Dear Readers, this
issue is the 8 Door issue. Each door has something behind it - may be art,
news, an essay, or a bit of fiction. See
what's behind door number....
***
Door 1. SIDE DOOR (cover art)
This is the side door of my dream house, and
my new website! (See #4 Door below.)
***
Door 2. GOODBYE TO THE INWOOD
When I went to apply for job at the Inwood Theater, I thought it would be temporary work that
could cover expenses while I worked on my music, paintings, and writings. That temporary job lasted from 1990 - 2014!
The Inwood is a
beautiful Dallas theater that opened on May 16th 1947. It is now one of the
oldest movie theaters left in town. In the lobby it has celebrated murals with
a sea theme, by Perry Nichols, one of the Dallas Nine. When I first began as an
usher, we had ash trays in the lobby, and one of our jobs was to imprint a fish
in the sand with a plastic mold, after we cleaned it.
Back in 1947, The Inwood,
was a single theater with a balcony. It grew to a main theater downstairs, and
two smaller ones upstairs, where the balcony used to be. Owners also added,
during occasional renovations, a stylish bar in the lobby.
After a few years I was down to a
consistent 3-day schedule in the box office. Regular customers began to recognize
me and I them. I outlasted about 10 managers, and 100 times that many
employees.
I liked working the box office - though it
could be too cold in the winter (we only had a space heater) and too hot in the
summer (the AC seldom reached the glass booth.)
There were turning points and high
moments. I met and talked with actress Morgan Fairchild - what a pleasant and
charming beauty she was! I wasn't there,
but when David Byrne visited, fellow employees said I looked like him, and they
got his autograph for me. And, I was
there when Robert Redford checked out the theater and bar to see if he wanted
to buy the place and the Landmark Theater chain.
Personally, there were a couple of big
beginnings for me that started at the Inwood.
The first was the beginning of this zine Musea. The early 90's may well have been the high point of
the desktop publishing revolution and the golden age of the zine revolution. I
saw what was going on from other writers and wanted to start my own zine. Mine
would cover the arts with the object of supporting the best of indie arts and
opposing the abuses of corporate arts. The first copies of issue #1 of Musea were
first displayed in the lobby of the Inwood Theater.
From 1992 - 2013 anyone could find the latest monthly issue of my zine at the Inwood.
The next big turning point came about because I was bored during my shifts. Before the movies we, ticket sellers, were busy, but while the movies were playing, very little was going on. In 1996 I asked the then manager David Kimball, if I could bring my standard guitar (Pet Dog Guitar) into the glass booth of the box office and play during the slow times during my shift. At that time the Inwood was pretty liberal business for Dallas, and they encouraged such innovations. He said yes, and the Box Office Concerts began.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday nights I would
play two shows of about 30-45 minutes each. Over the years, I developed the
150+ song set list that turned into my ten year recording project, and tin box
set (See next door.) AND it got a lot of local and national press for both me
and the Inwood; plus, there were some exciting photo
shoots of me playing in the box, from some fine photographers.
Sometimes during my shift, I would be
asked to train new employees for the box office. I liked it - that broke the
routine. I did it so much that I soon had three fun stories that I told each
one. Here they are: (and really each one of these is true!)
1. Customer asks me "Is there a
Starbucks nearby?" I say, "Yes. Go left about 3 stores to the Gap and
you'll see it across the driveway." Customer asks, "Is there one
closer?"
2. Two customers are in line. The woman in
front asks what's playing for the midnight movie. I tell her. Then she asks,
"When does it start?" I'm
trying to keep a straight face, but the guy behind her, is doubled up laughing.
He almost falls down.
3. Guy comes up and asks me, "What's
the loo-gee?" I said, "I don't
know." Then he points to the bar
and the neon sign above the door, "LOUNGE".
Finally this story. Customer comes to the
box and wants a refund, smells gas. I give him his money back and call for a
manager. I tell him, "a Customer smells
gas in #1" (big theater downstairs). He goes to check it out. Smells something.
Calls gas company. They tell him to stop the movie and get all the people out.
He does. Then, when everyone is gone, he opens the two exit doors to air it
out. Parked in the alley next to one of
the doors is a truck idling with a couple making out, with their smoking
exhaust pipe, pointed right at one of the back doors, and pouring gas through
the cracks! They got a big lecture.
Luckily no one was hurt, and it all turned out ok.
***
Door 3. MUSIC STREAMING AND BOXED IN
TIN
January 2015 is the official release of my
10 year, 9 cd, 150 song, outside the box, - whew that's a lot to get in there -
music project! You can either listen for
free, or purchase any specific song, or cd, on line at all the main music
sites. OR you can buy the special HUNKASUARUS AND HIS PET DOG GUITAR, 'OUTSIDE
THE BOX' , set.
It has all 9 cd's, all the story on how it
was made, AND more. I even made a video
about how the tin set looks, what happens when you open it up, and what you'll
find inside. The video, about the tin, that holds all the music; is one of 73 videos
at my YouTube channel. Just search:
"Tom Hendricks + Hunkasaurus"
Give the videos a thumbs up and a nice
comment too! That would help a lot.
Don't forget the original hunkasaurus.com.
That has all the music too.
I expect one of two responses from the general public in the months to come,
1. This is a world's first in music,
Wow! This is a big deal and some good
music! OR
2. Who cares? Yawn!... Time will tell.
***
Door 4. HOME SCHEMATICS
Right now I have 3 sites on the web plus a
youtube channel = 4 total. That is too many with too
much, too scattered. I want to consolidate all that into one grand site. What I
hope to do is set up a single website that houses them all.
And speaking of houses, some Musea readers may remember issue #140, The Dream House
issue, where I had the zine equivalent of open house on an imaginary, 9 story
house that was also an /office/theater/museum/ gallery/workshop/cafe/etc.. That issue takes the reader through a schematic of every
floor, and all the rooms from basement up through the master bedroom and beyond
to the lookout room at the top of the tower.
I hope to reproduce these 9 floor
schematics for the main content pages for the new site. There will even be elevator buttons on the
side to give you a digital lift, and take you to the floor you want. Then the site visitor can click on the room
that he wants.This in turn will lead
him to the content he wants; music, writings, art, film, etc..
Summary: click on the room you want, and see the contents connected with that
room.
Readers will then be able to get all their
Musea-ness from this one big house in the cloud(s)!
Right now I have:
A. MUSEA.US, my site for all issues of
this zine, Musea (about 200) plus Musea
guides to the arts (see the 100 year, year-by-year coverage of best films for
example).
B. HUNKASAURUS.COM, my site for all the
music (9cds, 150 songs, and info)
C. MUSEA.WORDPRESS.COM, my blog with
thousands of weekly updates to it all.
D. (Youtube.com) TOMHENDRICKSMUSEA, 73 short
videos on all the arts, etc...
***
Door 5. SCI-FI NOVELLA / (booklet?)
Look for my first streaming novel being
posted soon. Title:LIBRARY PLANET,
Download it and read it at most all major book sites such as iBooks, Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Copia,
Bookbaby, etc.
Library Planet is a sci-fi adventure, a
gothic tale of suspense, a mystery, a quest, a romance, and a thousand
libraries to house them in - a story so vast it requires a LIBRARY PLANET!
Though it is a complete short novel in
itself, Library Planet is also an excerpt from a longer work in progress titled
'Writings In Science.'
The premise of 'Writings in Science' is
this:
Millions of years from now the Earth is
dying and in the rush to flee the planet, 1 man collects his favorite 'writings
in science' to preserve Earth's legacy.
"Imagine, like I did, a time in the
future/ close to the end of a dying sun/ when we are now preparing to leave/
this our home for other worlds./ What will we take when we leave? - signed
"I".
For us the reader, he has assembled a
'history of the future'.
Two recent issues of this zine, previewed and summarized some of those 'Writings in Science. - The history of the future
Part 1. PART ROBOT, ALL HUMAN (Musea #187)
Part 2: AT EVERY LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY, NEW PROPERTIES EMERGE (#188)
PS, Library Planet was first published as
a Musea extra in the summer of 2004. Readers, if you have a copy - that is
somewhat rare - hold on to it!
***
Door 6. WORKERS
NATIONAL UNION / THEATER WORKERS
The gulf between the rich and poor seems
to be growing faster than the economy. Workers have never had less leverage
than now. That's why I have suggested
the idea of a NATIONAL WORKERS UNION for workers, based on the AARP model for
seniors. The organization would advocate for all workers.
Getting a union started for a specific
industry, or keeping it going once it is started is tough. It takes courage to
join, and there is always the chance of losing your job. That's really hard on
those with families to support or living from paycheck to paycheck.
So for what it is worth: Workers, all
workers, maybe it's time to act together, in a way that protects all. Maybe it's
time for a National Worker's Union. Here's how it would work. No
matter what your job is, all workers in the country, could join by sending in
$1 or donation, for annual dues. For that money the workers would set up a
group of lobbyists to lobby congress for worker's rights in all
industries. And if the worker/member
requested it, he/she would get updates on progress through the net or mail.
This national workers union, can be set up quickly and it bypasses all the
struggle and outright danger that most unions have to face. Overall it would be
a lot like AARP (that has 37 million members) but it would advocate for workers
instead of seniors. Here's my blog link for more info.
http://musea.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/workers-dollar-union-suggestion-box/
***
Next let's talk about some specific workers, theater workers. This is a job that I have decades of experience in.
For some reason no media will talk about
theater workers; yet they are one of the 8 lowest paid workers in the country,
and have all the problems that workers at Walmart, or McDonalds have. Plus
theater workers work every night, weekend, and holiday!
Hollywood producers, directors, stars (and
theater owners) are all well paid.
When people used to come up to the box
office at the Inwood Ticket Booth, and complain to me
about the high ticket prices, I would reply, "Thank goodness all that money is
going to me and none to the Hollywood Stars!" They would laugh. Well it's funny because it's just the opposite, and
everyone knows it. That is one reason for the high movie ticket prices - film
companies get most of the ticket sales, so theaters have to depend on
concessions sales - and everything they sell becomes sky high expensive for
you.
But Hollywood doesn't own the theaters
right? Blame theater owners, right?
Hollywood used to own both the films and
the theaters, but they were forced to give it up - U.S. trustbusting in
1948! But only a lawyer would argue that
they don't control theaters today. Hollywood says all theaters have to
be digital or no new films - and they can do it. That's direct control over
every theater.
Then too why would anyone in Hollywood or
the film industry, condone the lowest wages allowed by law, for workers in
their own backyard, for any reason? These same actors often go out of their way
to support good causes, but then they make many of their millions off the low
wages of theater workers!
They walk the red carpet, but sweep us
under it!
If actors spoke out, it would change, if
directors spoke out it would change. If theater owners spoke out for a more
equitable share of ticket sells, they would be blocked by Hollywood film
companies that have all the clout, and it would NOT change. Could the theater
owners pay better? Probably - billionaire Mark Cuban, who owns the Inwood and the Landmark national chain of theaters, is one
for example. But there won't be any industry wide change until Hollywood gets
involved too. Where is one actor that will support theater workers?
***
Door 7.SCIENCE: Four-Finger Tree / Sleep / More Z's / The
Origin Of Life
I love to walk. One route I like to go on,
goes by a giant oak that I call the Four Finger Tree. The trunk rises up about
7 feet, then divides to four major branches that continue up another 30 feet or
so. When I walked by this tree, I also noticed that at eye level there is a
small, cut out, square piece of bark, about 3/4" square and a quarter of
an inch deep in the trunk. The gash
stands out from the other gray bark with a more yellow tan wood color - the
color of a tree freshly stripped of its bark.
I don't know how it got there, but it must
be man made because it is an exact square shape - the
shape that someone would have carved in the tree using a knife.
Being somewhat superstitious, I always touch
this button on the tree for good luck when I pass it. So it went for years.
One day I was passing the tree, and the
tree cut out square was gone.
Wait a minute, I say to myself. Trees
don't heal. I looked and looked but it was gone - all the tree bark was the
same mottled gray blotches of bark sticking out on a slightly darker gray
background bark - the usual oak trunk....
No really, trees don't heal, I say to
myself until I'm convinced. I can't let this go, I can't go on. I've got to
figure this out. What is going on?
I look and look and it's all bark. This
goes on for about a full minute or two. Remember this is eye level, and my eyes
are no more than 6" from where the cut out should be....
After minutes, the only - and I mean only - thing that stands out in any way, is a black dash about this size --
Taking it as the only clue I got, I
investigate further...
Finally I see it!
The black "--" is a leg, The leg is attached to a moth. The moth has wings that so
exactly match the bark, that it took about 3 total minutes of looking straight
at it before I could see it.
This is one extraordinary moth! It was about 2-3 inches long and 3/4"
wide. And it had decided to land exactly in the cut out square. The indention helped the illusion, and what
an illusion it was.
I've read of creatures adapting well to
their environments to avoid predators - but this was beyond basic bio. This was
extraordinary. This was to the Nth degree.
Once I saw it, I studied it. The color was
the same assortment of shades of gray. The pattern was the same as the oak, and
had he tucked his black foot under his wing, I would never have seen him.
Nature you are amazing - descriptions in books can't match or even come close
to what you do out there! We have much to learn from you!
...
"Hypotheses may often be of service to
science, when they involve a certain portion of incompleteness, and even of
error.-William Whewell.
For many years I have been working on
science ideas about - among other things -why we sleep, and the origin of life.
These very speculative, biological ideas are my own as far as I know. Time will
tell which if any will be proven correct.
***
Why do we sleep? My latest
suggestion is that NREM is glymph cleaning for mostly
the cerebrum, our top brain. And during
this sleep time, most cerebrum activities are reduced. And REM is glymph cleaning for mostly the brain stem, limbic system,
and perhaps the cerebellum - the other parts of the brain. And during these sleep periods most of the
activities connected to those parts of the brain are reduced or altered. Many facts seem to fit, and it can be tested
to see if it is valid.
...
Zzzzzz (Z contest)
Solve the code and decipher the message on
this page. I do have one clue for you and here it is: Look at the code on this
page. It's been years and no one has
even submitted an answer! (I've also raised the prize to $100)
Z.Z--z..ZZZz-zzZz--z.zzZz-zz--zz
Z-ZZZZ-..-Z-.--zzz.Z.--zzz-zzzz--.zz..Z
.--zz.Z..zZ.z-zZ.Zzz.Z.Z-Z-z.Z.ZzZz
z.z--..ZzZZzZ..Z-ZzZZ-.z.Z.Z.Zz--.-Z-..-z
zzzZ.--...ZZzZz.z.-.z.zzz.ZZZ-z-.z--z
..zzzz.z-zz.Z-..ZZ.--z.Z.z---zz.Z..Zz-z.Z
-z-z.ZzZZz.Z-..Z..-zz.zZZ.Z-ZZzZ..Z
.zzzz..-.zz.Z-zZz.Z-..z-zzZZzzZZ
.z--.-zz.ZZzzZZzZz-.zZZ.z--...zZ
***
OOL, Origin of Life, is surely one of our greatest
science puzzles. Perhaps this quote of mine may help to break the impasse:
Life, the origin of life, is more likely
to start if it had a 99% chance of starting; then if it had a 1% of starting.
So most likely the OOL was 99% likely, not 1%.
For me the turning point to the study of
the OOL, is that life is not a fluke, but the most stable chemical reaction to
the environment. Though this proves nothing, it may adjust the mindset in OOL
investigation that now seems stuck in a rut!
***
Door 8 (Back Door). COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
I think, if I gave a commencement speech,
I would point at the students and start laughing in a cackling sort of way; cause I know life is not always dreams come true, rainbows
after a storm, and good cheers for all.
My speech would say in
one-point-and-laugh, "We'll you're in for it now!"
Your parents don't go easy, your children
have ideas of their own that you'll never understand, you'll be stuck with
others you can't stand, and somehow loose the ones you love.
You'll wonder why that boss is a boss,
things will cost more and still break, and you'll be betrayed and they won't be
sorry.
A few dreams may indeed come true, but
you'll most likely be busy and miss them,
you'll grow to hate
being alone, then get used to it, and you'll make mistakes that will haunt you
like ghosts.
And, should you somehow survive all that,
you'll preach to others how good life was, with a straight face, and not be
truly sure if you are right or just tired.
***
Musea is: Tom Hendricks
4000 Hawthorne #5 Dallas Texas 75219
tom-hendricks@att.net
Musea.us (zine)// hunkasaurus.com
(music)// musea.wordpress.com (blog)
The
8 DOORS Issue Musea #195 Feb/Mar/Apr (c) Tom
Hendricks 2015