MungBeing: Obscurity

Forward -- ObsuClots)

When I was growing up, television shows, particularly sit-coms and cartoons, heavily influenced my thought-processes and had a way of creeping into almost every conversation. My speech was peppered with bits of dialogue, sound effects, one-liners and scene descriptions. And they were useful, too. There always seemed to be a snippet that applied directly to whatever was happening in real life. These shards of TV flack became so ingrained and worked themselves so deeply into my psyche that many of the phrases still pop up every now and again.

When I was growing up I didn't even think that someone might not understand a reference to a line of dialogue from a TV show. I mean, I knew it, my friends knew it, everybody I knew knew it... it just never occurred to me that some people might not get it; like they might watch something different or, poor souls, not watch TV at all.

As I got older, a reference to an obscure bit of dialogue or a line from a song became a badge of honor - one I wore proudly on my misunderstood chest. Singing lyrics from songs that were really cool and that if you got it, you were cool and if you didn't, I didn't want to talk to you. Sure it was frustrating when I'd make some analogy or another that was really good and still get the "what the hell are you talking about" look, but I guess that came with the territory.

And being in Wckr Spgt hasn't helped any. We've made a career out of obscure references, often self-referential and therefore lost on everyone but us. Talk about a niche market!

The point is that obscure references can serve dual purposes, one is to connect to like-minded people and another is to alienate people who don't get it. What these kinds of references can't do, however, and I've only just begun to realize this, is have any impact at all on people who don't care about the subjects being referenced. For an obscure reference to resonate with a wider audience, if that is the intent, the reference needs to be able to stand on its own without relying on the original source.

An example of this was a t-shirt I saw a young fellow wearing in Utah. One rap artist was evidently making fun of another rap artist by parodying his new album cover. Because I don't care about either of these artists and had no opinion about the t-shirt wearer, the point was completely lost on me. And because the reference was so direct and specific and required the viewer to have an understanding of the specific subject material, I was unable to connect on any level whatsoever. It was just a "Your band sucks" taunt, and not a very clever one at that.

So if you stumble across a reference here and there that seems a tad oblique, I hope it draws you in and doesn't push you away. And I hope that you can hold that reference, stroking its fur gently, calmly, breezily...

I don't remember exactly how I found out about Muayad Muhsin. He's an Iraqi Surrealist, born in Babylon, who lives in Baghdad and makes some of the most beautiful and thought-provoking paintings I've seen in a long time. I've communicated with Muayad on several occasions, only slightly hampered by the fact that he speaks no English and I speak absolutely no Arabic. But we communicate with only a little extra effort. I value these exchanges and worry when I don't hear from him in a timely manner. The government of my country is, after all, trying to blow him up.

I am extremely proud to be able to present some of his fine work within the pages of MungBeing. I think Muayad is an important figure in the world of art and it really really sucks what's going on over there. He seems like a determined and resourceful man and I hope he can survive this. I hope we all can.

On a more obscure and less threatening note, I am thrilled to be able to include a poem by John Helmer. His novel Mother Tongue is a wonderful book with an intriguing story and very colorful characters. He's an excellent writer, to be sure, but he was also the singer/guitarist/lyricist for The Piranhas. The Piranhas! I can only begin to tell you what an impact The Piranhas have had on my life. Anything else would fail miserably. So that's important on a very personal level.

We've finally caught up with the elusive Erin Emerson who sent along some stunningly vicereal visuals, one of which graces our cover, and a hauntingly beautiful piece of music. What a wonderful talent she has and what a pleasure it is to present her work.

And as soon as James Rhodes gets settled back in the UK, we'll see the debut of the long-awaited Radio Onslaught/MungBeing Podcast. That should be fun.

In fact, there are some really exciting projects in the works, the most immediate being the Collaboration Project coming in February. We've already got a dozen or so sets of contributors working on some amazing projects, ranging from a very involved multi-layer, multi-partner exercise to an intercontinental movie project and a couple of musical collaborations. It's going to be a great issue and I'm really looking forward to some awesome results! If you'd like to know more about the MungBeing Collaboration Project, drop me a line and I'll send you more information.

Well, I've rambled on here long enough. Enjoy this excursion into the world of Obscurity. I'll talk to you when it's over.

Enjoy,
Mark Givens
Editor-in-Chief,
MungBeing Magazine

-- Velocity

The question is always velocity, never speed. I say "velocity" and you most likely think of that Eggers novel, the bad one (or so I'm told, but I've never read either), but put that out of your mind and find yourself an image of the road. Behind a wheel, it is never speed that matters no matter what the cops or Hollywood might tell you, only velocity. Speed, after all, defines nothing but a rate of travel; velocity defines a rate of travel in a given direction, and therefore toward something, and we are always travelling toward something if we take the initiative to travel.

Maybe to a night out. Maybe to a new home. Maybe toward work in the morning, or home at night. Really, when we admit it, we can never actually define a useful velocity, as we never know toward what exactly we are heading, only toward what exactly we intend (if that). Maybe really we're heading toward a whirlwind affair. A busted water pipe flooding the basement. A downsizing. A death. When it comes to velocity, death has a nasty habit of not only redefining but interrupting the vector we thought we had.

Find yourself an image of the road, of yourself behind the wheel. Make it a freeway. The fastlane. Make it southbound. Make it I-280, just inland from the Pacific Coast. It's beautiful scenery, even as it speeds past with its own shifting velocities and you try so hard not to pay attention if you've held on to that much of your soul after so much of this commuting. And then it's interrupted as a life ends three feet from your face. Is this your fault?

It is because we intend this velocity southbound to Silicon Valley on a Monday morning, no, that so many of us do and have for so long and that we, no, we were calling it you, join this collective intention this Monday morning and so many other mornings, that so many others repeat and emulate it every day, it is because of this history of velocity that you attempt your velocity and that a death may redefine and interrupt it. I am not being clear. You are on your way to work on Monday morning in a car, driving south in the fast lane of 280 through what might be the woods if such velocities did not interrupt that.

You are driving south in the fast lane of 280 at maybe 70 miles per hour when you notice something brown and moving ahead of you and to the left off the shoulder of the road, masquerading temporarily as an object with a parallel velocity but that we both know in manufactured hindsight must in fact have an intersecting and redefining velocity. You do not yet know how to react but maybe instinctively ease off the gas for the brief time it takes you to realize that what you see is a young buck, terrified and clueless, and now we know that this is the life that will end because you think you are going to work in the morning. It is as this deer veers off to the right, in front of you directly now, that you apply the brakes and try to remember hopefully whether or not you have any tailgaters.

There follow a sound and a sight, neither of which you will find yourself thinking you are likely to forget but neither of which, on the other hand, you would be likely to find a way of communicating to anyone after the fact so we will not try to do so, to communicate this image and this sound to you, now. These nouns will forever strike you as inaccessible to vocalization of any sort, but there will be verbs that are far easier to grasp. You will be able to say how the deer bounced maybe twenty feet -- maybe thirty, you're no good with estimates like these -- to the right, not colliding with any other cars, only the pavement of the opposite breakdown lane. You will have an image you take with you, you must have found a moment to look over there, of a wounded animal struggling to rise to its feet, but when you look back in that direction at a time you can remember more clearly a few seconds later you will not see anything there.

You will pull over to the left shoulder and put on your hazard lights, thinking about how you maybe don't exactly feel like puking but you do exactly feel like you should maybe feel like puking. You will pop the crumpled hood and then step out of the car, still not puking or able to, and discover that maybe the hood does still open, that maybe the engine isn't trashed, that maybe there's no blood but maybe a thick tuft of hair, and maybe a small black tick. Then maybe you will again get in the car and drive, flooring it so that you can pull out into the fast lane, amazed that this has happened and can be, and speed to the next exit, and pull over, and scream at the top of your lungs.

And then maybe you will continue on to work in the morning, having ended a life that redefined and interrupted your velocity, and you will find that even if you can say these things you will not actually understand.

Announcements -- Robert Anton Wilson

As reported by Douglas Rushkoff and boingboing, writer and philosopher Robert Anton Wilson is in dire need of support from his friends and fans. He's had a deep and profound influence on many of us here at MungBeing, and we were honoured he granted us an interview for our premiere issue.

Bob has suffered the nasty effects of post-polio syndrome for much of his life, and in his old age his condition has only deteriorated. As boingboing reported, Bob's friend Denis Berry is organizing a fundraising campaign to support him and help him pay the rent. "He cannot walk, has a hard time talking and swallowing, is extremely frail and needs full time care that is being provided by several friends-fans-volunteers and family. We appeal to you to help financially for the next few months to let him die at his home in peace."

We at MungBeing urge you to lend him support if you are able. He has enriched many lives, and the world is a better place because of him. He needs you now.

Monthly contributions of $50.00 or more will be greatly appreciated. All monies will go directly to Robert and can be sent to his PayPal address olgaceline@gmail.com. You can also send a check to RAW c/o Futique Trust, P.O. Box 3561, Santa Cruz, Ca 95063.

Announcements -- Staying Obscure

Want to know how to stay obscure in this modern age? Give your band a name that is unGoogleable. Like "And and the Thes" or "Flowers" or something.

Just another helpful hint from your friends at MungBeing!

Announcements -- ZineWiki

The wiki revolution continues! Founded by zinesters, "ZineWiki is an open-source encyclopedia devoted to zines and independent media. It covers the history, production, distribution and culture of the small press. Feel free to add your project, contribute additional information to already existing pages, or to edit what's already published. Subjects should be explained in terms of their relevance to zines and independent media."

www.zinewiki.com

Announcements -- Children's Book

A new children's book is available! All the celebrities are writin' 'em!

From Alex to Ursula (and then a few more)
by Dave Carpenter and Mark Givens

An alphabet book with engaging verse alongside simple artistic drawings.

"The book is awesome, I LOVED it! I took it to Hunter's class and read it to his class. After they all laughed about my getting tongue tied, they adored it!"
- Aunt Barbara

"Great stuff. Very, very clever. The new Dr. Seusss has emerged. Really admire the work. Aunt Bettye wants to buy a dozen for Xmas gifts for various family and friends' kids."
- Uncle Fred