Conference hydra::dejavu

578.0. "New (York) Age" by TUNER::BROWN (KB1MZ) Tue Nov 24 1987 13:13

This appeared in the VOICE a couple of weeks ago, posted sans permission.
 
METROPHYSICS
by David Polonoff
The Village VOICE, November 1987 sometime
 
The approaching millenium poses a real dilemma for New Yorkers.  The lackluster
turnout at last summer's Harmonic convergence proved Manhattanites unprepared
for the apocalyptic outpourings of an era in which Nostradamus threatens to
replace Suzy as the arbiter of what's happening.  Yet our aquarian island needs
an occult science consonant with the demands of its restless lifestyle.  Here
then is a guide to the mystical essence of our metropolitan lives.
 
Past Lofts-New Yorkers progress through a never-ending cycle of lofts.  If we
develop good character reference in our present loft, tipping the super and
accepting that heat which is given, then in our next loft we will have more
square feet and perhaps a lease.  Sometimes one has the feeling that one has
met someone before in another loft.  For in every loft there are networking
parties, and the same people keep showing up at all of them.  They leave their
cards with us, which we retain long after we have forgotten who they are and
the lofts where we met them.
 
Pistol Healing-It is hard to remain positive under the stress of urban life.
Pistols are a powerful tool that man has been given to focus his will and
dispel the negativity that daily besets him.  The pistol radiates a continual
flow of energy which interacts with the human energy field.  Those who work
with pistols find they are no longer affected by the negative vibrations of
crowded subways, hostile receptionists, and nightclub doormen.  Whether carrying
it on their person or placing it under their pillow, their pistol helps them
regain a state of calm and tranquility and, as they learn to channel its
energy, to get the things they want out of life.
 
Channeling-Most of us experience reality only through the major networks.  But
anyone can unlock their TV's potential, picking up messages from hundreds of
unincorporated broadcast entities.  In the denser boroughs, access to the
subtle channels is blocked by excessive materialism.  Those wishing to expand
their receptivity must resort to bribery or buy a VCR.
 
Tantrum Yoga-Many people spend their days standing in line at sales counters,
banks, and token booths as if life had no further purpose.  The practice of
Tantrum brings release from this queued-up state.  Such techniques as the
withholding of the breath and shrieking of the mantra unleashes a fire under
the chakras of the least enlightened dawdlers, and sends out powerful vibrations
against line jumpers.  Certain Long Island adepts have developed the Tantrum
art of sexual withholding to the point where they can materialize fur coats
from cancelled charge accounts.
 
Atlantic-Legends tell us of a great ocean once visible from Brooklyn that sank
beneath the sewage.
 
Lincoln Centering-It is easy to forget our true identity, especially when we
are a waiter or legal proofreader.  We must transcend such narrow labels, get
in touch with our cultural center, get some headshots, and grab a seat at the
caf\o'e\(fm', looking bored.  Then we remember who we \fIreally\fP are--
a dancer, a musician, an actor/actress--and what we are seeking--an agent.
 
Freeing the Inner Shelf-Deep inside your closet--there is a place.  Underneath
the clutter--there is space.  Your innermost shelf.  Once you clear it, you
will never again have to wonder where to put your sweaters.
 
Encounters with Alien Beings-The traditional image of little green-carded men
piloting unsafe cablike objects is way off.  Aliens are among us, only better
dressed.  Often sighted at restaurant and gallery openings, they can be
identified by their claims to be ``filmmakers'' and their ability to
rematerialize wherever lavish sums are being spent.
 
Holistic Stealing-Conventional stealing depersonalizes its victims, treating
them as no more than a set of parts--a wallet, a gold chain, a bomber jacket.
How much less alienating to rob the whole person, taking not only his money,
but his entire neighborhood.  Through renovation and conversion, holistic
stealers transmute decay and downward mobility into flourishing centers of
wellness.
 
The Astoral Place-Between the material plane of waking life and the dream
sphere where unemployed spirits cavort in mohawks lies the Astoral Place.
At night, many career-bound souls shed their outer shells--business suits,
Filofaxes, Walkmen--and travel to the Astoral Place.  Here they experience
the exhilaration of multi-directional mobility, hopping freely from club to
club, encountering other insubstantial bodies.  All that connects them to
their former selves is the Golden Card.  Don't cross 14th street without it.
 
The Doormen of Perception-The normal person uses only a fraction of his or her
wardrobe.  But everyone harbors the desire to \fIreally\fP see and be seen.
By opening up to fashion, one can realize total fabulousness, getting past
the ropes of the VIP room even when not on the list.
 
Out of Borough Experience-How painful it is to spend a lifetime in the confines
of our borough as the rents creep slowly up.  It is hard to believe that there
are other realities where the soul roams freely through three bedrooms,
wood-burning fireplace, and separate kitchen, at half the price.  People who
have experienced these realities report a sense of lightness, airiness, and
fullness of bank account.
 
The Dow I Ching-Everything is flux.  All things change.  For every increase
there is a decrease, for every ending, new beginning.  The tides of fortune
rise and fall in accordance with the Dow.  The superior man lives in harmony
with the Dow, seeking balance in the ceaseless war of bear and bull.  In times
of peril, the superior man plays Lotto, not the market.

    I cannot believe it.  I was last reading dejavu a few short minutes
    ago.  I finished reading the unseen stuff.  I signed out, and got
    into my mailfile.  I got this really neat thing from the village
    voice (from a friend outside DEC).  I thought "My Gosh, DEJAVU would
    like this."  So I saved it out to a file.  Then I came back into
    DEJAVU...and...DEJAVU!  Here it was, the first (k)new note.
    
    Yow.  I still can't believe it.  Twilight zone city.
    
    -Jody
    

    On 2nd thought, maybe TUNER::BROWN is on the same mailing list I'm
    on.  Mailing lists are amazing, because you keep stumbling across
    people who know people who know you via a mailing list - as one
    of the lists I'm on proclaims...it's like the world's biggest hot
    tub party.
    
    -Jody
    

    	Intercognizance Network Saturates Ambient Population Density...!
    
    					MWR	8-)