Category Archives: Mass Transit

Robert Stark talks to Bay Area Guy about Bullshit Jobs

Alt Center, American Culture, Anarchism, automation, Basic Income, Bay Area Guy, Bernie Sanders, Bullshit Jobs, capitalism, Class, comedy, Conservatives, Corporations, Culture, Distributism, Donald Trump, Economics, Globalization, Immigration, income inequality, Kamala Harris, Leftism, Managerialism, Mass Transit, Morality, Neoliberalism, Occupy Wall Street, Oligarchy, social status, Socialism, Wealth, welfare state

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Bay Area Guy about Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber and his Review of Bullshit Jobs published on Alt of Center.

Topics:

Bay Area Guy’s background in blogging at the defunct Occident Invicta and move to the left economically
David Graeber’s background as a left wing anarchist and involvement with Occupy Wall Street and the anti-globalization protests of the late 90’s
Bullshit Jobs as the culmination of The Managerial Revolution
Neo-feudalistic economy based on extracting wealth and distributing it to underlings who maintain the system
Loyalty to the system more important than productivity or innovation
How the system is held together for political and moral imperatives rather than economic
A leisure economy and subsidies such as a basic income as necessary for innovation
The argument that handouts will make people lazy does not take into account the need for status and feeling useful
The moral imperative that value comes from work
Graeber‘s belief in compensating work that benefits the common good
90’s comedy Office Space as a parody of dehumanizing corporate culture
Despite automation don’t underestimate late capitalism’s ability to create more bullshit jobs
Parallels between conservatives calling the poor entitled and SJWs’ “check your privilege”
Bay Area Guy’s support for Bernie Sanders from the beginning and dissident right’s disappointment with Trump
Kamala Harris’ regressive Neoliberal record of harsh justice for the rabble and impunity for elites

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




Robert Stark talks to Constantin von Hoffmeister about India

aesthetics, Africa, Archeofuturism, Architecture, Art, Asia, China, Cities, Class, colonialism, Constantin von Hoffmeister, Crime, Cuisine, Culture, demographics, Diversity, Economics, England, Globalization, Hinduism, History, Immigration, Imperialism, income inequality, India, Islam, journalism, Le Corbusier, Mass Transit, National Futurism, Nationalism, Politics, Race Relations, Religion, Skyscrapers, social trust, Travel, Urbanism, Wealth, Wilderness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Constantin von Hoffmeister is originally from Germany, lives in Moscow, blogs at Oge Noct, and published the National Futurist Manifesto.

Topics:

Working as a journalist for Blitz(newspaper) in Bombay and National Herald in New Delhi
Interviews with Sonia Gandhi and the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama on migrants in Europe
Activists Launch ‘Gandhi Must Fall’ Against Statue of ‘Racist’
The cultural and ethnic diversity of India
The Ancient language of Sanskrit, linguistic division between Hindi and Tamil, and the role of English
The Parsis
The Indian diaspora
India’s geopolitics and rivalry with China and the Islamic World
Indian Cuisine and the regional differences
The poor quality of sanitation in India
Economic disparities among regional and demographic groups
Growing prosperity, investment in infrastructure, and skyscrapers
The Right’s irrational hatred of skyscrapers and the need for National Futurist architecture
Le Corbusier’s model of Urbanism and his Chandigarh project in New Delhi
Indo-Saracenic architecture from the British Colonial era
Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture
The impact of British Colonialism
Political tension between secularist and Hindu Nationalist

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




Robert Stark talks to Adam Mayer about San Francisco Architecture

1960's, 1970's, 1980's, Adam Mayer, aesthetics, Architecture, arcology, Art Deco, Beverly Hills, Brutalism, California, Cities, Culture, Danville CA, Economics, Environment, Futurism, gentrification, Historic Preservation, History, John C. Portman Jr, Los Angeles, Los Gatos CA, Mass Transit, Matthew Pegas, Mid-Century Modern, Mount Diablo, Neon, Oakland, Postmodernism, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, Urbanism, Wilderness, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk to architect Adam Mayer about San Francisco’s architectural history and current trends. Check out his Twitter, Instagram, and Architectural Portfolio.

Topics:

Robert’s meetup and architectural tour with Adam in Downtown SF
Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery
SF Neon TOURS
Beaux-Arts Palace Hotel
Art Deco highrises Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Shell Building, and Pac Bell Tower
Mid Century Modern Joseph Eichler highrises, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Hilton
William Pereira’s Transamerica Pyramid and Louis Kahn’s use of concrete inspired by ancient monuments
Underappreciated 80’s post modernism, Art Deco revival, Marriott Juke Box, and Crocker Galleria
Philip Johnson’s 101 California Street and Union Square Neiman Marcus
The John Portman designed Embarcadero Center, it’s attributes of a self contained city and urban oasis, and the JW Marriott
Portman’s uniqueness in being both an architect and real estate developer
Jonathan Segal’s project ‘Architect as Developer’
SOMA highrise boom, Central SoMa Rezone, 5M development, and, Caltrain redevelopment 
New Transbay Transit Center
SOMA skyscrapers 181 Fremont, Salesforce Tower, and Rem Koolhaas’ Tower
The end of the high-rise boom cycle
The Missing Middle Housing
Addressing the housing crisis while respecting historic preservation and aesthetics
Current trends in architecture and marriage between modernism and post modernism(meta modernism)

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




Alt-Center Solutions to LA’s Urban and Social Dynamics

1960's, 1970's, 1980's, aesthetics, Alt Center, Alternative Right, American Culture, Architecture, Art, Art Deco, Baby Boomers, Beverly Hills, Blade Runner, California, Cities, Class, Conservatives, Crime, Culture, demographics, Diversity, Economics, education, gentrification, Hipsters, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, income inequality, John C. Portman Jr, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Mass Transit, Matthew Pegas, Mid-Century Modern, Middle Class, Millennials, Neoliberalism, Neon, Politics, Prison, Prison Rape, Retro Futurism, Skyscrapers, social capital, social trust, Suburbia, Urbanism, US Prison System, Utopia, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and  Matthew Pegas discuss their recent trip to Downtown LA, Matthew’s experience as a newcomer to the city, observations on the regions cultural dynamics, and solutions to social and urban problems.

Topics:

Skid Row, “ruin porn” and the Creepy History of the Cecil Hotel
Gentrification of the Historic Core
Broadway, neon signs and historic theatre marquees, and plans to revitalize and light up Broadway’s signs
Historic landmarks including the European style Spring Arcade and Art Deco Eastern Columbia Building
The Arts District, art bros, and the chadification of the hipster scene
The South Park highrise boom and new tallest skyscraper the Wilshire Grand
80’s Art Deco revival and new highrises influenced by Mid-Century aesthetics
John C. Portman’s Retro Futuristic Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Interior Urbanism, and Fredric Jameson’s Postmodernist review
The pros and cons of diversity and issues of social cohesion
The appeal of enjoying diversity from exclusive enclaves
The LA County Jail, Donny the Punk, and Jail as a metaphor for the problems of American society
The extreme social, economic, and aesthetic inequality in LA
Social problems caused by mass immigration, Neoliberal economics, and sprawl oriented development
Robert’s article Building a Based Urban Middle Class SWPL Utopia
Sane urbanist solutions to right wing grievances such as White flight
The political ironies of gentrification as re-colonization of urban areas
Family formation and reasons for declining demographics such as housing and education
How these social problems are now impacting the upper middle class demographically
An Alt-Center must offer solutions that cater to urban needs
Building a political movement based on aesthetics with visions for new urban communities
The hypocrisy of pro-immigration liberal elite NIMBY’s
How combining YIMBY policies with immigration restriction will gradually rebuild the urban middle class

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




Robert Stark interviews Alina Gorina about Soviet Futurism, Technocracy & Transhumanism

aesthetics, Alina Gorina, Architecture, Art, Art Deco, automation, capitalism, Cities, Communism, Culture, Cyberpunk, democracy, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Futurism, Healthcare, History, income inequality, Literature, Mass Transit, Mid-Century Modern, Moscow, Politics, Retro Futurism, Russia, Science, Science Fiction, Skyscrapers, Soviet Union, Space Travel, technology, The Cold War, Transhumanism, Urbanism, Utopia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topics:

Alina’s background as a Russian from Kazakhstan living in Crimea
The referendum in Crimea and how the Russian controlled region is much more prosperous
Soviet science fiction novel The Ugly Swans
Soviet science fiction novel Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale published in 1957 which predicts future trends
Science fiction novel Childhood’s End
Mid-Century Space Futurism vs. 80’s and 90’s Cyberpunk
How both the United States and Soviet Union had a fascination with Space Futurism during the Cold War
Soviet architecture, Stalinist Neoclassical skyscrapers, and Soviet Retro-futuristic illustrations
Decopunk
The Soviet film Aelita: Queen of Mars
Techno Corporatism, Techno-Syndicalism, and Technocracy
The automation of government
How a Technocracy can provide free healthcare and education
How Technocracy can solve problems with democracy, corruption, monopolies, and income inequality
Trump, his space proposals, and how he was relatively popular in Russia until the Syrian attacks
Transhumanism, Biotech, CRISPR gene editing, and radical life extension

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




Robert Stark talks to Richard Register about Resilient Design in the San Francisco Bay

Architecture, arcology, California, Cities, Eco-Cities, energy, Environment, Galápagos Islands, Global Warming, History, Mass Transit, New Orleans, Richard Register, San Francisco, Science, Suburbia, Urbanism, Wilderness, Yosemite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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:

The Bigger Bay Ecotropolis
The degree to which sea level rise is inevitable
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
How people in Ancient Mesopotamia adapted to flooding with artificial mounds
How that concept can be incorporated in the San Francisco Bay Area and Mississippi River Delta
How that concept is not adaptable in spread out suburbia
Building on elevated terrain in compact pedestrian developments
The All Bay Collective Proposals
Why damming the Golden Gate is not viable
The long term goal of living car free
Underground highways
Retrofitting suburbs into compact villages surrounded by open space
How that model is more sustainable to natural disasters such as wild fires
Yv 88: An Eco-Fiction of Tomorrow and its depiction of a car free Yosemite Valley

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




Robert Stark talks to Giovanni Dannato about Pragmatic Dissidence

aesthetics, Alt Center, Alternative Right, American Culture, Art, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, Brandon Adamson, Calvinism, capitalism, Cities, Class, Conservatives, Corporations, Crime, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Futurism, gentrification, Giovanni Dannato, Healthcare, Human Bio Diversity, Incels, income inequality, Leftism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Literature, Loserdom, Mass Transit, Middle Class, NEETs, New Urbanism, Personality Types, Politics, Post-scarcity economy, Radical Center, Sexuality, social capital, Social Darwinism, Socialism, Third Way Economics, Urbanism, Wealth, welfare state

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giovanni Dannato blogs at Colony of Commodus and is the author of APOSTASY and A Kingdom For the Introvert. Follow Giovanni on Twitter.

Topics:

Giovanni’s New Alt-Dissident Fantasy Fiction
The theme of Heaven and Hell as an analogy for those who are within the system and those outside of it
The importance of creating a cultural vision beyond political policies
Alt-Centrist Scum Will Rise
The importance of focusing on what works over having a rigid ideology
There’s No Power Without “Downward Distribution”
How wealth distribution has a history going back to Ancient Mesopotamia
The flaws of conservative individualism and why people must co-operate as tribes
The limited demographic of conservationism and how to create a broader coalition
Rejecting both Right Wing Social Darwinism and Left Wing Egalitarianism
How to effectively distribute wealth(ex. Smart Socialism and State Capitalism)
How to effectively take care of mediocre people and the “losers” of society
Why economic “handouts” are necessary to gain political support and maintain a functional society
How better urban planning can address economic and class problems
The concept of the urban gene shredder and how to address it
The importance of having a leisure economy for innovation
The need for a specialized economy that utilizes a wide variety of personality types

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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

aesthetics, Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, American Culture, Architecture, Black Culture, California, Cartrell Payne, Cities, Class, Conservatives, Crime, Culture, decentralization, demographics, Donald Trump, Dystopia, Economics, Environment, Falling Down, Film, gentrification, Historic Preservation, Huey Long, Immigration, income inequality, John C. Portman Jr, Las Vegas, Leftism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Los Angeles, Malibu, Market Urbanism, Mass Transit, Middle Class, New Urbanism, New York, Norman Mailer, Oligarchy, Police, Police Brutality, Police Corruption, Police State, Political Parties, Politics, Pornography, Portland, Race Relations, Radical Center, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, SWPL, The Adventure Kid, The American South, Third Way Economics, Twin Peaks, Urbanism, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 talks to Brandon Adamson about Skytrain to Nowhere

1980's, aesthetics, arcology, Art, Brandon Adamson, Culture, Disneyland, Futurism, Las Vegas, Leisure Suit Larry, Literature, Mass Transit, Mid-Century Modern, Mythology, Philosophy, Phoenix, Photography, Poetry, Retro Futurism, Skytrain to Nowhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Brandon Adamson about his new photo essay and collection of poetry Skytrain to Nowhere. Purchase Skytrain to Nowhere in Paperback on Lulu, in eBook PDF, and on Amazon.

Brandon Adamson is a writer who currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been writing since 1995, and his work has appeared in many magazines, blogs and literary journals over the years. Brandon blogs at AltLeft.com.

Topics:

The book is made up of poems resulting from the author’s experiences riding the skytrain at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
How the book was loosely inspired by Keith Gunderson’s A Continual Interest in the Sun and Sea
Brandon’s style and method of writing poetry
How there is very little offensive material in the book compared to previous works
The photographs in the book
How the skytrain doesn’t really go anywhere but an imaginative person will envision potential destinations and explore the possible ways in which this kind of technology could be used
The skytrain as a vehicle for escapism
The airport as the blueprint for self contained cities
Disneyland as also a model for self contained cities
How the author’s fascination with skytrains and monorails originated with trips to Disneyland and Disney World in the 1980’s
The importance of always staying on the move in life and never getting too comfortable
The Retro-Futuristic themes in the book
The Retro-Futurist’s dilemma of wanting to embrace the future while being inspired by nostalgia and having to determine what’s worth holding on to
The poem Treadmill to Neonopolis named after the place in Las Vegas
Mythological references in the book (Atlantis, Icarus, etc)

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




Part I: Robert Stark talks about his Trip to Europe

aesthetics, Alphonse Mucha, Archeofuturism, Architecture, Art, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Austria, Brno, Brutalism, Cities, Communism, Constantin von Hoffmeister, Cuisine, Culture, Czech Republic, demographics, Elections, Europe, European Nationalism, Germany, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, Islam, Islamization, Italy, Karlsruhe, Le Corbusier, Mass Transit, Moscow, Nationalism, Paris, Politics, Prague, Retro Futurism, Russia, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, Switzerland, Travel, Urbanism, Vienna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark joined with Constantin von Hoffmeister discusses his recent trip to Europe. Robert visited the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Topics:

Brno in the Czech Republic where Robert spent most of his time
Brno’s history, architecture, and landmarks including Spielberg Castle, the Cathedral, and Brno Lake
Czech Cuisine and Beer
Communist Architecture
Highway and Rail Transit in the Czech Republic and the need to invest in high speed rail or the hyper-loop
Prague’s centralized City Centre and architecture including Medieval, Art Nouveau, and Brutalism
Buying a Golem in the Jewish Quarter in Prague
Retro Futuristic Radio Towers in Germany and the Žižkov Television Tower in Prague
The Prater Amusement Park in Vienna
The Futuristic Central Train Station in Vienna
How European cities such as Vienna have highrise districts on their outskirts
Le Corbusier’s Plan For Paris
The benefits of mixing old and new architecture
The Medieval street grids of Prague and Brno vs. the Imperial Street grid of Vienna
Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg, Germany near where Constantin is from
Karlsruhe’s City Centre and rebuilt castle that was destroyed in WWII
Meeting Constantin in Riesa in Saxony, Germany
The culture of former East Germany
German dissident politics and the key differences between the National Democratic Party and the Alternative for Germany(AFD)

Click Here to download!

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