THE MATRIX

Another viewing of The Matrix. More questions.

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How is one to view the machine-world "abortion" scene and the subsequent real-world "birth" scene in The Matrix, knowing now that the Wachowskis are both transgender women?

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Wonderland. Oz. The Martian "machines" from H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. Post-apocalyptic wastelands. Late night kung fu flicks. Wild West shootouts at high noon. "Mr. Wizard, get me the hell out of here." (Neo referencing a cartoon from the early 1960s.)

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Thomas Anderson. Thomas = twin. Andro = man. Twin of the Son of Man?

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"Neo" is an anagram of the "One," the first human in the Matrix, the savior who frees the first wave of those from slavery as bio-batteries and into the "promised land" of the "real world" (Zion).

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Belief and doubt.

Morpheus: "It means that the Matrix cannot tell you who you are."

Neo: "But the Oracle can?"

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Tank and Dozer. Brothers born in Zion. They don't have plugs. Yet they are named after machines.

Agent Smith is a sentient program, a machine. Yet he is named after one of the most common English surnames, after a person.

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Morpheus: "And you are?"

Agent Smith: "Smith. Agent Smith."

Morpheus: "You all look the same to me."

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Agent Smith to Morpheus: "You're like the dinosaurs. Look outside. You've had your time."

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Agent Smith to Morpheus on viewing humans not as mammals: "You multiply until every resource is consumed." Comparing us to a virus, disease.

Every time I hear Agent Smith speak these lines, I think of William S. Burroughs and his declaration that language is a virus from outer space. And if language is what (partially?) defines us, then are the statements the same?

7 SEAS

7 Seas Brewing opened up a new Brewery and Tap Room in Tacoma this past week, so The Child and I stopped by for a quick pint of Ballz Deep Double IPA (and an Izze Sparkling Clementine soda) after chalking.

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The Tap Room is wide open and spacious. There is plenty of natural light from windows to the west. There is ample seating scattered throughout the building—stools, tables and benches, couches, chairs.

3uillt (prounounced "Built") provides food. Valhalla Coffee will soon be in the space. You can see downtown from the hill. The Tap Room is located right next door to University of Washington Tacoma.

Kids are welcome, hence TWT being accompanied by The Child.

The Brewery can be viewed from the Tap Room, so you can see beer for a future visit being made. You can also view the kegs currently supplying the taps by peeking in the windows of the walk-in cooler.

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All in all, this is a wonderful space. And, it is in Tacoma's old Heidelberg Brewery building, so it is keeping an historical brewing building operating as it once did in times past.

Cheers!

PELAGIA MORI

"Pelagia Mori (Japetella)" by Troy's Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off for Friday 19 August 2016.

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The inspiration: I've been reading up on Japetella diaphana, a relatively small octopus that lives its entire life in the "middle" of the water column. Other than that, not much is know about it. It differs in many ways from other octopods, and marine biologists are finally starting to research its life cycle, feeding habits, and behavior.

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Things I like about it: Most of its body is translucent, allowing it to "disappear" in the water. That also means that its internal organs and eyes can be seen through its skin. Its mouth is bioluminescent and Japetella can control the intensity of its illumination. The female swims with her eggs tucked up beneath her arms until they hatch, not eating while she tends to getting the eggs to that point.

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In my chalk version: I imagine Japetella drifting about in the vacuum of space, an avatar of Mother (the Cosmic Octopus) hovering over a cosmic spark. Is she tending to its care? Is she about to devour it? Does she carry a bit of it within her already? Is she attracted to it or repulsed by it?

INVERTEBRATES

"Invertebrates" by Troy's Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off for Friday 12 August 2016.

Sidewalk chalk, charcoal, chalk pastels.

Left to right: "Invertebrates I • Chernobyl" and "Invertebrates II • Fukushima."

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I've been reading lately about the effect of nuclear pollution and radiation on invertebrates, which provided the inspiration for these two related pieces. (Reading about nuclear pollution's effects upon the environment is something I am wont to do.)

I read a few articles/studies regarding earthworm procreation in the restricted zone around the Chernobyl disaster.

I read a few articles/studies regarding jellyfish and the way that they are influenced by various nuclear reactors and the way that they influence various nuclear reactors, primarily by jellyfish blooms being sucked into reactor cooling system intake valves and clogging said systems with the slime that their collective bodies create, thus causing reactors to be temporarily shut down.

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These pieces, for me, are a continued exploration that started with "Chemical Weapons."

MY COUSIN TROY BREATHES FIRE

"My cousin Troy breathes fire."

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You're damn right he does!

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About a week ago, my cousin sent me a personal message requesting my mailing address, so I sent it to him.

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While away on vacation, I met a ten-year-old boy who looked very much like I did at that age. I told him so. I called him "Past Troy" and I called myself "Future James*."

Past Troy and Future James had a few conversations throughout the week and there was always this strange feeling that I was talking to another version of myself.

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I also know another boy, age eleven, Meshach*, who lives nearby and looks very much like me at that age, and I oftentimes get the same strange feeling that I am in the presence of an alternate "me" when I am around him.

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In print, I have a fictional alternate version of myself named Raju. He is now in his early 40s and still living in India, working as a painter. (Once a sign painter, he now paints portraits for hire, since the billboard painting industry in India collapsed due to large-scale digital printers.)

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Yesterday, I wondered that if the four of us were actually variants of one another in different streams of time and locations in space which one of the four elements each of us would be. I never came to any definite conclusion, although I assumed that I would be water, and, most likely in its solid form of ice, since I have "appeared in print" as another fictional character, Rikard.

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Today, the pictured sticker arrived in the mail with two other "Cousin Troy" stickers and a t-shirt from a restaurant that I've never been to, from an addressee I didn't know.

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I contacted my cousin and asked him if he was behind the package. He was. He had seen the "Cousin Troy" stickers in a social media group posting and asked his friend who posted the photo to send me a set of the stickers. That friend decided to throw in a t-shirt from his business and send all of it my way.

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I'm still not sure if I'm the element of fire or if it is one of the other three of "me"—James, Meshach, Raju. Who is the "Cousin Troy" in this case? Which one of us really breathes fire?

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* Not their real names.