Category Archives: Environment

Robert Stark interviews Richard Register about Ecocities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Register is a theorist in ecology and urban design, the author of several books on the topic of ecologically sustainable cities, and founder and President of Ecocity World.

Topics:

Richard’s concept of an Ecocity
Paolo Soleri’s concept of an Arcology and his project Arcosanti in Arizona
The Ecosa Institute which is doing what Soleri intended on a smaller scale
Ancient examples of the Arcology go back to Ur in Mesopotamia and Çatalhöyük in Turkey
The city as a complex living organism
Horizontal vs. three dimensional cities
Implementing an ecocity on a large scale as an Ecotropolis
Why density is more ecologically sustainable
Ecocity Zoning
The goal of creating a car free city
The use of bridges between structures
John C. Portman’s Embarcadero Center in San Francisco which has aspects of an Arcology
Exterior glass elevators
Richard’s book Ecocity Berkeley and NIMBY imposed barriers to change in Berkeley
Opening up the creek systems in urban areas
Creating Ecocity village cores in the suburbs and how to retrofit aesthetically pleasing suburbs(ex. Santa Barbara, Marin County, and wealthy East Bay suburbs)
Reducing the foot print of cities and suburbs and opening up new land to agriculture and wilderness
Richard’s illustrations and the importance of aesthetics in urbanism
New Urbanism as a step in the right direction but too rigid in height and density
Richard’s trip to the Galapagos Islands and observations of how architecture coexists with nature
Ecocities in China
Robert’s observation that Las Vegas despite being an ecological catastrophe has many aspects of the Arcology

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks about The YIMBY Movement & The Alt-Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark joined with Cartrell Payne(aka The Adventure Kid) to discuss the YIMBY movement, the Alt-Center, and how those issues relate.

Topics:

California Senator Scott Wiener’s housing-transit measure Derailed
Factions of the YIMBY movement including left leaning housing advocates, real estate developers, and the Market Urbanist
Left Wing anti-gentrification activists and their alliance with NIMBY’s
Cartrell’s observations on gentrification in Memphis, Tennessee
The hypocrisy of pro-immigration Limousine Liberal NIMBY’s, and how that combination exacerbates the housing crisis
How the YIMBY movement is also very pro immigration
Income Inequality in California and the mass exodus of the middle class
The film Falling Down which is set in LA in the early 90’s and a warning of a dystopian future
What makes California great and can it be saved?
The New Great Migration of Black Americans back to The South
White Middle Class Conservative NIMBY’s, their motivations, and how they are sabotaging their own self interest
Why YIMBYism and immigration restriction are compatible, and why the Alt-Center should take up those causes
Why YIMBYs need to address aesthetic concerns
Why YIMBYism is compatible with environmental and historic preservation
Citylab and City Journal; their writings on urbanism and political agendas
Why mass transit is inefficient in LA and other Sun Belt cities
The political and cultural flaws of both Blue and Red States
A vision of an Alt Center which include alternative economics, pro middle class policies, New Urbanism, environmentalism, SWPL culture, and socially centrist
Cartrell’s political orientation as an Old School Southern Democrat minus the racism
Cartrell’s critique of both the Black Liberal Establishment and Black Conservatives
Conservative views on the poor and police issues and Conservative Class Cucks
The early 20th Century Populist movement
Norman Mailer’s plan for breaking up New York City which addressed both the concerns of the Left and the Right

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews DECAY about Politics & Urbanism

Check out Decay’s blog, his writings for Brandon Adamson’s AltLeft.com, and Twitter profile.

Topics:

The Orientation of D E C A Y’s Political Views
DECAY’s outlook on human dynamics can be described as “right-wing”, but without stereotypical “right-wing” stances, such as laissez-faire free-market economics or moral traditionalism
DECAY’s left Wing stances on environmental and public health regulations, worker and consumer protections, and a social safety net
Alt-Apoliticism
Meta Politics
The Bearer of “Trad” News
A post American perspective
Futurism and technological progress
Predicting Future Trends
Independent City States
Where Should One Live?
Urban neighborhoods, Sreetcar Suburbs, Retrofitted Suburbs, Small Towns, College Towns, and the reemergence of the village model, where people live in close proximity to where they work, shop and recreate
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and thoughts on the region’s cities, suburbs, and wilderness
The need for a balance between urbanism and wilderness
Retro Futurism and an affinity for 80’s Synthwave

This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Transcript of interview:

Continue reading Robert Stark interviews DECAY about Politics & Urbanism

Robert Stark talks to Ashley Messinger about Roger Blackstone & The Politics of AESTHETICS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roger Blackstone is a fictional presidential candidate in Robert Stark’s novel Journey to Vapor Island.

Topics:

Ashley’s article Roger Blackstone: The Politics of Aesthetics
Roger Blackstone’s ideology as a psychedelic futurist form of social nationalism
Roger Blackstone utilizing capitalism as a real estate mogul to rise to power
Roger Blackstone’s Utopian visions in contrast with Trump who has been a major disappointment
Roger Blackstone’s campaign commercial
“Advancing civilization and furthering human progress” implies a rejection of the NRx reading of history (inverted Whig view) and assumes that some forms of progress are actually meaningful
Basing political ideology on aesthetic values
New Urbanism and the necessity of creating aesthetically pleasant living spaces
The idea that simple libertarianism is just not enough and we need to create intentional communities for every possible group
The 1980’s Retro Futuristic theme; “Neon Nationalism”
Roger Blackstone’s idea of making humans, rather than just art and architecture, the subject of aesthetic concern
Roger’s Blackstone’s economic views and support for a basic income
The power to completely re-engineer the human genome to enhance human potential(Transhumanism)
The book The Chemical Muse about the prevalence of drugs(especially entheogens) in pre-modern societies, and the importance of drug use to a lot of artists and anti-conformists
Roger Blackstone’s father Alistair and his manifesto “Why The True Aristocrat Must Rule”
The notion of a natural aristocracy(ex. Ralph Waldo Emerson and HL Mencken)
The term “Aristocratic Radicalism” pops up, which has been used to describe Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy
Similarities to Alistair Crowley’s concept of “Aristocratic Communism,” where society is geared towards empowering those who are naturally non-conformists, artists, and intellectuals
There is some evidence that Alistair is sympathetic to distributive economic philosophies, because capitalism has this stifling effect on the creative class
The mock presidential debate scene where Noam has to represent Roger Blackstone against the Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian
The growing trend of political fusionism
The importance of using fiction to influence political discourse

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Constantin von Hoffmeister about Archeofuturism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Brandon Adamson talk to Constantin von Hoffmeister. Constantin is originally from Germany, lives in Moscow, blogs at Oge Noct, and published the National Futurist Manifesto.

Topics:

Constantin’s article Archeofuturism: I Have a Dream!
Archeofuturism as the combination of archaic traditions with futuristic visions
A Utopian science fiction vision of the future based on Faustian ideals
Constantin’s materialist viewpoint and belief that spirituality stems from matter and biology
Constantin’s belief in technological progress
Transhumanism and human cloning
Guillaume Faye’s novel Archeofuturism
The European Migrant Crisis
The failure of Trump
Space Colonization
The Soviet film Aelita: Queen of Mars about a proletarian revolution on Mars
Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and Heinlein’s views on limiting democracy
Norman Lowell’s Imperium Europa
The need for strength on an Imperium level and freedom on a Dominium level
Constantin’s support for a hybrid of capitalism and socialism that promotes both innovation and a social safety net
Automation, the basic income, and the creation of new jobs in scientific fields
The lack of investment in infrastructure and transit in America
Architectural style’s that best capture Archeofuturism; both new and Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow
Soviet Retro Futurism
Constantin’s upcoming speech and debate in Germany

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Architect Adam Mayer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Mayer is an architect based out of San Francisco. Check out his TwitterInstagram, and Architectural Portfolio.

Topics:

Growing up in Los Gatos which is a small town on the edge of the Silicon Valley
Studying architecture at USC and observations on LA
Art Deco and Mid Century Modern Architecture in LA
New Urbanism and Retrofitting suburbia
The Bay Area Housing Crisis and the importance of developing smartly while protecting greenbelts
How ugly architecture leads to NIMBY sentiment and why the YIMBY movement needs to address aesthetics
California Senate bill would force more dense housing near transit hubs
Working on a redevelopment project at the Walnut Creek BART Station
San Francisco’s SOMA district’s new skyline
San Francisco’s new Transbay Terminal
Architect John C. Portman; The Embarcadero Center and Hyatt in San Francisco and the extension of the urban realm to the inside
Architect Jon Jerde; his projects including Westside Pavilion and the Universal City Walk in LA, Horton Plaza in San Diego, and the Wynn and Bellagio in Las Vegas
Architect William Pereira who designed the Trans-America Pyramid in San Francisco
Brutalism
1980’s architecture and whether it will make a comeback
Frank Gehry
Modernism vs. Postmodernism and where to draw the boundary
How current architecture lacks one cohesive aesthetic
Adam’s work as an architect in China, master planned projects, and observations on architecture in China
Winner Take All? Richard Florida’s ‘New Urban Crisis’
How to accommodate families in cities

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Kevin Lynn about his Ad Campaign against H-1B Visas on SF’s BART

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Lynn is Director of Progressives for Immigration Reform which is sponsoring adds against the H-1B Visa Program on the Bay Area’s BART System.

Topics:

Bay Area Campaign Targets H-1B Visas, Asks Congress to Fix on Americans’ Behalf
The campaign’s message, “Your companies think you are expensive, undeserving & expendable. Congress, fix H-1B law so companies must seek & hire U.S. workers!”
Bay Area media responses including the San Jose Mercury News which first reported on the campaign
The overall reaction from tech workers was positive but with hesitations due to fear of backlash
The goal of the campaign is to to foster a movement to unite tech workers politically against exploitation
How for every two students who graduate with STEM degrees, only one is hired into a STEM job
How Foreign workers account for about 70 percent of the tech workforce in the Bay Area
H-1B Visas as Indentured Servitude
The myth of innovation from H-1B workers
Fearing H-1B Tightening, Tech Giants Ramp Up Lobbying
How Trump has accomplished very little on immigration
The impact of immigration on the environment and carbon footprints

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Ashley Messinger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Brandon Adamson talk to ASHLEY MESSINGER. Ashley is based in the UK and writes for Brandon’s AltLeft.com. You can also find Ashley on Twitter.

Topics:

Why Brandon’s moniker is now “The Left of the AltRight”
Ashley’s political evolution to the Alt Left(Left Wing of the Alt-Right)
Ashley’s disillusionment with the Alt-Right
The immigration and demographic situation in the UK
Radical Islam, the Charlie Hebdo Massacre, and the Rotherham scandal
The ineptitude of Right Wing politics in the UK
Ashley’s preference for SWPL cultural amenities
Retro-Futurism
Whether there is a large enough demographic for a “Red Pilled” SWPL movement
Misconceptions about English culture
The Thacherite Neo-Liberal de-industrialization of the UK
Ashley’s support for a secular form of Distributism
Luck egalitarianism 
The Signalling Model of Education 
Automation and the Basic Income
The Techno Futurist faction of Neo-Reaction
Effective Altruism
Technogaianism
Ashley’s article The Push to Normalize Polonophilia

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings! and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu returns to talk about his album Forget & Twin Peaks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Pilleater, Haarlem Venison, and  filmmaker Richard Wolstencroft talk to musician Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu.

Topics include:

Intro: Xiu Xiu – Queen of the Losers 
Xiu Xiu’s album-  FORGET 
The new Twin Peaks and the show’s finale
Xiu Xiu – Plays The Music of Twin Peaks
Performing at a David Lynch exhibit in Australia
The soundtrack of the new Twin Peaks
Richard’s Xiu Xiu story
Influence from 80’s synth; Depeche Mode, Erasure and Jamie’s cover of Erasure
How music in the 21st Century has become stagnant
Music revenue in the internet era and the importance of live performances
Apocalypse Culture; Peter Sotos
The Gay Marriage vote in Australia
Jamie denounces the Alt-Right
Jamie’s hometown LA and how the city has changed
Animal Rights
Jamie as a pessimistic nihilistic hippie
After Jamie leaves Richard discusses his political and cultural views and his films including Pearls before Swine and his upcoming film The Second Coming Volume II
Richard’s Melbourne Underground Film Festival

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Kevin Lynn of Progressives for Immigration Reform

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to Kevin Lynn. Kevin is Chairman of Progressives for Immigration Reform and blogs at the CENTER FOR PROGRESSIVE URBAN POLITICS.

Topics:

Kevin’s political background as an unrepentant Perotista, a failed Green Party member, and a frustrated Progressive Democratic Party member
Creating a dialogue with Progressives on the key issues of how immigration impacts workers rights, income inequality, and the environment
The longstanding tradition of Progressives opposing mass immigration including the early labor and environmental movements
How immigration impacts the environment
The Sierra Club Vote on immigration and how it was sabotaged by a wealthy financier
The 1924 Immigration Restriction Act and The Immigration Act of 1965
Will The RAISE Act Raise Employment Prospects
PFIR Unveils Its H1-B Visa Database
The middle class exodus out of California
New Urbanism
The dilemma that progressives are misguided on immigration while Trump and the Republicans are anti-environment, and the need for a new political paradigm

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!