thenextwave

Testing, testing. First video transmission. "There is only today."

(Best with sound on.)

@duaneking cast this quote by David Bowie, which I've quote cast here, and unlocked a forgotten memory for me.

I once visited an exhibit of Bowie's personal archive in 2018 at the Brooklyn Museum. I searched my camera roll for photos from the exhibit. But I was so engrossed I only took three photos:

1. A page of my journal that day where I scribbled down a recording of David Bowie speaking aloud. I'll get back to this in a moment.

2. Young Bowie eating the world like an apple.

3. Cherry blossoms on that late spring day in New York. Funny how I remembered visiting the exhibit in July, until I checked the date.

4. Bonus: Not from my camera roll, but from a preview of the exhibit I found online. In the 1970s, Bowie used this word cut-up technique as “a tool of writing to promote a new perspective.” These lyrics are for his song “Blackout” from the album “Heroes.”

I'd been happily offline for years when I began looking for a virtual residence for /thenextwave. I landed like an alien here and decided to stay on planet Farcaster simply because, whenever I scrolled, I'd come away with new ideas and new energy.

The casts from you all appear daily in various arrangements. Cut-up words. Fragments of our collective consciousness - the good, the bad, the ugly - arranged and presented. Together they "feed" my mind.

All words plant seeds in us. Sometimes they grow quickly and obviously. Other times they grow so slowly we forget about them, which is the case for me in this instance.

Now, back to photo 1. I told you I'd get back to this. Imagine my surprise reading this text and recognizing this small seed. It was written with such urgency you may not be able to read my handwriting, so:

WE NOW HAVE A YOUNG GENERATION WHO ARE HAVING TO SURF THE CHAOS, SCANNING THEIR WAY THROUGH EVENTS AND IMAGES, READING LIFE FROM ITS SURFACE.

THERE SEEMS TO BE NO TIME TO DEVELOP DEPTH. HISTORY IS NOW AN ILLUSION. THEREFORE THEORETICALLY A FUTURE NO LONGER EXISTS. THERE IS ONLY TODAY.

This is my experiment by the ocean, in Bowie's words.

Another transmission, in another format, is coming soon. Thank you for reading, and remembering, and surfing the next wave with me.

Building a little space at /thenextwave and watching everything on /videolab.

Inspired by:

https://farcaster.xyz/patriciaxlee.eth/0x8e0c55b6

Design director working on AI hardware. One foot in the board room, one on the street. moonshot.ooo

I am honored, Patricia. I enjoy your posts as well.

Your content's one of my faves on Farcaster. It has that effect often.

This is lovely! How nice to see a spark turn into a flame! So happy that I was able to remind you of it via Bowie too. This is kinda why I love the internet tbh. Magic.

trying to adult 🐝 cornell junior 💪 20 yr old summer in upstate ny 🌱 i cook, eat, video edit & onboard ppl on dis app 🦔

oh??? i’ve never even heard of that event damn. where did y get the photograph? / why is it important to u, if at all ?

Wow, you picked up on a very subtle detail ("post apocalyptic"). You can hardly see it, but the antique photograph I show to you inside the stereoscope is from the destruction of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. It shows "refugees" of the city in Fort Mason. It's an event that fascinates me because it's so difficult to imagine today.

Also, thanks for watching. :)

this is so post apocalyptic there’s smth strangely magnetic about it!!!

👀👀 exciting stuff!! looking forward to it!

Thanks for watching. 🫶 

Also, you inspired me to try some interactive videos out in the field (in my own weird style, as I'm not as funny as you). Coming soon.

Thanks Bert! I think I'm going to try out this format for daily video dumps this month while I get the hang of 9:16.

Transmission received (and might I say, it’s lovely!)

Hello, I'm M. Just basically vibes and chill here.