it as they passed. Jesus, who was not so much a prophet as a magician in this tale, performed miracles using the name of God. Knowing the perils of passing the temple, Jesus took the ineffable name placed in a note under the skin of his arm. (ie: a tattoo.) When Jesus passed the temple the barking startled him, as he knew it would, and forgot the ineffable name. However, since the name of God was tattooed on Jesus' arm, he was able to recall it and continue to perform miracles. Qabalists claim ineffable name of has 72 parts and whomever can master the correct pronunciation can alter reality as he or she sees fit. However, mispronunciation can also cause instantaneous death. Words are the living, reality-altering magic. Each character is a sigil within itself containing its own meaning. When combined with other sigils, the characters creates two stories: the obvious path of language and the hidden path of pictographs. The significance of knowing a true name crosses cultures: from the miller's daughter getting out of a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to the Youruba myth of Orunmila only being permitted to marry Oxum once he discovered Oxum's true name. Not only is the precedent set in our myths and fairytales, but also in popular literature and Tv programming. (For those interested, wikipedia has a list of a few examples.) Modern music places great significance on not only knowing a name but on a magical "alter ego" name. Marshal Mathers performs under two monikers which represent his different manifestations: his light side, Eminem, and his id-driven primitive side, Slim Shady. Marshall Mathers is not the only one. In order to make a directional change, Beyonce Knowles developed her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. Later, Beyonce claimed to have "killed" Sasha Fierce, absorbing Sasha's powers for her own. One of the most interesting examples of name alchemy is David Bowie. Over decades he has been able to keep current by changing his personae and naming its essence. After the album "Hunky Dory", David Bowie declared that his next release would be huge. He distilled the essence of a rockstar and magnified it to ridiculous proportions, almost beyond recognition. Then Bowie named his concoction "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars." As Bowie predicted, it was his break-out album. (Editor's note: There is an extensive exploration of this topic in The Immanence of Myth (Weaponized) and some follow-up consideration in a series of articles in Apocalyptic Imaginary (Mythos Media).) Can one really control your environment and the things around you by the act of naming? Well, yes and no. &nbsp;Let me put it to you this way: one may come to understand the true essence of a stray dog, even enough to give it a name. &nbsp;One may even tame the dog enough to make it a pet. &nbsp;But if one angers the dog, no matter what one calls it, the dog will still bite. &nbsp; More about this in Part II: &nbsp;Wordsmith [Check out some of the books, albums, and soon movies produced by Mythos Media and our various media partners.]Modern Mythology - http://www.modernmythology.netliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaPart 1: A Brief and Incomplete Mythology of Naming By Aubrey Zich "Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concerns essences, and it means power." Jeanette Winterson (Oranges are...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Bcxd6BpMHHg:uRFYrwpkcl0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/Bcxd6BpMHHg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/alchemy-of-word-part-1.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/sz0XIiIlATE?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/xp7r_v7zMrE/body-modification-freak-or-not-freak.htmlculturebody modificationmythjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Wed, 09 May 2012 17:05:41 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-46944651090195764752012-05-09T17:05:41.511-07:000yes Alright, there is far too much that could be said on this topic for one blog post. It would fill twenty books. So please don't mistake brevity for lack of consideration. Geekology has presented us a great example to look not just at some of the newest trMythos Media Alright, there is far too much that could be said on this topic for one blog post. It would fill twenty books. So please don't mistake brevity for lack of consideration. Geekology has presented us a great example to look not just at some of the newest trends in body modification today, but also to make a point about latent or mainstream standards of beauty, and the backlash it can cause. I'd like to provide for you exhibit A, a Ukranian girl who has surgically modified herself to look like a barbie: Note the tone of the post: This is 21-going-on-6-year-old Valeria Lukyanova (links to her Ukranian Facebook-y thing with LITERALLY 10,000 more photos of Little Ms. Vain). Valeria always dreamed of being a real life Barbie doll. And now, after numerous surgeries, she's finally realized her dream AND CAN HOPEFULLY MOVE ON TO ACTUALLY DREAMING ABOUT SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. Wow, of all the dreams in the world to come true of course it's squandered on the girl who wants to look like Barbie and not everybody hoping for a cure for cancer. "That little bitch." *pointing* That girl said it, not me! Can someone please point me to the place where this sort of body modification differs from cat man? Or even our resident Satanic freakazioid, Rex Church. (Tangent alert: I met him at Esozone, a sort of "alternate culture convention" where a lot of totally freakish knowledge was done dropped. I was on a panel with him about ritual magick and artistic creation or something and he leaned over and said "you smell nice." Ookay. So yeah, that's not relevant to this post but it's my one personal interaction with the guy. I really can't figure out if my smelling nice is a good or bad thing in this context.) Look, don't get me wrong. I think Barbie girl is creepy too. And I'm not entirely sure it isn't a hoax and those are all actually photos of RealDolls. (Did you know they used to make Dark Elf RealDolls? I can't seem to find them on Google anymore so that must mean they don't anymore.) But I think we need to be incredibly vigilant about our bias about these kind of&nbsp;judgements. All of these are cases of people modifying their physical body to in some way match some internal mental image. Whether you think you should physically appear as a dragon or a dark elf or a barbie doesn't matter, it's just that Barbie is mainstream and has a lot of associated cultural baggage.&nbsp;Like the fact that part of Barbie's marketing programming has been about making little girls want to look like fucking Barbie. That is how a lot of marketing psychology works, because companies want to figure out how to sell and the best way to do that is to reverse engineer the psychology of your market. Surprise! Your little daughters brains are being scoped out by corporations as living breathing targets for their product development. That's just life in the world / society we live in. We totally. TOTALLY support Obama's right to turn himself into....whatever the fuck this is. (Photo by Photoshopaganda. USED WITH EXTREME PREDJUDICE. I mean permission. Permission.) So if we want to change that we can change what sort of messages we're broadcasting to our youth to you know, sell different products, because every little girl wants to be genetically modified to look like a robot with arms made out of carrots or something, right?, no actually most marketing is based on the biological predelection of humans living at a particular place and time, so there's actually a reason that Barbie looks like she did when marketing to the youth of 1960s America rather than a vampire squid with rotating tentacle biolumanescent arm attachments. &nbsp;But that's subject for another article! [As is any discussion of the fat / thin issue.] So, point is, accept that your judgement of Barbie girl as freakish is the same as calling cat-man freakish, I mean, hey, it's OK to think they're freaks but at least own it across the board so you're not a damn hypocrite, right? Because there is something culturallyliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaAlright, there is far too much that could be said on this topic for one blog post. It would fill twenty books. So please don't mistake brevity for lack of consideration. Geekology has presented us...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=xp7r_v7zMrE:DZaoX1jE1Zk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/xp7r_v7zMrE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/body-modification-freak-or-not-freak.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/n3mi27T4ZII?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/Amh5RlCiIHs/show-must-go-on.htmltransmediafallen nation. mythos mediamythjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Tue, 08 May 2012 12:41:03 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-10377125613401347882012-05-08T12:41:03.626-07:004yes I know that if we were a site like others, we might spend today's posting on the mythic underpinnings of The Avengers, because is "hot shit" right now - or at least, that's what we've all been told to think is hot shit right now. But I have this afflictiMythos Media I know that if we were a site like others, we might spend today's posting on the mythic underpinnings of The Avengers, because is "hot shit" right now - or at least, that's what we've all been told to think is hot shit right now. But I have this affliction. Maybe it is incurable. I can't seem to care about what I'm supposed to care about. I just care about whatever it is that has me by the - what do you call it? Balls? Nethers? It's what IT is, and until it has been worked out, the thing will keep me up nights and drive me totally mad. No matter what time of day or night it is, no matter what other tasks seem like they should be more pressing, some weird inner voice determines what the topic of the day must be, and that voice must be heeded or else everything else - and I do mean everything - be damned. Sometimes, by some grand convergence, it so happens that the topic du jour is the same as what has me in such a way, and on those days, the traffic just rolls in. On those days, I can pretend I am some kind of SEO wizard. But the truth is that traffic is totally meaningless. None of those people stay, because none of them actually care about anything. They are, like so many people these days, just trend chasers. And they will keep trend chasing day after day, and unless if your life is spent defining and chasing trends yourself, you're nothing to them. What has me today is actually just a continuation of the thread that has developed over the past month or so. If you recall, I mean if you are actually one of the regulars around here, you may have noticed that we first covered storytelling of the past, and why storytelling is so important. We also covered the possibilities afforded by new technologies for storytelling - and the links I'm sharing here are just a few of the many that the writers on this site let loose on those topics. We have covered how storytelling has changed over time, and how it hasn't, and this has even spread over to Odd Duck where I discuss the important topic of how storytelling is relevant to brands. We have looked at some very painful and raw issues that arise around questions of identity, we scratched the surface of how comedy can be a vital tool in allowing us an access point to the unconscious of a culture, (as well as our own unconscious.) We have explored all these issues again in the form of a tongue-in-cheek Gonzomentary that some of us created, and we discussed many of these topics in a series of college classrooms, two of which are so far available in our podcast series. Quite a virtual classroom to begin with, and we have only really begun! Yet at the same time, I reached a crisis point in my own life, which I have discussed only somewhat here, and I considered walking the plank and ending it all, but I came around the other side thinking that instead the answer was a re-appraisal of my identity. I thought that maybe the world would treat me differently, the way I wanted to be treated, if I came to it as someone different. (My issue has been and remains not myself but rather the world I live in.) However, we come finally to the crux of this post. I know this is not how you are supposed to write blog posts, everything is supposed to be tiny little bite-sized-nuggets of bullshitty nothingness that people can digest, shit out and move on to the next thing in their mcnugget lives. I just can't do it. If that makes us all a failure than so fucking be it. I can't do it. The past 24 hours have made me rethink the approach of rebirthing identity. Some of it is technological. Google will quite simply not allow my to disown my identity and start anew without turning my back on on the real friends along with the troublesome or poseur ones, and more to the point, it forces me to use all their services linked to the same identity, so if I don't intent to kill my web business, which is tied to my digital identity, my only option is to create a virtual or digital doppelganger. This is something that most ofliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaI know that if we were a site like others, we might spend today's posting on the mythic underpinnings of The Avengers, because is "hot shit" right now - or at least, that's what we've all been told...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=Amh5RlCiIHs:HJdC2r6b9lw:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/Amh5RlCiIHs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/show-must-go-on.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/vVkqOtiA_gQ?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/y5nHEHrF2hs/getting-from-there-to-here.htmlbullyingbullyjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Mon, 07 May 2012 20:04:15 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-45179096910855972572012-05-07T20:04:15.644-07:001yes This is a continuation of sorts of Nate's posts, maybe a partial palimpsest written atop the previous post&nbsp;(you've read them, right?), and most importantly, it is a story about how I got from "there" to "here." It is a personal letter from one of thMythos Media This is a continuation of sorts of Nate's posts, maybe a partial palimpsest written atop the previous post&nbsp;(you've read them, right?), and most importantly, it is a story about how I got from "there" to "here." It is a personal letter from one of the primary creators of this site, and diverges from our normal format in a pretty massive way. Anyway. I'm taking a lot of risks in being this open with the public but with all I've already risked and all I've already been through, I don't really give a damn. You're here with me, or you've already run for the hills. From "there" to "here." So... Where was "there"? "There" was just a few weeks ago, really. I was working, making a decent salary, for an advertising and marketing firm that was itself a sort of satellite corporation, you might say, or some slightly shadier operations. I am lucky in that I can't tell you what those other operations were because I tried my damndest to really not understand what in God's name they were doing over there, or how they managed to turn people losing their homes and crying loudly over speaker phone about their dead Aunt Sal and their fucked mortgage into what seemed to be a very lucrative business. I didn't know now, I don't know then, and I'm happier for it. I'd only been working there a good month or so when I and the rest of the production team received the axe. When I say "the axe," I am not quite being literal, but I'm almost being less literal than you might imagine. We were&nbsp;escorted&nbsp;into the conference room, and without warning, we were told to pack our things and go. We weren't actually given time to "pack our things," we mostly had to go, which was something that pissed off the creative director more than a little bit for obvious reasons. I mean we worked our asses off for that place, were constantly told we were the "pillars of the company," and we acted it too. I don't know how many nights I took my work home with me. Anyway. What's weird is two or three nights before this, a random hobo on the street assaulted me from behind. I believe I mentioned that on a post on this site. This called to mind already some of the past trauma I had received, and so that and past bullying was really well on my mind at this point. Be that as it may, in the grand scheme of business in the US these days, nothing about this is particularly interesting. Where things get interesting is the next day. The next day I was given a phone call by the owner of the business, except on the books he's not actually owner of the business because according to US laws he's not allowed to own businesses. Anyway, everyone that I know refers to him as "Jimmy Meatballs," so I'm going to also refer to him as "Jimmy Meatballs." This isn't slander because unless if you know Jimmy Meatballs, you have no fucking clue who I'm talking about, and I'm fine with that. I'm not trying to slander him, I'm just telling you a story of exactly what happened so I can get this insanity off my chest. And if he wants to get angry at me for calling him that, that's fine, but he should that 20 or so other people already call him "Jimmy Meatballs," I'm just repeating what they already started. Like seriously, deal with it, man. To a lot of people, that's your &nbsp;name. I'm sure after some therapy and self-reflection you'll get over it. Anyway, "Jimmy Meatballs" gives me a call and rather randomly tells me that he wants to offer me and every person he fired $25,000 if we will finish some work that we hard started for him, and which we had planned on finishing for him before he had completely randomly - and without any clear reason - fired us. I said, he sure Jimmy, why the fuck not. I'm pissed off at you but 25Gs is nice and whatever. Work is work. So I told my co-workers in my private email about this offer, and they mentioned to one another they they don't really trust Jimmy Meatballs, and in fact, based on what you can Google off his actual name you can see that he has a backgrouliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaThis is a continuation of sorts of Nate's posts, maybe a partial palimpsest written atop the previous post&nbsp;(you've read them, right?), and most importantly, it is a story about how I got from...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=y5nHEHrF2hs:Gzo3Nu3aPoA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/y5nHEHrF2hs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/getting-from-there-to-here.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/vy13LoReLEg?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/bEI7AlDvpB4/early-2012-in-retrospective-personal.htmljamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 06 May 2012 21:27:29 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-61897839453578376012012-05-06T21:27:29.424-07:003*aherm*. Given the entry immediately preceding mine, I'm not entirely quite sure how to help begin anew. Do we begin anew? Do we shift through the wreckage of our pasts, futilely scraping the...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=bEI7AlDvpB4:aJdODI4fLqI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/bEI7AlDvpB4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/early-2012-in-retrospective-personal.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/aMNP-gf3lpg/all-good-things.htmlfallen nationthe end of the word as we know itjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Tue, 08 May 2012 08:33:17 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-9558871020111895542012-05-08T08:33:17.425-07:001It may have been the 120 oxycodone. It may have been being punched in the throat by a total stranger. It may have been being told by someone I respected that my approach to start my dream could never...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=aMNP-gf3lpg:gVOWywOA7f0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/aMNP-gf3lpg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/all-good-things.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/SiDo6w9ydjY/but-thats-joke.htmlbullyingpornographybullyjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Fri, 04 May 2012 04:51:01 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-30218988644848424832012-05-04T04:51:01.466-07:000I'd be remiss in not following up yesterdays post with a point. muriel clayton "But it just wasn't that funny." No? Humor, for what it is worth, is almost impossible to fully explain (though...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=SiDo6w9ydjY:zk9omRrEeKU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/SiDo6w9ydjY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/but-thats-joke.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/kEdIQNdD09M/thing-about-rape-jokes.htmlbullyingpornographybullyjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Tue, 08 May 2012 08:48:15 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-38141073780900198282012-05-08T08:48:15.509-07:008yesIn the past few weeks I have touched on the surface of what I consider to be some very serious issues: issues where the ideology of hate pushes people to treat others in inhuman ways. I've talked about bullying. I've talked about rape and the sexual assauMythos MediaIn the past few weeks I have touched on the surface of what I consider to be some very serious issues: issues where the ideology of hate pushes people to treat others in inhuman ways. I've talked about bullying. I've talked about rape and the sexual assault and how gender policing is something that affects boys every bit as much as girls, if in a different way. Before you continue on to what I have to say here, I very much suggest you check out the articles that I've linked here, because what I am about to say, if misinterpreted, is likely to get a lot of hate directed at me. Even if you do understand what I am saying, I think it is quite possible a lot of hate will be directed my way. But I think it is something that needs to be said. In the discussion that I had with a classroom of students at SUNY Binghamton, we talked about a chapter in The Immanence of Myth that compared the abuses of Abu Ghraib with performance art, hazing, and the comedy or satire of absurdity. To my surprise, there was very little reaction from the students. They got involved in the conversation, but none of them turned beet read or screamed at me. I was, quite frankly, rather surprised. Because not only did I support rape jokes, but the underlying premise of the piece, if you understand what it is saying, is that for healing to occur, jokes about rape, jokes about genocide, jokes about racism, are quite often essential. To understand why this is the case, you need to understand both the function of the subconscious, at least in Freudian terms, and the function of jokes in the terms laid out by Allan Dundes. I discuss these elements at length in The Immanence of Myth, but all without coming out and saying what I am saying here, because I was quite frankly afraid of the backlash. When you take the sentiment analysis of Beacon and run it on feminist forums, the software lights up like a christmas tree with hate when the conversation turns to rape jokes. My point being that if you ignore whether you agree with an ideology or not, there are certain topics that will turn the members of that ideology toward hateful speech. The reason I support rape jokes of a certain nature is the same reason that support black comedians like Chapelle making jokes like the nigger family, or the skit he does with the blind White Supremecist who is, in fact, a black man. It is the same point I made in the classroom, which I recorded for your enjoyment, edification, or fury. Jokes are often the only way that we can bring awful things into our consciousness and approach them, it is the only way that we can get close enough with them to begin to deal with them. It is a way that we can discuss things in society that we would otherwise not discuss at all. The solution to these social problems of hate is not, ever, to hide from them. Never. It is not to pretend they are isolated incidents. It is not to "don't ask, don't tell." No. No. No. And please, as a final note before I open this up to having hate spewed in my general direction: there is a huge difference between jokes about the holocaust or jokes about rape, and jokes that make fun OF the victims of sexual assault or the holocaust. Anyone who makes fun of rape survivors, those that call them weak, or belittle them as whiners, deserves things that I don't have words for. That's not a joke, it's a just another form of bullying. I am, myself, a survivor of sexual assualt and a great deal of bullying and physical abuse for being "different," as you know if you read the articles linked above. I know this does not give me some kind of carte blanche, but I do think that it gives me a little more of a sense of what can allow for healing for some of us than those who haven't experienced these things, but want to make assumptions about what is or isn't appropriate. You know what I say? Fuck appropriate. For me, at least, talking about these things in public is a part of how I am able to heal. My writing on this site is a part of how I wliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaIn the past few weeks I have touched on the surface of what I consider to be some very serious issues: issues where the ideology of hate pushes people to treat others in inhuman ways. I've talked...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=kEdIQNdD09M:V2-2JIC60uM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/kEdIQNdD09M" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/05/thing-about-rape-jokes.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/v/2i9iTYe6tEk?version=3&amp;hl=en_UShttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/-f1GR2Oe4BE/transmedia-agency.htmltransmediamediajamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:11:42 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-77966491069598162702012-04-30T16:11:42.272-07:000Some of us at Modern Mythology have started a small transmedia agency, Odd Duck Media, LLC. Here are some of the posts that've run on the blog there so far: Brand Therapy Why Are Stories...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=-f1GR2Oe4BE:56_gzCYjCV4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/-f1GR2Oe4BE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/transmedia-agency.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/IBcrvt3tjkY/story-of-transmedia-revolution-part-4.htmlwriterspublic domainbooksStorytelling in the Digital AgeE-Bookspublishingwritingjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:59 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-68402751044625011792012-04-30T00:00:59.208-07:000yesRise of the Zombie Publishers PressPausePlay Sneak Peek #1 - Seth Godin&nbsp;from&nbsp;House of Radon&nbsp;on&nbsp;Vimeo. At first glance, things look rather grim for storytellers—or authors, as they are commonly referred to today.&nbsp; Bookstores are goMythos MediaRise of the Zombie Publishers PressPausePlay Sneak Peek #1 - Seth Godin&nbsp;from&nbsp;House of Radon&nbsp;on&nbsp;Vimeo. At first glance, things look rather grim for storytellers—or authors, as they are commonly referred to today.&nbsp; Bookstores are going bankrupt; traditional publishers are at war with their online rivals; pirated e-books are sailing the digital seas in record numbers; and of course, there are the widespread rumors of an impending reading apocalypse… "Paper or Plastic?" (Which side of the publishing war are you on?) -Photo by Peter Usagi But even more disturbing than the current conflicts in the sale and distribution of published works, is a shift in how writing is viewed as a career.&nbsp; According to author Seth Godin, if you're a writer, you have no right to make money anymore. &nbsp;It's a little harsh, but he does have a very good point: “Who said you have a right to cash money from writing? Poets don’t get paid (often), but there’s no poetry shortage. The future is going to be filled with amateurs, and the truly talented and persistent will make a great living. But the days of journeyman writers who make a good living by the word — over.” Blogs are dethroning journalists, reality TV and YouTube are turning the everyman into celebrities, and thanks to Amazon and Lulu, now anyone can publish a book.&nbsp; With so much freedom, and so few gatekeepers, publishing is starting to look a lot like cable TV: thousands of choices, but nothing worth reading. And with piracy as easy as a few mouse clicks, publishers are finding themselves in the same post-napster royalty dilemma as the record labels did.&nbsp; The only thing that’s making music financially viable are tours, and making songs inexpensive and easier to purchase than illegally downloading them. The last time I checked, authors aren’t filling sports arenas for readings; and thanks to a handful of competing e-book distributors, price fixing, and proprietary e-readers, buying e-books is anything but easy.&nbsp; In fact, the only way you can buy a book once that you can keep forever, is to buy one made of paper…which brings writers right back into the waiting arms of desperate publishers and their faustian contracts. "We’re heading to a world where there are just a handful of influential bookstores (Amazon, Apple, Nook…) and one by one, the principles of open access are disappearing. Apple, apparently, won’t carry an ebook that contains a link to buy a hardcover book from Amazon."&nbsp; — Seth Godin "B&amp;N, our last best hope for paper...and starbucks." -Photo by Peter Usagi This walled garden approach to book sales is not only&nbsp;frustrating&nbsp;for readers, it's making it&nbsp;extremely&nbsp;difficult for authors to choose how to publish in a vast and lawless digital frontier. &nbsp;With&nbsp;proprietary&nbsp;digital rights management (DRM), and a healthy amount of&nbsp;antagonism&nbsp;for their rivals, today's publishers&nbsp;are behaving much like street gangs, jealously guarding their turf—err, authors. &nbsp; And the average citizen is getting trapped in the crossfire. Here’s a brief rundown of the digital publishing gangs of the internet: Stuck between a Nook™ and a hard place… Barnes &amp; Noble is now a shopping mall of safety in a post-apocalyptic&nbsp;digital publishing nightmare. &nbsp;Once decried for putting small mom and pop book stores out of business—with the fall of Borders—Barnes &amp; Nobel has become the studded leather&nbsp;anti-hero of paperbacks.&nbsp; Taking a stand against Amazon, the last of the brick and mortar bookstores is preparing for war.&nbsp; The stakes?&nbsp; Who decides what gets sold in bookstores.&nbsp; Using a two pronged attack of stores filled with paper books, and an e-reader called the nook, Barnes &amp; Noble has territory in the matrix and on main street. Easy on the eyes, but still a blood thirsty warrior... Image via CrunchBase Is Amazon a friend or enemy to readers and writers?&nbsp; Publishers certliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaRise of the Zombie Publishers PressPausePlay Sneak Peek #1 - Seth Godin&nbsp;from&nbsp;House of Radon&nbsp;on&nbsp;Vimeo. At first glance, things look rather grim for storytellers—or...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=IBcrvt3tjkY:IE4Q1tDT_Go:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/IBcrvt3tjkY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/story-of-transmedia-revolution-part-4.htmlhttp://download.creative.arte.tv/creative/flash/player.swf?videoId=8460&admin=false&mode=prod&embed=true&appContext=creative&lang=enhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/U2QgS-LUd-0/im-not-here-this-isnt-happening.htmlpsychologybullyingbullybeaconjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:02:37 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-61021251041026321742012-04-29T13:02:37.085-07:0017yesSomething happened to me recently, or rather something happened around me the other night that I can't shake. Maybe it is because my past of bullying, abuse and sexual assault is so much on my mind lately. Maybe it's because for the umpteenth time in my lMythos MediaSomething happened to me recently, or rather something happened around me the other night that I can't shake. Maybe it is because my past of bullying, abuse and sexual assault is so much on my mind lately. Maybe it's because for the umpteenth time in my life I was fired from a job not for doing a bad job, but rather for being me. And the message the bullies beat in sinks deeper: you don't belong here and you never will. Just kill yourself already. Yet this is worse, because by not acting last night, no matter the risk I avoided, I joined my abusers, as I did one other time in the past. You know the saying: those who do not act, when they see wrongdoing being perpetrated, may as well be doing it themselves. I don't know. Maybe, but it's not so fucking simple as that. I guess I should tell you what happened. I was on the subway i'm Philly on the way home from a science week event with my wife. And the two of us became aware of a group of boys in their teens bullying a girl who was sitting with her head in her hands. This was intense bullying. I'm not talking about a little name-calling. I'm talking about full-out depersonalization and hatred. They were calling her "IT" and saying things like "oh look, IT is crying. It thinks it has feelings! It's not even a person! Just wait til it sees what we do IT later..." My wife interjected that they needed a new hobby but of course, after pausing and contemplating starting up with us, they just went back to it. As is often the case, there was a group of girls nearby who were giggling uncomfortably, half goading it on and half saying, "come on guys, that's enough." I could feel the girl that was being bullied reaching a breaking point. It's a feeling in the air. You know it, just like I could tell when I was a kid when my moms girlfriend was going to launch a plate across the room or when the kids were about to jump me from behind. You get an adrenaline sense for this stuff but you lose the sense of safety. You lose the sense of safety forever. To this day I find myself sizing up every situation, calmly waiting for the weather to turn on a dime. It's often preferable to be alone because at least then you're not in a constant war with adrenaline. But I did nothing. I did nothing. I had a bottle in my hand and was fighting with all my energy the feral urge to break it over one of their heads and user the sharp remaining head as a shiv right to the jugular of the other. But then I'd be a murderer, with a subway full of witnesses. And as a bearer of life long rage, I have no middle ground on this. If I don't shove it all down, I become a murderer. I would not do well in prison. Plus let's be honest, do you think they would stop if I said "Hey you, stop!" Give me a break. I also know how these things escalate. Pretty soon, the girl fled the cabin in tears and they followed her. I could tell this was no singular or isolated incident. She would be like me, if she wasn't already. She had been dehumanized by them and likely would be raped, if she hadn't already. peter calleson And still...I did nothing. Like the homeless on street that paw at you asking for money, like the desperate girls standing on the sidewalk corners willing to do anything for a bit of drugs or food or whatever their fix is, like the armless veteran-- after a while they all blend together and all you want is for them to leave you alone. We repeat the mantra: not my fucking problem.&nbsp; And I am quite sure that some of you, especially the city dwellers amongst you, are probably judging me right now as being weak or too thin-skinned. Who knows, maybe you're right. Maybe we should all lose the capacity to have empathy for one another. It certainly would make life easier. But I apparently can't. I couldn't sleep most of that night. I cried all night. And yeah, a lot of that crying was about me, not her. I didn't know that girl, after all. She has a whole life to live, but to me, she was just a symbol and a flash on the screen. Thliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaSomething happened to me recently, or rather something happened around me the other night that I can't shake. Maybe it is because my past of bullying, abuse and sexual assault is so much on my mind...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=U2QgS-LUd-0:q4JkKbmUzUI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/U2QgS-LUd-0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/im-not-here-this-isnt-happening.htmlhttp://jamescurcio.com/mm-podcast/modern-mythology_ep3.mp3http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/OlVMuKLOYUQ/modern-mythology-podcast-3-pornography.htmlimmanence of mythpodcastmythologyjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:02:57 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-34797924663266530912012-04-29T13:02:57.299-07:000yesIn this class we discuss many topics raised in The Immanence of Myth: Pornography and the theatre of cruelty Abu Ghraib and the subconscious of the United States School shootings and the psychology of vicariousness Direct download This is just the second Mythos MediaIn this class we discuss many topics raised in The Immanence of Myth: Pornography and the theatre of cruelty Abu Ghraib and the subconscious of the United States School shootings and the psychology of vicariousness Direct download This is just the second in a series of classroom recordings from SUNY Binghamton in conjunction with this digital humanities project. Class with St Stephen and James Curcio. Background recording by James Curcio, P. Emerson Williams, and Scott Landes. Interlude track is from Bradley the Buyer's Used Using People. [Check out some of the books, albums, and soon movies produced by Mythos Media and our various media partners.]Modern Mythology - http://www.modernmythology.netliterature,art,philosophy,mythology,psychology,anthropology,mediaIn this class we discuss many topics raised in The Immanence of Myth: Pornography and the theatre of cruelty Abu Ghraib and the subconscious of the United States School shootings and the...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=OlVMuKLOYUQ:8Ly76hrBI_8:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/OlVMuKLOYUQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/modern-mythology-podcast-3-pornography.htmlhttp://jamescurcio.com/mm-podcast/modern-mythology_ep3.mp3http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/LzzMBjX9-TY/fairy-tale-journeys-storytelling-media.htmlstorytellingonce upon a timegrimmtheravensheadmurdochfairy taleswhite and the huntsmansnow whitered riding hoodsnowmrvihermesjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:47:17 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-55087066955176062362012-04-26T09:47:17.665-07:000&nbsp;By Mr. VI Do me a favour and think about beginnings, would you? Specifically, think about that moment, that gap before you start something new - the moment; that breath you take before...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=LzzMBjX9-TY:H3I5tf8SfJw:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/LzzMBjX9-TY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/fairy-tale-journeys-storytelling-media.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/uxzpUBD67w4/no-sympathy-for-creative-class.htmlartpoliticsjamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:50:01 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-16464680173152375772012-04-23T09:50:01.242-07:001I don't usually post article stubs on Modern Mythology - normally this site features originally written content, which is why posts tend to come in flurries and then dry up for a while - but this...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=uxzpUBD67w4:q5AL7IR0Kr4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/uxzpUBD67w4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/no-sympathy-for-creative-class.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/JuG0DQpdxC0/labyrinth-of-minos-middle-sections-4-5.htmljamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:27:47 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-47175571777917674252012-04-15T21:27:47.097-07:000By Brian George (Note: Section 3 of this essay has been revised and reposted.) 4 Danny and I had lost touch several times before, only to have our friendship spring mysteriously to life again....<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=JuG0DQpdxC0:rbGiqeasEJI:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/JuG0DQpdxC0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/labyrinth-of-minos-middle-sections-4-5.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/indiemedia/~3/a8BaxCrd63M/bully-and-computer-that-knows-your.htmlSocietysocial mediabullymoviejamescurcio@gmail.com (Mythos Media)Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:31:47 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9650614.post-2740932117293253362012-04-11T10:31:47.830-07:004By James Curcio The movie Bully is hitting theaters on Friday, and it is making quite a stir. The issue of bullying in schools has taken a surprisingly long time to reach a mainstream...<br/> <br/> Modern Mythology -- See http://www.jamescurcio.com for more media, free & otherwise.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?a=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/indiemedia?i=a8BaxCrd63M:850LXDamrLY:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/indiemedia/~4/a8BaxCrd63M" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.modernmythology.net/2012/04/bully-and-computer-that-knows-your.htmlCreative Commons 3.0Mythos MediaadultModern Mythology