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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: General/Updates
[UPDATE] Perplex City Sentinel 9th June 06
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number9dream
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Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 222
Location: Newcastle, UK

 		[UPDATE] Perplex City Sentinel 9th June 06
Quote:

Iona Interviews... Joya
By IONA RODIE

Joya meets me in an inscrutable hotel suite just off Dalia Way. The room is spacious and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the busy shopping district below and subdued floral arrangements tucked into all of the right places. But the only hints at Joya's own personality are the baby toys laying strewn across the floor. Tiny Allegra Melody herself, the hottest celebrity baby in town, lies sleeping peacefully in a white cradle.

Joya's signature pink hair shines softly in the sunlight from the window, and she looks eminently serene as she encourages me to sit down in one of the giant overstuffed chairs in her sitting room. "This is the first heavy interview I've done since the baby was born, you know," she reminds me, curling her feet up under her. "I'm not sure why I let my publicist talk me into it." The words, though, are tempered by a sweet smile, and she laughs when I remind her that she is, after all, in the business of self-promotion.

In that vein, first things should of course come first: Her fans are desperate to know if motherhood has derailed her career. Will there be a next album, and if so, when?

"I'm made of music," Joya declares. "I could sooner give up breathing than performing, and I've already begun a series of small club shows." She stretches her arms up and takes in a deep breath. "And of course the reason my publicist wants me to talk to you," she says, almost shyly, "I'm about to go in the studio with a new album for Hesh."

The news that Joya is returning to the Hesh fold should surprise nobody. She left Hesh when her then-producer, Horace Shockley, quit the label. Since that time, though, and one broken engagement to Shockley later, Joya has kissed and made up with the ones who launched her to fame in the first place. Does she have any comment on the Shockley break-up, and her reasons for leaving him on the day of the ceremony?

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Joya hesitates before answering. "I was in a really vulnerable place then," she says, slowly. "I was pretty desolate after everything that had happened with Alejo, and I found myself just going along with everything Horace wanted me to do. ... I felt really trapped, and the day before the wedding, I didn't even think about it, but I just ran." Her smile is a little tremulous, now. "I'd like to say Horace and I are friends now, but it's not so. That's why I'm back with Hesh, I could never salvage a working relationship with Horace now."

Hesh representatives say now that she's returned, with a vibrant sound that is "more mature and passionate" than the Joya of old. Joya becomes thoughtful when I ask about her new direction. "I feel like a lot of my music has been very shallow," she says. "I'm still pretty young, and I didn't have a lot of life experience before the past few years. ... When I'm writing and singing now, though, I feel like I'm tapping into something bigger than just me and how upset I am that my date stood me up."

Production on the album could reportedly take several months, though, as Joya is strictly limiting the hours she works in order to spend time with her new daughter. Clearly, Joya is dedicated to her child. But how is motherhood suiting her?

"There's nothing like it in the world," she says, her face alight with happiness. "I feel so powerful now, like there's nothing in the world I can't do. Being a mother has made me feel so connected to everything, it's just incredible."

And she doesn't find the single-parent lifestyle a struggle?

Joya nods. "It was hard to find my rhythm in the beginning," she says. "Caring for a brand-new infant isn't easy, and you have all of these hormones floating around in your bloodstream, so it's not just about getting up at night to feed the baby, it's about having someone who understands why banking ads are making you cry. ... Now, though, Allegra's figured out who I am, and I've figured out who she is, and I'm just as happy not having to share that special bond."

And what about little Allegra? Does Joya plan to reveal the identity of her biological father? And does Joya have any long-term plans to introduce him -- or any man -- into her tiny family?

Joya's eyes unfocus as she contemplates my questions. "Of course I'll tell Allegra all about where she comes from when she's older," she said. "But the really interesting thing is how I feel so at peace right now. Allegra is really all I need. I've never felt so happy and peaceful before, and I don't see why I should do anything to change that right now."


Quote:
View from Earth: Spirituality, Stigma and Secrecy
By PSYCHE

PsychePerplexian religion is something we on Earth still know little of, beyond the basic idea of the Cube as sacred. However, for me it has always had a certain resonance. This is because I am a Freemason, and concepts of geometry and building are at the heart of our ritual.

Freemasonry is much misunderstood even on Earth, but to explain briefly: It is an ancient order which explores spiritual and moral issues through metaphor and ritual, the details of which are only revealed to initiates. In many ways, Masonic rituals are much like puzzles or riddles. Their odd, complex language and symbolism force you to seek a deeper meaning, and their very strangeness naturally stimulates the mind to new perspectives and leaps of logic.

While there are important differences between Freemasonry and the religions of Perplex City, there are enough similarities to make a comparison meaningful to residents both of your world and of ours. In this article I will look at what we know about Perplexian religion, and discuss Freemasonry in that context.
Building and geometry

Although our knowledge of Gyvann is limited, we do know that he is referred to as 'The Builder.' And as the name suggests, the core metaphor of Freemasonry is building. The metaphor of building a great temple, and all the work that entails, is used to convey spiritual and moral principles. Our 'building' work is performed internally, as we pursue our spiritual evolution, and externally, as we strive to make our contributions to the world.

As part of this great metaphor we use geometric concepts, geometry of course being central to architecture. The square and compasses are especially dear to us, but amongst other symbols every Masonic lodge contains two cubes, one roughly hewn and one smooth and polished. The connection between divinity and geometry is central to our way of thinking. Bernard of Clairvaux (involved in the founding of the Knights Templar, from which many consider Freemasonry to derive) famously said that God is "length, breadth, height and depth."
Stigma

From reading the Sentinel, we gather that people in Perplex City are generally suspicious of religions, and that there is a stigma attached to them, with many keeping their faith secret. Here our understanding is limited: We don't know whether there are religions not based on the teachings of Gyvann or the sacredness of the Cube, and so we don't know whether this stigma applies only to certain groups, or to religion as a whole.

Freemasonry also has a stigma attached to it. In its mildest form, sitcoms poke fun at us, presenting us as archaic nutters who roll up one trouser leg and give funny handshakes. More seriously, there is a wide view that Freemasonry is rife with a 'jobs for the boys' kind of corruption. And at the extreme end, Freemasons have been actively persecuted at certain times and places, for example during World War II.

Perhaps it is unsurprising that suspicion should be attached to an institution about which so little information has historically been available. Even today, when Masonic orders are so open about their existence that they all have websites, many masons remain quite discreet about their membership, simply because of the negative image most people have of Freemasonry.

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Conspiracy

This is an area which it's extremely difficult to research from Earth. However, my research gives me the impression that there are various shadowy groups connected with the history of your religions, many of which are generally considered apocryphal these days. The website of the Brotherhood of the Six lists a few -- The Archers of Dawn, the Quadrilists, the Fire of the South, the Third Power, the Society of Elders, the Tarsians, the Kababah Clan -- and implies that some of these groups are alleged to have been guardians of the Cube.

The history of Freemasonry is also murky, and we have been linked to any number of shadowy groups and secret orders. Most people consider such theories to be hokum, and dismiss groups such as the Priory of Sion and the Illuminati as the products of a fevered imagination. However, the anti-conspiracists have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and some connections are demonstrable enough. There is reasonable evidence to connect Freemasonry to the Templars, and various esoteric groups such as the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucians, and Crowley's OTO have Masonic roots. Freemasonry's impact on the world has been significant, as it naturally inclines its members to work to the greater good, and many of our greatest artists, scientists and politicians were masons. Among them are several of America's founding fathers, and the values of liberty, equality and fraternity, which are so central to both American and French ideology, come directly from Freemasonry.

More exotically, we are one of the groups periodically rumoured to be guardians of various legendary artefacts (most of which we are supposed to have inherited from the Templars). Perhaps the most interesting for the purposes of comparison is the Ark of the Covenant, which some sources claim contains a holy stone bearing enough divine power to lay waste to cities, and which was kept in a cube-shaped sanctum. It is sometimes identified with the Holy Grail, as in certain sources the Grail is described as a stone, sometimes depicted as a cube.
The teachings of Gyvann

Lastly, I must mention the crucial difference between Freemasonry and the Perplexian faiths we know of, which are based on the teachings of Gyvann. In this respect these faiths are more comparable to Earth religions such as Christianity or Islam than to Freemasonry.

From the limited information available to us on Earth, it's not clear whether Perplexians, like us, recognise a difference between religion and spirituality. This is an important distinction here, as in recent times religion has declined but spirituality grown. The concepts are fuzzy, of course, but broadly speaking the key difference is dogma. Religions tend to be based on doctrines which dictate right, wrong, and the nature of the universe. Freemasonry is not a religion, and is actively non-dogmatic. The metaphorical nature of our rituals means that every Freemason has to form his own opinions about their meaning, and Freemasons may be of any faith, or of none.

I hope this brief comparison has been of interest, and I apologise that space prevents me going into greater detail. I'm sure there must be Perplexians as hungry for details of Earth's spiritual life as I am for details of yours. As the exchange of ideas increases between our two worlds, I very much hope that esoteric and philosophical ideas will be amongst them, and I look forward to a much better understanding of your spiritual tradition.


letters wrote:
FAIR WARNING

I am writing to apologise on behalf of a large proportion of cube hunters on Earth, who from today (9 June 2006 - 269) and for a month will turn a large part of their attention away from hunting the cube to watching 352 men from around the world playing a game involving kicking a ball about (only 22 at a time, you understand).

Cube hunters from England, the USA and Australia, along with 29 other Earth nations, will be particularly distracted (for a couple of weeks at least), as their nations will be represented at this tournament, known as the 'World Cup Finals'. Well OK, maybe not the USA. Even those who are not interested are likely to lock themselves away from the outside world (or worlds) in an attempt to evade the blanket coverage. And if the coverage before the tournament has even started is anything to go by, we are talking a stack of 20-tog duvets here.

The game is technically for the purpose of putting the ball in a net at one end of the playing area, but on this world stage principally involves diving to the ground to feign an injury from an opposing player as often as possible. Observers of the games are now required to paint themselves in the colours of the flag of their team, and drive around their local area honking their horns if their team wins.

Normal cube-hunting reception will be resumed on 10 July after a month of worshipping a sphere.
Angus Walker / doublecross

Ed. Note: This letter has been chosen as the Sentinel's Star Letter of the Week. The author has accordingly received five points on the Perplexcity.com leaderboard, as will future recipients of the Letter of the Week prize.
OLIVERKEERS13 SPEAKS

I would like to write to thank the members of the OliverKeers13 Dream Team Fan Club for their support. It has been vital in spurring me on. As I'm sure they're aware, I'm currently focussing on the promotion of our Perplex City Fan Film [URL omitted]. As a result, I haven't had time to focus on solving Mother Tongue. (I'm also halfway through some difficult exams at the moment, but they're nothing compared to the challenges I face here). The words of encouragement sent by Jessica and friends will encourage me to work harder on solving the card, and regaining the lead. I'm flattered that I've become somewhat of a celebrity in Perplex City, and thank my fans for their support. If there are any materials that I can send them that they would like, they need only ask. Finally, I'd like to reassure Bill Franklin that my puzzle-solving prowess is not going to be "ruined" by the adoration, rather, it will propel me on to new heights. I set my sights on Mt. Riemann, and will conquer it within 10 years!

Peace and prosperity (and hugs and kisses to Jessica Langley and all my fans).
oliverkeers13, Earth



ARTS AND LETTERS


Now I perchance have lost a wondrous thing;

Earth's bound'ries and beyond for it I seek.

Zeal drives my search, for I might be the king

If I could but find it. In ancient Greek

Tomes, I seek it. Thinking I lack knowledge

I read, puzzl'd, essays by wiser hunters.

Cross, perplexed, bemused, forlorn, I falter.

X marks the spot for pirates, not for me.

Enlightenment dawns slowly as the sun.

Love lost may be regained by grace; I find

Peace in simplicity. A thought, just one

Remembered fragment, brightly brought to mind

Ekes out resolution. Loss is regained --

Perhaps in verse, perhaps inverse explained.

Rohina, Earth
MADAME IS VERY PRIVATE

Although here on earth we have been doing horoscopes since 410 BC based on the interactions among the Stars and the Planets, they never seem to reach the uncanny accuracy of Madame Bianca and her "Futures."

For example, my earthly horoscope today said "You will have to be careful with machinery and fast means of transport." which has not really taken into account the fact that I am confined to the house with a bad hair day. I won't be near either at all!

However looking at Madame Bianca's "Excessive taking of unnecessary risks leads to personal injury. Not you, just someone in your vicinity; but still, it'll be the most interesting thing to happen to you this week, so there it is." shows her spooky grasp of reality, after I watched the neighbour skateboard into a tree through my bedroom window. Better than anything on "You've Been Framed" so far! (For puzzled Perplexians - this is a TV show where earthlings enjoy watching other earthlings being maimed or injured)

This had led me to wondering how exactly she divines our fate. Is it by stars and planets and if so what constellations does she see when looking into the night sky from Perplex City? Where did the names of the twelve divisions come from. I was most surprised to find myself an Apple-Thief!

Perhaps a "Future" edition of the Sentinel could include an interview with Madame Bianca - I'm sure your many readers will be fascinated by her insights.
Bunnery, Earth


Nice poem btw, Rohina Wink
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:37 am
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psyche
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 		Wow. I'd decided they were unlikely to use my view from earth on the grounds that it was... odd. So yay! And I have an avatar! Very odd to see a picture of me that isn't me, if you see what I mean. The artists are kind.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:59 am
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UKver2.0
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Joined: 09 Feb 2006
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 		Re: [UPDATE] Perplex City Sentinel 9th June 06
oliverkeers13 wrote:
If there are any materials that I can send them that they would like, they need only ask.


As I suspected... he's one of them! How else would he be able to transport things between worlds?
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Andrea: Paint a little X on the ground with spray paint..
Naomi: and then you’d try to anagram 'shovels'

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:45 am
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doublecross
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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 		Woohoo! *mumble*th time lucky.

They shouldn't really have put me above badbarry, though. I'll write and complain. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:51 am
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badbarry
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Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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doublecross wrote:
They shouldn't really have put me above badbarry, though. I'll write and complain. Very Happy


Good point doublecross, though you have put in more efforts than me so probably deserve a higher position on countback. I'll get over it eventually I suppose but right now my world has fallen apart. Sad

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:20 am
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tanner
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 		OMG -- a left handed bricklayer Smile
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:24 am
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cassandra
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Quote:
The news that Joya is returning to the Hesh fold should surprise nobody. She left Hesh when her then-producer, Horace Shockley, quit the label. Since that time, though, and one broken engagement to Shockley later, Joya has kissed and made up with the ones who launched her to fame in the first place. Does she have any comment on the Shockley break-up, and her reasons for leaving him on the day of the ceremony?


From Iona Rodie's previous interview with Helix Hesh:

Quote:
Famously, Zanadun Kane, the legendary producer, parted company from Hesh after arguments over creative control and working hours, taking some very lucrative contracts, including that of Joya, with him. Does Hesh feel he asks too much?

He smiles, charming as ever, and runs his hand through his hair. "Zanadun's a great guy, an incredibly talented producer, and I still consider him a good friend. He felt that he had to move on for personal and professional reasons, and I respect that decision, but it's ancient history now. He and his partner came for dinner just last week!"


This was the only mention of Kane as Joya's producer - all other articles only mention Shockley. Sure, Shockley could be a sort of under- or co-producer with Kane, they could be the same person, there could be some odd unintentional discrepancy here...but I thought I'd note the seeming contradiction in the official explanation for Joya's leaving Hesh.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:47 am
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rohina
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Joined: 18 May 2006
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 		Thanks for the compliment. I would rather have had the bonus points, but I recognise supremacy of soccer over poetry. Given that it is playing out in my own house at the moment, how could I not?

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 3:17 pm
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Scott
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 		I spotted that as well, cass. I have opted to infer this: The two, Shockley and Kane, staged a walk-out, taking artists like Joya with them.

I imagine Kane had complaints about working conditions, one of those "I'm mad as hell and I'm not qoing to take it any longer!!" kinds of moments, while Shockley was a bit of an ass, capitalizing on the opportunity to tear Joya away fFrom Alejo. Which is to say, Joya and Alejo had a bit of a crisis (her being pregnant, probably, and he not wanting to deal with it) and they broke up. Shockley saw an opportunity and moved in. When Kane was so moved to leave Hesh, Shockley, fFull of spit and vinegar, pulled Joya close and clambered on the wagon.

Now, time has passed and dust has settled; Kane is happy in his new arrangments and making casual deals with Hesh, Joya is settling into a happy life balancing professional stardom and motherhood, and shockley is left holding the bag.
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:21 pm
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