Category Archives: Walnut Creek CA

Robert Stark discusses his novel Vaporfornia

 Mark Velard, 1980's, aesthetics, Alicia Silverstone, alienation, Alt Center, Andrew Yang, Architecture, Art, Beverly Hills, Black Mirror, Calexit, California, capitalism, Class, Conservatives, Culture, Dan Baltic, David Lynch, demographics, Despair, Donald Trump, dreams, Economics, Environment, Eugenics, Futurism, Gio Pennacchietti, Greg Johnson, Hollywood, humor, Immigration, Incels, income inequality, Internet, IQ, James O'Meara, journalism, Journey to Vapor Island, Liberalism, Literature, Los Angeles, Malls, Matthew Pegas, Media, Michel Houellebecq, Middle Class, Millennials, Morality, Mount Diablo, Mulholland Drive, Multiculturalism, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Neon, Personality Types, Philosophy, Political Correctness, Politics, Psychology, Race Relations, Radical Center, Reno, Retro Futurism, Reviews, Sam Hyde, San Francisco, Science Fiction, Sexuality, social capital, Social Darwinism, Social Isolation, Social Media, social status, Spree Shootings, Surrealism, SWPL, The Black Pill, Travel, Utopia, Vaporfornia, Vaporwave, Virtual Reality, Walnut Creek CA, William S. Burroughs, Yosemite

Robert Stark is joined with Matt Pegas and Dan Baltic to discuss his new novel, Vaporfornia. Vaporfornia is a surreal dark comedy, a coming of age story set in California, and is the sequel to Robert’s first novel, Journey to Vapor Island. This show is a simulcast with Matt and Dan’s dissident, counter-culture, literary podcast, New Write.  Vaporfornia is available for purchase on Lulu publishing. Also check out Matt’s review of Vaporfornia.

Topics:

Contrasting Vaporfornia with Journey to Vapor Island, and how both novels capture the zeitgeists of their respective eras
The niche genre of the satirical moving adventure story
Literary comparisons to a Confederacy of Dunces, William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, Lucky Jim, Voltaire’s Candide, and Gulliver’s Travels
The situational humor and dramatic irony
Vaporfornia as a satire of the themes in Robert’s Substack that delve into California’s social, political, class, and demographic dynamics
Vaporfornia as a travelogue for California
Allegories and symbolism in the book
Saudade, a longing for what could have been or nostalgia for lost futures
Gio Pennacchietti’s video about how Robert’s literary fiction and visual art complement each other
The protagonist’s personal and political journey
The politics of the “Chad Centrist” presidential candidate Roger Blackstone
Whether Robert Stark will run for California Governor or have a Vaporfornia tour some day

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark interviews Futurist Writer Michael Anissimov

2020 Riots, Alternative Right, Anatoly Karlin, Andrew Yang, automation, Barack Obama, Basic Income, Berkeley, Black Lives Matter, California, capitalism, censorship, Cities, Class, coronavirus, Corporations, Culture, democracy, demographics, Diversity, Donald Trump, Dystopia, Economics, Elections, Elon Musk, ethnopluralism, Futurism, Human Bio Diversity, Immigration, income inequality, IQ, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Leftism, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Michael Anissimov, Nationalism, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Peter Nimitz, Political Correctness, Politics, Post-scarcity economy, Race Relations, Russia, San Francisco, Science, Scott Jackisch, Silicon Valley, social capital, Socialism, Suburbia, technology, Transhumanism, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth, Wilderness

Robert Stark interviews futurist writer Michael Anissimov about artificial intelligence, NRx politics, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Michael Anissimov is a San Francisco Bay Area native of White Russian émigré decent now living in Florida. Michael worked for the Singularity Institute where he co-founded the Singularity Summit and is the author of the Idaho Project, A Critique of Democracy: A Guide for Neoreactionaries, Our Accelerating Future: How Superintelligence, Nanotechnology, and Transhumanism Will Transform the Planet, and has an upcoming book on the dissident right. You can also follow Mike on Twitter.

Topics:

Michael’s background, interest in transhumanism and artificial intelligence, and political evolution
Potential impacts of artificial intelligence on inequality and the liberal worldview
Why the post scarcity economy (Fully Automated Luxury Communism) is a long ways away
The Bay Area futurist scene and the Gray Tribe
The demographic and class dynamics of the San Francisco Bay Area
The trend of demographic fragmentation into enclavism/neo-tribalism and end of the mythos of America
The economic strategy of diversity
Thoughts on the election, civil unrest, crackdown on the right, and alt-tech
The politics of acceleration vs. boiling frog theory

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson.

The Starkian Bay Area

Aesthetic Socialism, aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Archeofuturism, Architecture, arcology, Art, Art Deco, Asia, Asian Aryanism, Asian Culture, Baby Boomers, Berkeley, California, capitalism, China, Cities, Class, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, Danville CA, demographics, Diversity, Economics, Environment, ethnopluralism, Frank Lloyd Wright, Futurism, gentrification, Hipsters, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, income inequality, John C. Portman Jr, Lafayette CA, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Marin County, Mass Transit, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Millennials, Mount Diablo, Multiculturalism, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Neon, New Urbanism, New York, Oakland, Orinda CA, overdevelopment, Pilleater, Political Correctness, Politics, Prison, Race Relations, Retro Futurism, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, social capital, Suburbia, SWPL, The Gospel of Gibson, Travel, Urbanism, Utopia, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth, welfare state, Wilderness, Zoning

Robert Stark and Matt Pegas discuss their trip to the San Francisco Bay Area over the last Labor Day weekend, their past trips in 2018 (extended segment: 20 minutes in), and how the Bay Area relates to Alt-Urbanism and cultural, aesthetic, societal, and Alt-Center political themes from the show.

Topics:

Observations of the impact of the pandemic including an increase in homelessness
Why the Bay Area is the center of the Gray Tribe political sphere
The degree to which there is a unique and authentic regional culture and aesthetic
The John C. Portman designed Embarcadero Center, concept of Interior Urbanism, and how Portman was unique in that he was both an artistic visionary and a capitalist
The impact of wealth on aesthetics
The magic of travel and appreciating the tourist traps
San Francisco Neon
The Bay Area’s Geography, microclimates, and urban layout
Wilderness locations including Mount Diablo, Tilden Regional Park, Alpine and Bon Tempe Lakes in Marin, and the region’s extensive Greenbelts
Unique attributes of the Bay Area suburbs of Marin County, Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo, and Danville, Ski-Lodge Urbanism, and Retrofitting The Aesthetically Pleasing Suburb
Bay Area demographics trends
Does California need a rightest version of Multiculturalism?

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island.

Robert Stark and Matt Pegan discuss the Nationwide Civil Unrest

2020 Riots, American Culture, Anarcho Tyranny, Andrew Yang, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, Beverly Hills, Black Lives Matter, California, Cities, Class, Conservatives, coronavirus, Corporations, Crime, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, income inequality, Leftism, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Media, Neoliberalism, New York, Oligarchy, Police, Police Brutality, Police Corruption, Police State, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, social capital, Social Justice Warriors, Suburbia, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matt Pegan discuss the civil unrest that has occurred over the past week and the social and political ramifications. Note the show was recorded on June 3rd. Follow Matt on Twitter.

Topics:

The economic crisis due to the pandemic
How economic despair combined with identity grievance culture created a perfect storm
How in crisis people reject civility and revert to their base instincts and polarized narratives
Virtue signaling from Woke Capital
The relationship between bourgeois liberalism and the far left(see Opinion poll based on income)
How the civil unrest is a shock to many but shows the long time social breakdown of our society
How this hits close to home for Matt as an LA resident
How, unlike in past riots, looting was in wealthier areas such as LA’s Westside and Midtown Manhattan
Unrest spreads to Bay Area suburbs
How the pandemic made it hard to jail looters
Narratives about law enforcement
Trump’s handling of the crisis, and how he’s in the worst possible situation
Comparisons with past media narratives when dealing with right wing extremism
How the worst of rioting has been quelled but we could see long term urban decay

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram




Alt Urbanism: Retrofitting The Aesthetically Pleasing Suburb

aesthetics, Architecture, California, Cities, Class, Culture, Danville CA, Eco-Cities, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lafayette CA, Mount Diablo, New Urbanism, Orinda CA, Richard Register, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Sonja Trauss, Suburbia, Urbanism, Utopia, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth, Wilderness, Zoning

By Robert Stark: Originally Published on Alt of Center

There has been a growing movement within the New Urbanist scene to retrofit car-oriented suburbs. There is even an excellent book on the subject titled Retrofitting Suburbia by Ellen Dunham-Jones. The book focuses primarily on retrofitting aesthetically unappealing, car-oriented suburbs that were built in the 2nd half of the 20th Century.

Despite opposition from suburban NIMBYs this idea makes practical and aesthetic sense. Your typical American suburban commercial thoroughfare is lined with ugly strip malls with massive parking lots that are aesthetically unappealing, ecologically unsustainable, and unfriendly to pedestrians. The safety of pedestrians is rarely secured. It really should come as no surprise that law firms like lamber goodnow are often required to assist pedestrians who have been struck by cars in these areas.
Continue reading Alt Urbanism: Retrofitting The Aesthetically Pleasing Suburb →

Robert Stark interviews DECAY about Politics & Urbanism

1980's, 80's music, aesthetics, Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, American Culture, Architecture, arcology, Basic Income, Berkeley, Brandon Adamson, California, capitalism, Cities, City-State System, Culture, DECAY, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Environment, Futurism, gentrification, Healthcare, Immigration, Italian Futurism, Lafayette CA, Leftism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Malls, Mass Transit, Meta Politics, misanthropy, Monterey CA, Music, Nationalism, New Retro Wave, New Urbanism, New York, Oakland, Orinda CA, Overpopulation, Political Correctness, Politics, Retro Futurism, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Socialism, South Africa, Space Travel, Suburbia, Synthwave, technology, The Black Pill, Third Way Economics, Traditionalism, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wilderness

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 interviews Architect Adam Mayer

1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, Adam Mayer, aesthetics, Architecture, arcology, Art Deco, Asia, Brutalism, California, Chicago, China, Cities, Culture, Environment, Historic Preservation, income inequality, James Howard Kunstler, John C. Portman Jr, Lafayette CA, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Gatos CA, Malls, Mass Transit, Mid-Century Modern, Mount Diablo, New Urbanism, Orinda CA, Postmodernism, Retro Futurism, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Sonja Trauss, Suburbia, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth, Wilderness, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Mayer is an architect based out of San Francisco. Check out his Twitter, Instagram, 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

Click Here to download!

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




San Francisco Bay Area Trip Photo Album

aesthetics, Architecture, Art Deco, Cities, Culture, FM-84, John C. Portman Jr, Lafayette CA, Mount Diablo, Neon, New Retro Wave, Oakland, Orinda CA, Photography, San Francisco, Skyscrapers, Travel, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wilderness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Album includes:

Mount Diablo
Walnut Creek
Lafayette
Orinda
The Caldecott Tunnel
Oakland
The Bay Bridge
The Downtown Skyline
Alamo Square
Lombard Street
Coit Tower
Fort Mason
The Palace of Fine Arts
Nob Hill
The Fairmont Hotel
North Beach
Fisherman’s Wharf & Ghirardelli Square
The Mission District
The FM-84 Concert at the DNA Lounge
The John C. Portman designed Embarcadero Center
The under construction Transbay Transit Terminal
Union Square
The SF Chronicle Building
The Tenderloin

Check out Robert Stark’s podcast and album from his last is trip to the San Francisco Bay Area
Check out Robert Stark’s Artwork




Continue reading San Francisco Bay Area Trip Photo Album →

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

Click Here to download!

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