Friday, October 14, 2011

Uh Excuse Me...

I am not dead, but the night is still young. The rabbit hole presented some unexpected dangers.

AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT THIS GUY!- http://therevelationwillnotbetelevised.blogspot.com/

Cease and desist you naughty boy.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Beatles Book

Over the past few weeks, (when your rotten chronicler was going through a crisis of epic proportions) two new installments of the Rotten Apple subscription series arrived. The reduction in quantity is more than made up by the quality of these latest efforts, which focus on the Beatles Book monthly. Imagine a trippy, yet coherent themed Rotten Apple production and you'll have an idea of "TheStudyCloud - Beatles Book (1963 - 1969)" and "TheStudyCloud - BeatleMonthlyTwo."

Like many U.S. fans, my first knowledge of the Beatles Monthly was when some issues were shown on the White Album Poster.



The original Beatles Monthly was published from August 1963 through December 1969. Seeing those 1967-era Beatles faces on the covers was pretty exciting for those of us who wanted nothing to do with those girlie fan magazines where you had to look at pictures of Bobby Sherman and Dino, Desi and Billy before you would find a Beatle. The Monthly was endorsed by Brian Epstein and featured numerous articles credited to Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans.

The first video explores, among other things, the magazine's curious practice of putting fake mustaches on pictures of the fabs presumably to make earlier pictures appear to be from 1967. This topic has been researched quite well in the "Nothing Is Real" discussion group.



Presumably this deception on the part of the Beatles Book was a practical matter due to the Beatles' recent change of appearance and the shortage of contemporary pictures. In fact it doesn't seem significant at all really. I thought it was the dumbest thing in the world when Rotten Apple 12 featured "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" backwards. Although the words "It was a fake mustache" were more understandable than most of the backwards "clues," it didn't seem to have anything to do with the Paul Is Dead rumors.

To my knowledge, no one before Iamaphoney ever implied any significance to the "fake mustache." But then it occurred to me that maybe there is more to this fake mustache thing than meets the mouth. There was the brief moment in the promo for "A Day In the Life" when Paul appeared to really have a fake mustache.



And why would the Sgt. Pepper album include bonus cut-outs that included a fake mustache? And wasn't it weird that all four Beatles decided to sport mustaches at the very same time? That always seemed a bit juvenile to me.



The second video release three weeks later, consisted of a minute and a half of disconnected items from the pages of the Beatles Monthly. Beginning with pictures of the Beatles skiing doubles from "Help!" chronicled on the pages of the magazine and then moving into a weird little blurb about, of all things, the Twin Peppers.



The Twin Peppers were two copies of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album which supposedly contained special clues when synced together. This was a rather difficult thing to test. As the story goes, the "Twin Peppers" were found in the Berlin Suitcase allegedly dropped by the key character in the Rotten Apple Series, generally referred to these days as The Phoney Figure (TPF). Recordings of two scratched up copies of Sgt. Pepper were available for download for a while and purported to be the copies found in the Iamaphoney suitcase. Yeah, this sounded like a valuable way for me to spend my time. But I have to admit, that I was impressed to see that The famous Beatles Monthly reported that prior to the release of the album, two copies of it were stolen. So, if we can believe that two copies of the Sgt. Pepper album were created with special clues, and those very two copies of the Sgt. Pepper album were stolen prior to its release, and those very two copies ended up in the hands of Iamaphoney several decades later, and those very two copies were placed in a suitcase and left in Berlin, and those very two copies were found in that suitcase by someone who was familiar enough with the Rotten Apple series to report it to someone who was well schooled in all things Iamaphoney-related, and those very two copies were placed on the web for download, then yes, we have something here.



Then the video goes on to some Thelema images with an attempt to connect them with Arthur Dooley’s curious "Four Lads Who Shook The World" sculpture in Liverpool. This is made even more confusing when one reads the description of "TheStudyCloud - BeatleMonthlyTwo" as presented unlisted on YouTube. It says, "doubles, twin peppers and wings." Is Iamaphoney implying that there is a connection between Thelema, the "Four Lads That Shook The World" sculpture and Wings? I think he is.



Now, what does it mean?

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Subscription Issue #2

Wooh, I'm feeling like Derek Taylor writing the liner notes to "Pussycats." Sorry, I have not been around due to personal and professional commitments. But, I do intend to keep writing this blog as long as it continues to save lives. Oh my dear stars. I am living in a nether nether world. Sorry Gloria.

With apologies, I must note that the second installment of the Iamaphoney subscription series surprised me in some ways. My impression was that the first avalanche was intended to be a jump start for subscribers, but I thought after that, I would just be paying for new Rotten Apple episodes. Imagine my reaction to the unexpected digital truckload of stuff that appeared in the Private Cloud restricted area of the ARE3RA web site.

As hinted at previously, it looks like the plan was to include subscribers in the "inner circle" to some degree. The "raw evidence" is being presented so that we can do our own research and come to our own conclusions, as long as we are willing to turn over our free will when the time comes. So, the second installment included independently produced features shared to subscribers For Research Purposes Only. One item in particular that I will not name was a relatively recent commercial release. That item gets my vote for the stupidest entry in the "Paul Is Dead" genre. That, along with a certain book that reads like a bad term paper cause me to scratch my head and ask why these things can be in stores when Iamaphoney is relegated to YouTube and Vimeo. Other supporting documents included a film that gives insight into who buried Paul McCartney and made Russ Gibb freak, a compilation of Crowley moments, and Brian MoriARTy's "Who Buried Paul" lecture (Sorry, couldn't resist).



But it doesn't stop there. One of the most interesting features was about two minutes of Victor Spinetti interview footage. Unlike the Emilio Lari footage, I can't say that this can be considered raw or unedited. It appears to be deliberately edited to correspond to the Iamaphoney agenda, but it's still quite fun to watch.



One other item is the fourth "oldies" compilation in documentary format. Much of this footage was pulled from YouTube at one point, but then uploaded by others.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was satisfied with this second installment of the subscription series. We'll see where it goes from here.

A couple other videos of interest have appeared on YouTube recently.

Grandfather Aleister is back with Helter Skelter 2011 - Part 1. You can find it by clicking the link or following the hand signals of your third base coach.

And for those obsessed with the life of one Arron Swaffar, we have Project Consciousness: 02 My journey so far. He really seems to want to slip you the answer.

I'm afraid I must go. You have the rest of your lives, but I have an hour to catch a plane. Happy New Year.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

An Unnecessary Evil?

Recently, one reader eloquently offered a third explanation (I think we are way beyond the number 3, but I get the point) for the motives behind The Rotten Apple Series by drawing parallels between ART and Magick. Iamaphoney has offered several videos that seem to suggest that Paul McCartney was involved in the occult. But I think it is fair to say that Iamaphoney's videos don't appear to be from a perspective of one who is outraged that Paul McCartney or his "just a good replica" would be a practitioner of "Magic with a K." In fact, Iamaphoney seems to embrace Thelema and Aleister Crowley himself to a certain degree. I have been repeatedly given warnings with peace and love about the time and energy I have spent promoting and analyzing Iamaphoney and his Rotten Apple videos. Is it possible that Iamaphoney is not really going after Paul McCartney, but is instead using Paul McCartney to go after us? Is Iamaphoney using me and you to spread a belief in Thelema? I find that to be a humorous thought because we are not that big of a group, and I have personally not seen a shred of evidence that suggests that any two people who visit this site can agree on anything (and that includes subscribing to the same anti-religion). Of course, I was the guy who was criticized recently for suggesting that we all go out for pizza. That was actually a face saving measure that I employed after Iamafunny let that cat out of the bag. [Is that the "face saving" thing that you were talking about Rian? I'm still a fan of yours]

But this is not the first time that someone has suggested that watching Rotten Apple videos can be bad for you. There have been stories about sigil magic, mind control, and some reasonable concerns, unfortunately often leading to illogical leaps and unfounded conclusions by others. I admit, that in order for Iamaphoney to be a guilty pleasure for me, there must be some guilt. But, I don't think that all of the Rotten Apple videos together are nearly as bad for my soul as the movie "Satan's Bed" starring Yoko Ono, which I watched recently for "research purposes." And I don't think that Iamaphoney has done nearly as much harm to Paul McCartney's reputation as people like Heather Mills and even Yoko Ono.

If Rotten Apple videos are causing you to have anxiety-producing dreams or unwanted thoughts, please don't watch them. The reactions to the Trilogy of long form Iamaphoney videos lead me to believe that people are not sitting in front of Rotten Apple videos all day long. I started this blog because I was intrigued by the sudden transformation of amateur videos into something so polished that some even believed McCartney himself was involved. Thelema Schmelema, I got pulled in by the prospect of finding out more about the four ARTists that I have adored collectively and individually since I first heard "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

But the argument that was presented suggesting that "ART = Magick" is certainly worth exploring. I agree that "The Rotten Apple" and "The Right Album" and other curious capitalizations within words beginning with T, R, or A suggest that the Iamaphoney is intentionally referring to the backwards spelling of the word "ART." ART does seem to be the way that souls communicate. And ART certainly does influence people's thoughts, emotions and actions. This is an example of a video that was created for the purpose of influencing people. Is this Magick?



There is no question in my mind that ART has power and can manipulate. But that doesn't make it evil. But could ART be used for evil? I knew as soon as I started using money that ART was trying to influence me to spend it. I knew as soon as I started making my own ART that I would have to make unwanted compromises if I wanted to share my ART with others. Is that the kind of evil we are talking about? Believe me, playing in a cover band or writing songs to order is a little bit like selling your soul to the devil.

Is it really possible that Paul is into Magick? Most reasonable people would say of course not, but what do reasonable people know? I had the pleasure of meeting a reasonable person recently named Ken Mansfield.



Ken was the guy wearing the white raincoat on the Apple rooftop during the Beatles final live performance as a group. He ran the American branch of Apple Records, worked with the Beatles from 1965 onwards, led a promotional tour for Apple artist Jackie Lomax, became a major record producer for several artists including Outlaws Waylon, Willie and Jessi, assembled Ringo's band for the "Time Takes Time" album (without credit), hit rock bottom, re-emerged as a Christian and wrote three terrific books that he autographed for me.



Ken is often invited by churches to share his testimony of how despite having all of the advantages one would expect living the Rock and Roll Lifestyle, he felt empty inside until he hit rock bottom and committed himself to a life as a Christian.



Ken's presentations about his faith journey are usually split into three parts. In Part 1, he shares his reminiscences of his time in the music business with a heavy emphasis on his work with the Beatles. Part 2 is Question and Answer with the host. Part 3 features questions from the audience. Interestingly, in the session that I attended, the very first question from the church host in Part 2 dealt with "Paul Is Dead." Ken responded with the typical "You can gather evidence to prove Hitler was a nun if you look hard enough." I have looked and I have not found any evidence to suggest that Hitler was a nun. If I find any, I will make YouTube videos about it and you can write a blog about me. Ken followed with the "American Explanation" of the "I Buried Paul" at the end of "Strawberry Fields Forever." Like Allen Klein said in 1969, Ken thought that John meant that his sound "buried" Paul's sound in the mix. This of course conflicts with explanations given by Derek Taylor, as well and Paul McCartney and John Lennon himself. A member of the audience mentioned the "Cranberry Sauce" explanation. Ken said he was aware of that, but that it didn't make any sense. Um hum.

The "Paul Is Dead" subject reappeared in Part 3 when a member of the audience commented that Ken described in his books that even though he was not a fan of the Beatles' music initially, his appreciation for it grew over time. When Ken acknowledged the accuracy of the comment, the audience member asked what Ken's take was on people, many of whom are Christians, who suggest that there is something sinister in the music of the Beatles. Ken paused reflectively and said, "There was a darkness in their music at a certain point because of various things that they were doing at the time, but it wasn't sinister. They were nice people."

But what about Mr. McCartney? Is it sacrilegious to ask the question, "Could he be a devotee of Aleister Crowley?" No one has explained away to my satisfaction the presence of Aleister Crowley in the background screen when Paul plays "Helter Skelter" on tour.



And why does that one segment that initially appeared on Paul's Official Channel for the new "Band On The Run" Remastered CD, and is included in the accompanying DVD seem like an Iamaphoney video?



And why does the "original" video for the song "Band On The Run" itself contain such strange imagery?



And that interview where Paul refers to "Magick with a K" is very strange to me.

And I must admit that I find the cover of Paul's "Liverpool Sound Collage" a little disturbing.



Isn't it also interesting that the George Harrison spoken phrase from the recording session for the song "Think For Yourself," that Paul chose to incorporate repeatedly in the Collage, happened to be "Do What You Want To Do," which sure seems to me to be synonymous with Crowley's famous phrase, "Do What Thou Wilt"???

In spite of the fragments of evidence to the contrary, I am still content to agree with Ken Mansfield comment that the Beatles were nice people, and not sinister at all. I am inclined to believe the same about Iamaphoney.



I am told that the next update for subscribers will be on December 7.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Emilio Lari Facebook Post

There was an unusual comment on Emilio Lari's Facebook page after a Beatles Link:



Google Translation from Italian to English: Emilio Lari was and is a great photographer. Intuitive and sophisticated gave us pictures that tell the long process of many of us. Soon everyone will see a big surprise. I have only one worry: he has used my image. Patience :-)

Be sure to subscribe to the Iamaphoney fan page on Facebook to get some great information that you can't find anywhere else.

Unbelievably, there is a YouTube channel with the name EmilioLari that posted a video in 2008. It is the scene for "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" from the movie "Help." There is a quick cut of an Apple logo around the middle. How many other Iamaphoney videos that we haven't seen are still hidden somewhere on YouTube?

I think most people will understand that there is an embargo on the previews that Iamaphoney sent me, which included unreleased video that will likely be part of his subscription service. I am not the only one who has received these previews. I would imagine that they went to several others who have helped him along the way. It would be foolish of me to bite the hand that is feeding me information that I have been seeking for years. I will do my best to be as complete and accurate as possible. Don't worry. No BIG revelation yet. Don't succumb to Superstone disease.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Emilio Lari



Thanks to commenters, who seem to know a lot more about this stuff than I do, we have identified the individual lovingly referred to as "Eurodude" in the Rotten Apple videos. He is the Italian movie stills photographer Emilio Lari. According to Wikipedia, Lari "bluffed" his way on to the set of "A Hard Days Night" by impersonating a photographer from a magazine. From there he developed a pretty impressive resume taking shots for several motion pictures including the Beatles' film "Help" and the 1968 Ringo Starr film "Candy."



It is possible that the "revelation" of this individual's identity was a calculated plan by Iamaphoney. I say that because one of the things I received in my preview package was raw footage of interviews with the individual who I now realize was Emilio Lari. Guess what. None of the interview footage appears to have been taken out of context. He may be lying. He may be acting. But, he is not a victim of Iamaphoney out of context editing.

Lari is usually seen with a shot of Paul from the movie "Help" nearby. In one of the segments he commented on the difference in height between the original Paul and the replacement.



Even if this man is not acting, that doesn't mean that the original Paul McCartney was killed in a car accident and was replaced by the devil. But this character has certainly made things more interesting. I suggest we fasten our seat belts.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What if...

I used the term "Historical Fiction" or something like that a while back when describing my take on Iamaphoney and the Rotten Apple Series. There is something different about the Beatles artistic output that in my view puts them way above all of the others. Stanley Milgram, the psychologist suggested that the reason the "Paul Is Dead" rumor became so prominent was because the Beatles output had the rare combination of ambiguity and social importance. Others like the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd came close, but none had fueled imaginations of obsessed fans as much as the Beatles.

I think of the Beatles as the Rock and Roll equivalent of Stanley Kubrick. There is so much beauty in the work, the fans become part of the game by being the interpreters. I believe that in both cases, Kubrick and the Beatles (collectively and individually) played along by intentionally providing "clues" to make their art a two-way interactive process. That's why Beatle albums and Kubrick films get better and better with time. In Iamaphoney terminology, I believe it is a shaggily harmless game that will continue long after the principles and their first generation fans are gone. The art is that good.

This is the situation in which Iamaphoney (and several others) emerged. And like the artists themselves, these interpreters continue to play the game and take the art in new directions. I believe the artists themselves find the game amusing as the interpreters develop all kinds of theories based on the trinkets and puzzles found in the art. I just don't think you can play this game with any other artists of this generation as well as you can with the Beatles and Kubrick. Hell, you can even connect the two of them if you want.

So the Iamaphoney scenario is one of the better ones to emerge out of this. The thing that makes him so compelling is that he is an artist himself, or at least he had the ability to form a company of artists, of which many of us may be a part of one day. And the thing that is great about it is the fact that, although highly unlikely, there is at least a ghost of a chance that some of this could be true. I'm not talking about Paul being the devil, which I believe is an "interpretation" of Iamaphoney's art anyway.

But what if Iamaphoney was a guy who became obsessed with finding out the truth about the "Paul Is Dead" rumor? And what if he was able to raise enough money and resources to travel the globe? And what if he actually did find the missing diary of Mal Evans? And what if he found a person who did actually know the truth? Like this guy...



What if...