Sent from the antechambers of chaos


I recently got a PM from someone wanting to know if there would be a real reward this time as the last contest (HOB) no winner was announced. They wanted to know this before entering.

So let me deal with that first and then go on to a small rant.

I posted at the time I put out the HOB book that the entries were so varied and amazing, there was no way I could call a clear victory - and also, despite any impression you might have, I do not have infinite resources to be able to turn around and give everyone something each time... I was leaning to Tony's for the amount of work but then I had a slew of KOTAH prose/poetry, video from Steve Murray, cool innovative routines from Balaram... Heck.. As I said then - the reward as someone else once said is that everyone got to have a small booklet of shared ideas and a chance to be able make it real...collaborate and have fun.

At the time no one seemed to complain regarding this decision... If there are concerns then tell me or PM me. If I get enough PMs asking for a clear winner, I will choose one under duress. If you think it was a cop out on my part, go ahead - but I challenge you to tell me a clear winner in the mix.




NOW WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF THE CONTENTS?



Collaboration, networking, and innovation for people wanted to share and explore some cool themes.


Now, I have never grouched about this before but let me make this clear - I've never asked for $ from anyone for these things. Pretty much 99% of carcosa I pay out of my own pocket.... The rare time I've done a charity book, the money gets sent to charity.


I pay for the website. I take time to maintain the website. I take the time to come and offer the contests. Despite clear instructions, I often get entries from multiple emails they are not supposed to come from- in different layouts and formats, and some people send me the same entries over and over again with minor spell checked changes or ask me to do some extra editing work... (Which to me should be in their own court first before sending)... Then I compile, try to make it look somewhat good, and offer it to the group and then again out of my own pocket, will send physical item as prizes when it's warranted... And those who have them, you tell me if they are cheapo items of labours of hand made love of the art...

(And go ahead and say its cheapo crap if you want - burn it or throw it in the trash heap)



To me, even without the physical rewards I sometimes give out, the process of doing the contest can be considered a boon for some.

Other rewards I've seen are that some activities lead to greater things like KOTAH going on and doing the machine oracle. Others have found similar rewards by throwing themselves into the fun by using the exercise as an excuse to hone or create new material they actually use.


so in short, the purpose was about promoting creativity and collaboration


So, if you need a physical prize to be the major motivation to enter these contests, I would advise you to not do so. In fact, I plead you go anywhere else.


I've had various life stressors of numerous types plague me but I've continued on until this point. If the above isn't worth anything to people for what I put into it, they should not bother with carcosa.


I am not perfect, can't guarantee life won't get in the way at times, and this is not a business you pay for a product or service and have customer rights.


After Higgs boson, I think the contests will end and ill focus my efforts in a different direction...


I thank the original PM person. I like to rant once in a while - its like clearing phlegm in the throat with a good gargle!!!

Congratulations on what has been an amazing project, good Doktor, and for-shame on the individual that complained. I love the Carcosa Collection: the website and the entire ethos of your digital installation (I characterize it as a digital peice of installation art, rather than a mere website). I wish I could have participated more, but will be submitting my peice for the upcoming deadline. Even if it is the last (I hope not), I will have been happy to have participated! Your involvement on the Café is rare pleasure, and your posts refreshingly (in)sane.

I still visit the fragments of Gharne, and since constructing my Sleeveless Silent Smoke pad, have actually pulled out the sherds again.

Cheers,

Lucien/Darcy

Wow, I'm amazed someone on here would want confirmation of a prize to be their main motivation to enter. Clearly they've missed the point of it being a creativity exercise and collaboration.

I think there are many more people, including myself who appreciate the effort Dr Spektor goes to in putting these things together. As well as the numerous contributions he makes here on the Café.

I am the someone that asked about the prize, since it was a contest.
I did not set as a condition to entering the one for the Ides of march, since O have already submitted one.

If you all want an apology, this is it.
I had sent afirmation of my insensitivity to the tremendous amount of work Dr.Spektor puts into the Carcosa projects
in a follow up PM.
this is not a rant but an admission of guilt I guess, and I feel better for posting it.
now you know who the egotistical, selfish offender is.

Caio,
Kotah

“Three quarters of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would finish if people were to put on the shoes of their adversaries and understood their points of view”
Mahatma Gandhi

Two icons of The Café are entitled to an occasional rant. Thanks to you both for what you give. peace

I didn't name names on purpose nor would I have told anyone who it was.

I told kotah I was posting this beyond the pm exchange the part I wanted to make clear to the community what the carcosa activities were about - for everyone.

And the pm originaly sent has way more in it for what triggered the rant but I am not planning to go into it all - but lets move on as the rest is best left in pm. I plan to leave it there. Nobody's perfect - me especially. Lets put this iincident into coldpac.

Hey rcp - I'm no icon by any stretch of the imagination - and Gandhi didn't account for 25% of misery... He needs a new equation.

"Break out the meds!!!"

All around,for everyone! lol

Round of 25 year old scotch on me....what you got?

Hey,RCP !
Dr. has the meds! (me thinks)
I have some Crystal Head(in the skull) & Capt. Morgan's!

I don't know what to say to my two dear friends here to make them both feel better.

I guess we are competitive beasts and the chance of a prize is always appealing, especially when it is artisan stuff from Carcosa.

Both Dr S and Kotah have both been extremely generous to me, as well as inspiring, encouraging, uplifting, educational and just plain friendly.
I hope you guys do feel better from clearing the air; if it helps in any way, you are both truly appreciated, even if I (we?) fail to show it.

Steve

The other 25% require you to don their trousers and sing "Embraceable You" in a high falsetto voice. Difficult to remain angry after that.

Prof BC

Perhaps next contest(s) without a prize should be listed more as a penny-less or "gentleman's handshake (bet)" contest, would most likely alleviate such problems.....? Your contest was a winner for all with great info & insight !

ok, so I hope no one start a "Best rant" contest,.......that would be,.....well.....an endless contest....LoL

Please let me share the prizes beyond the physical that I have received:

*A beyond-board interaction with somebody who shares both a passion for the bizarre and a resume/CV in a similar educational-professional field. Thank you, Bruce, for taking personal interest in those of us who often have neither outlet nor encouragement to continue developing "that weird magic" often ignored and more often belittled in traditional magic circles. Also, thank you for showing me that you can be a professional with one foot in the mental health areana and one foot in this field of theatrical bizarreness. It has helped me when I have experienced pitfalls in both my mundane and my magical vocations, and they have been many over the past several years.

*A beyond-the-board insight into somebody I've looked up to in magic for quite some time. Thank you, Ron Dayton, for your words of praise and your personal sharing of material. Before KOTAH and beyond this little niche, Ron has contributed his material to mainstream magic for years. I had SPOOF: IT'S MAGIC! and some other Dayton-penned materials on my shelf long before either the EG or The Café. I've enjoyed Ron's posts in both venues. It has been nice and refreshing to have personal conversations with somebody who was a presence in my magic life through his writing acknowledge and validate that I am doing something worthwhile with what creative gray matter I still have left in my skull.

*An ability to participate in projects of my choosing with reduced fear of failure. I went through a period of about three years where I had to come up with unique magic effects and/or scripts on a monthly basis. This material was used as fodder for a television production. Not all of it was good. Worse, I had little direction in terms of what should and shouldn't be done in front of the camera, and received more criticism of the non-constructive type than constructive criticism that would have helped with the overall project. This period was followed by a few years of serving as a band-aid for other people's projects. Production was there, and despite the quality of the routine, I fought through budget constraints, personalities, and attitudes, that put a significant damper upon my ability to celebrate the successes. Although I regret none of the above, it took its toll on me creatively, and I felt very drained. Carcosa pulled me out of that rut. I was able to share, hear from others, and most importantly, be counted among those who were creative and had something worth sharing.

*A way to extend my own character beyond its existing bounds. The acts of writing for Carcosa-related projects have allowed me to explore my own magical character in ways that have helped me improve my own material and the development of my own character. Again, one can get into a rut without realizing that the rut is there. I'm much more happy with the majority of the magic I have created and performed over the past 18 months, and Carcosa plays a large part in it. The "safe haven" that allows me to stretch my imagination has also allowed me to step out and take more calculated risks with my own performances, and people have complemented me on material that I have been performing for years that now seems to be both a bit more fresh and polished even if it has become rote for me.

I am very thankful for Bruce, Ron, and the opportunity to particpate in this grand experiment of sharing. I am hsppy to receive any recognition for my effort, and sometimes a "No Prize" is the best prize of all, True Believers.

Excelsior!

Chris

Great post Chris
If this was FB, I'd hit "like"

For me the contests are a scary thing as I do not see my works even getting close to some of the items sent in from you guys. the shear creativity from you as a group is astounding and inspiring.
I hope that never ends.

There is always a prize... as mentioned, it depends how you want to perceive it.

Including the latest Higgs Boson contest:



I always leave it ambiguous. As mentioned as well - enter at your own risk. I promise nothing concrete. There are sometimes physical prizes...sometimes metaphysical... sometimes something else. Sometimes everyone got something material who even entered. That is one of the points too - the unknown.

Thanks Chris... its nice to know!

I do get enriched by just helping out and reading cool stuff and sharing ideas. that's my reward.

Michael - please ask around - the point was that it is irrelevant what "level" is perceived by the entries... many contest entries have been from people who have never written anything before... from just ideas and vignettes not fully formed which I always encouraged anyway for for entries... because it helps people get into the mind set of creating and producing in an iterative fashion - helping let others see each other's ideas and allow feedback.

Seeing what you've shared already in the past with various posts, you are more than able to submit material I know everyone would like.

Cuz that is the Secret of Carcosa.... through madness comes sanity and through creative chaos comes substance of shadows

IMHO

I am in no position to ask favors of Dr. spektor,
But I am not simply asking, I am begging, pleading with him not to all ow my stupidity to jeopardize a project as worthwhile as the Carcosa project. To do so would be unfair to the deserving brothers and sisters here.

I did not sleep well last night thinking about the damage one unthinking question may have caused.

Magic does mean a lot to me. it may have saved the life of a previous drunken sot.

Bruce, do not punish all for the folly of a single person.

Kotah

Whatever Bruce decides, Kudos for a job well done.

Appy Polly Logies to Kotah for my sharp remark at the beginning. I assumed Spektor referred to one of people who frequents the board and gives little, rather than someone who contributes alot.

Bruce had some poignant points about solidarity, creativity and sharing. Good to hear here once in a while, and something that should extend daily to some places at the Green Beast like Penny.