Category Archives: Culture

Robert Stark interviews Old Urbanist Charles Gardner

1970's, aesthetics, American Culture, Architecture, arcology, Art, Charles Gardner, Cities, Culture, Disneyland, Economics, Environment, Europe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Historic Preservation, History, James Howard Kunstler, John C. Portman Jr, Las Vegas, Market Urbanism, New Urbanism, New York, Sam Kevorkian, San Francisco, Skyscrapers, Strong Towns, Suburbia, Urbanism, Utopia, Wilderness, Zoning


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to James Gardner. He is an Attorney based in Stamford, Connecticut and blogs at the Old Urbanist.

Topics:

Jane Jacob’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Curated Landscape  and how European towns and cities have starker divides between urbanized and undeveloped land than those of the United States
The Streetcar suburb model and Bourgeois Utopias: The Rise And Fall Of Suburbia: Robert Fishman
That 70s Urbanism, 70’s Urban Renewal projects(ex. the Embarcadero Center in SF and the Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia), and how those projects are underappreciated
Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti
Cruise Ships: The Densest (Urban) Environment in the World
Disneyland and Urbanism
Heroic materialist
Green Urbanism, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacre City, and the Garden City movement
Rehabilitating Walmart
The European Arcade and the Middle Eastern Souk as a model for retail
Height Acts and Restrictions
Narrow Streets
Vancouver and the Zoning Straitjacket
Lot Sizes: Regional Trends and Causes
NYC Suburban Demographics: and the  demographic collapse among the young adult population in wealthy suburbs
Urban growth boundaries

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




Robert Stark talks to Director Richard Wolstencroft about The New Twin Peaks: Part II

 Angelo Badalamenti, aesthetics, Art, Australia, Bernie Sanders, Cinema, Conspiracy Theories, Crime, Culture, David Lynch, Donald Trump, Economics, Film, Healthcare, horror, humor, Immigration, Jay Dyer, Kyle MacLachlan, Mulholland Drive, Music, Pearls Before Swine, Police, Politics, Richard Wolstencroft, Sam Kevorkian, Sexuality, Surrealism, Twin Peaks, Vice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to filmmaker Richard Wolstencroft about the new Twin Peaks series. This is the sequel to our last show on The New Twin Peaks

Topics:

How we left off on the previous show predicting that the series will end in the White Lodge
Robert Stark and Jay Dyer’s prediction at the beginning of the series that the primary theme will be about the Deep State investigating the Black Lodge
The beginning of the “Blue Rose” investigation into the Black Lodge
The Black and White Surreal “Lynchian” Episode 8 set in New Mexico and the responses to it
Lynch’s fascination with evil and the cameos of the creature from Mulholland Drive
Whether Dougie Jones(Cooper) will regain his consciousness
Twin Peaks: How the Insurance Man explains everything, maybe
Phillip Jeffries and the secretive forces that wants Cooper dead
The transformation of the side characters, how some have risen in significance, while others have become a side note
The role of the deceased Major Briggs in the series
David Lynch’s character Agent Gordon Cole becoming the new Cooper
Ben Horne’s Grandson Richard Horne who is a fugitive involved in organize crime
Richard’s view that criminals serve a purpose in society
The transformation of Ben Horne and the recent return of Audrey Horne
Michael J. Anderson'(The Man From Another Place), his feud with David Lynch, and his political statements
The prediction that in the upcoming episodes there will be a showdown with Cooper’s Doppelgänger at Glastonbury Grove
How the recent episodes have become more involved with the town of Twin Peaks
The de-romanticism of the town of Twin Peaks in the New series
The music in the new series; Twin Peaks: The Return | Part 13 “Just You”
Whether David Lynch will leave the series open ended in his signature style
The influences of David Lynch in Richard’s films Pearls Before Swine and The Second Coming Vol I and II
Richard’s political views and thoughts on Trump; Australia’s immigration policies and healthcare system

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




Robert Stark talks to Jamie Curcio about Narrative Machines

1980's, aesthetics, Aleister Crowley, Alexander Dugin, Alternative Right, Anarchism, Aristocratic Individualism, Art, Beatniks, counterculture, Culture, Cyberpunk, David Bowie, David Lynch, dreams, Fascism, Film, horror, Industrial Music, J.G. Michael, Jamie Curcio, Jean Baudrillard, Laibach, Literature, Media, Memes, Milo, Mishima A Life in Four Chapters, Morality, Mulholland Drive, Music, Narrative Machines, Nietzsche, Occultism, Philosophy, Politics, Postmodernism, Psychology, Retro Futurism, Sam Kevorkian, Social Isolation, Social Media, Stranger Things, Surrealism, They Live, Thomas Ligotti, Vaporwave, Yukio Mishima

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Sam Kevorkian, and J.G. Michael talk to Jamie Curcio about his new book Narrative Machines: Modern Myth, Revolution, & Propaganda. Jamie is an Artist, Writer, and Musician, and blogs at Modern Mythology.

Topics:

Intro: Nefarious from the Album EgoWhore by HoodooEngine which Jamie co-produces and does bass and rhythm guitar for
The main thrust of Narrative Machines is the way in which myths function in our lives
How the conflict with our longing to connect with the sacred leads to seeking re-connection in the form of reified ideology in the current “Meme Wars”
Jean Baudrillard’s book Simulacra and Simulation
The concept of hyper reality and how social interactions are mediated by social media
Post Modernism and Deconstructionism; skepticism towards all ultimate truths
Hobbes vs. Rousseau: the debate over human nature
Jamie’s illustrations in Narrative Machines
The Artist David Mack
Aesthetic theory and how artist can affect the world politically
Interrogation Machine – Laibach and NSK
Aleksander Dugin, Nick Land, and Neo-Reaction
The relation between myth, retro-aesthetic creative movements like vaporwave, and the current cultural climate
The 80’s Retro themed show Stranger Things
The aesthetics of Horror and horror writer Thomas Ligotti
Surrealism and connecting to the sacred or primal force
Jamie’s book Join My Cult!, occultism, and Aleister Crowley
David Bowie Inspires Jamie’s Upcoming Book, “Masks”
Yukio Mishima’s Confessions of a Mask
Jamie’s involvement in the goth industrial music scene of the 90’s and 00’s
The ways in which virtual reality, myth, and “the real world” have collided
Alternate Reality Games, the film The Game, and playing with peoples perception of reality through media

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




Robert Stark interviews Santa Barbara Mayoral Candidate Hal Conklin

aesthetics, Architecture, Art, California, Cities, Culture, Economics, Environment, Hal Conklin, Historic Preservation, Mass Transit, Police, Santa Barbara, Urbanism, Zoning

Robert Stark talks to Santa Barbara Mayoral candidate Hal Conklin for a written interview. Hal Conklin was the former Mayor of Santa Barbara and is the President of USA Green Communities.

Topics:

Hal Conklin’s accomplishments as mayor
Environmental solutions for the City and his work for USA Green Communities
The need for leadership in the future, giving the entire community a voice, and the Mayor’s role of “mediator” of dialogue
The Arts
Historic preservation and the City’s legacy of maintaining historic standards since the 1925 Earthquake
The Average Unit-Size Density Program, Height Restrictions, and the Housing Shortage
The Homeless Situation
Retail Vacancies
Tourism
The City’s Budget, the proposed Sales Tax, and revenue solutions
Bringing new jobs to the City
Mass Transit, the Bus System, and a hypothetical Light Rail Line

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Robert Stark talks to Mike Marinacci about California Jesus

Black Culture, California, California Jesus, Catholicism, Christianity, Comic Books, counterculture, Cults, Culture, History, Homosexuality, J.G. Michael, Los Angeles, Media, Mel Gibson, Mike Marinacci, Morality, Mormonism, Pilleater, Religion, Science Fiction, Sexuality

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Pilleater, and J.G. Michael talk to Mike Marinacci about his new book California Jesus: A (Slightly) Irreverent Guide the Golden State’s Christian Sects, Evangelists and Latter-Day Prophets. Mike blogs at Califia’s Children and co-authored the book Weird California: Your Travel Guide to California’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets.

Topics:

The historic trend of heading West for freedom
William Monéy and the Reformed New Testament Church
How Los Angeles was the early center of Pentecostalism and William Seymour of the Azusa Street Revival
Aimee Semple McPherson, Herbert W. Armstrong, Gene Scott, and Electronic Evangelism
The Children of God
Joe Jeffers and the Kingdom of Yahweh
Rev. Wesley Swift and Christian Identity
King Louis Narcisse and the Prosperity Doctrine
Jack T. Chick and His Comic-Book Ministry
The Science Fiction novel The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The History of Mormonism in California
Rev. Troy Perry’s Gay oriented Metropolitan Community Church
The Universal Life Church founded by Kirby J. Hensley, the “Modesto Messiah”
Mel Gibson’s Traditional Catholic Church of the Holy Family
The Mexican National Catholic Church
Mike’s upcoming appearance on Dr. Susan Block’s Web TV Show Saturday August 5th at 9:30 pm

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




Robert Stark talks to Giovanni Dannato about the Alt-Center

Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, American Culture, automation, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, capitalism, Class, College, Conservatives, Corporations, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Environment, Gender, Giovanni Dannato, Globalization, Healthcare, Immigration, income inequality, Joshua Zeidner, Leftism, Liberalism, Middle Class, Millennials, NEETs, neo-tribalism, Oligarchy, Politics, Post-scarcity economy, Radical Center, Sam Kevorkian, social status, social trust, Socialism, SWPL, technology, Third Position, Third Way Economics, Wealth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Sam Kevorkian, and Joshua Zeidner talk to Giovanni Dannato. Giovanni blogs at Colony of Commodus and is the author of A Kingdom For the Introvert. Follow Giovanni on Twitter.

Topics:

How We Get to an Alt-Center
Combining The Alt-Right and the Alt-Left
How both the Alt-Left and Alt-Right are populist but attack the elements of the establishment most pertinent to their interests
The Alt-Left as an upper middle class reaction to the problem of Elite Overproduction
Smart Socialism
Joshua’s observation on the success of Germany’s specialization based economy
The medium is the message and the information economy
What Explains the Trump-Sanders Crossover Vote?
The cultural divide between the Alt Left SWPL’s and the Alt-Right, and the importance of embracing the creative class
Alt-Right Drift Towards “Leftist” Policies
The Alt-Right Is Green: Not A Pepe Meme
Steve Bannon wants to raise taxes on the very rich
Defining the Alt-Center: Neo-Tribalism
Thoughts On Replacing Traditional Marriage In A Post-Scarcity Society

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




Robert Stark interviews Korezaan about Transit & Urbanism

aesthetics, Alt Center, Alternative Right, Anime, Architecture, arcology, Art, Asia, Asian Culture, Blade Runner, China, Cities, Culture, Cyberpunk, demographics, Film, Futurism, Ghost in a Shell, Giovanni Dannato, Hong Kong, Immigration, James Howard Kunstler, John C. Portman Jr, Korezaan, Lafayette CA, Laura Foote Clark, Los Angeles, Mass Transit, New Urbanism, Orinda CA, Police, Sam Kevorkian, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, social capital, Social Isolation, Strong Towns, Suburbia, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to Bay Area based blogger and illustrator Korezaan. He blogs at Rezzealaux and has a Facebook Page.

Topics:

Korezaan’s political views, the Euclidean vector towards Giovanni Dannato, and the Alt-Center 
Korezaan’s article BART, Americans, and Attitudes, vs The East which has maps of land use around the BART Stations
Robert Stark’s recent meeting with Korezaan in the Bay Area and some personal observations from the trip
Transit Oriented Development and the lack of housing density around BART Stations
The importance of having retail in or near transit
The importance of pedestrian friendly development
NIMBYism, density, parking, and height limits
How suburbia makes it difficult to form communities and contributes to social isolation
Ethnoburbs
New Urbanism
Housing Crisis: Razib Khan on how $100,000 in Palo Alto is equivalent to $16,000 in St. Louis 
The misconception that suburbs are necessary for family formation
The Upscale East Bay towns of Lafayette and Orinda and Korezaan’s point that these are places where ex-urbanites bring non-suburban culture to the suburbs
Bay Area Greenbelts and Conservation in Hong Kong
Self-contained urban structures, urban oasis’s, the Embarcadero Center, and Elements, Hong Kong above the Kowloon MTR station
The Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, Blade Runner, Ghost in a Shell, and Western vs. Eastern Cyberpunk
Korezaan’s artwork featured on his blog Rezzealaux

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




Robert Stark interviews Joshua Zeidner

aesthetics, Alternative Right, American Culture, Art, Baby Boomers, California, capitalism, censorship, Cities, Comic Books, Conservatives, Constantin von Hoffmeister, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Environment, Erotica, Europe, European Nationalism, Fascism, Feminism, Gender, History, Immigration, income inequality, Islam, Israel, Italian Futurism, Joshua Zeidner, Leftism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Marxism, Middle Class, Millennials, Music, National Futurism, Nationalism, NEETs, Neoliberalism, Oligarchy, Phoenix, Political Correctness, Politics, Pulps, Sam Kevorkian, Science Fiction, Sexuality, Socialism, Suburbia, Tanino Liberatore, terrorism, The Tea Party, Urbanism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to Joshua Zeidner. Joshua is originally from the New York region and has a degree in Computer Science and minor in Art from CUNY .

Topics:

How Joshua became involved in Right Wing politics and the Tea Party Party in response to illegal immigration in Arizona
The demographic transformation and destruction of the middle class in California
Suburban sprawl in Phoenix, environmentalism, and urban planning issues
Living in Israel and witnessing a terrorist attack in Jerusalem
Israel as a National Socialist Nation
Intelligent millennials lacking economic opportunities joining dissident movements
Parallels to Weimar Germany where former members of the middle class were reduced to poverty
Creating a new political dichotomy to address these issues
Social Nationalism as an alternative to Conservatism
The flaws of Libertarian ideology and free market economics
Boomer Conservatism and the Old Economy Steve Meme
Karl Marx on society as a relationship between capital and labor
Italian Futurism and National Futurism
Heavy Metal (magazine) 
Joshua’s Facebook group The Whims of Savagery
Illustrators Tanino Liberatore, Philippe Druillet, and Moebius

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




Robert Stark talks to Director Michael Medaglia about his Film Deep Dark

Art, Bizarro Fiction, Blue Velvet, Cinema, comedy, Culture, David Lynch, Deep Dark, Film, horror, horror films, humor, Literature, Michael Medaglia, Portland, Sam Kevorkian, Santa Barbara, Sexuality, Surrealism, Twin Peaks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to Director Michael Medaglia about his Film Deep Dark. You can get a signed DVD as well as the screenplay on the Deep Dark Website.

Topics:

The struggling artist Hermann played by Sean McGrath who discovers a mysterious hole 
How the film is classified as horror for marketing purposes but Michael considers it to be “weird fiction”
Weird fiction writers including Kelly Link and Jeremy Robert Johnson
How the hole works
The symbolism of the hole, the Faustian Myth, and comparisons to “Little Shop of Horrors”
Giving the hole humanity
Keeping a sense of mystery for the audience by not revealing everything
Horror cliches such as holes as gateways to hell
The theme of a struggling artist and how artist can relate to the film
The absurd and comedic elements of the film
The production and cinematography of the film
Voice actress Denise Poirier who did the voice for the hole
Michael’s short films “The Ratsnitch Angel” and Kitty Kitty

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




Robert Stark interviews Yan Pagh about the Alt Center

Academia, Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, Anarchism, capitalism, censorship, Conservatives, counterculture, Culture, Denmark, Economics, education, Europe, European Nationalism, Freedom of Speech, Front National, Gamergate, Gender, Immigration, Islam, Leftism, Marine Le Pen, Marxism, Occupy Wall Street, Political Correctness, Politics, Radical Center, Sam Kevorkian, Social Justice Warriors, Yan Pagh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Sam Kevorkian talk to Yan Pagh. Yan is based in Denmark and runs the Alt-Center Facebook Group

Topics:

The basic definition of the Alt-Center as rejecting the far left, the far right, and the establishment
The Alt-Center as non-aligned; a new movement that is flexible and evolving
How the left and the right have become merely reactions to one another
The importance of debate and an open exchange of ideas
How political polarization has lead to a rise in censorship
How the Alt-Right and Alt-Left emerged
Top Hats and Champaign: The original alt-centrism
Yan’s observation that the Hippie Culture he grew up with was much more free than today’s left
The immigration debate, the left’s suppression of debate, and the right’s monopoly on the opposition
European immigration restriction parties adopting left and center positions
Naser Khader and his book “Honor and Shame”
Danish Culture

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