A strong affinity for bleak Gibsonesque mindscapes with Future Sound of London soundtracks seems to baffle most people who are accustomed to a steady diet of sunshine, syrupy ballads, and pop cultural soma.

But it's so ugly and depressing!

Sigh.

It's so cold and mechanical!

But you don't understa--

It's so... it's so... inhuman!

I was once again fooled into thinking that maybe just this once they'd understand. Once again suckered into believing that the biological automaton sitting across from me might actually be interested in being exposed to something new, something deeper, something beyond Starbucks café au lait and the latest Gap ad. Once again I was utterly wrong.

I focus my dark glare towards the street in disappointment as the bustling crowd outside fades away...

As I open my eyes, I find myself standing on a dark and grungy street corner in the pouring rain, mesmerized by the rippling neon reflections in the murky puddle at my feet. Amorphous shadows deftly drift around strobing holograms, the cacophonous convolution of subliminal slogans and random chatter nearly drowns out the roaring traffic--but none of it shatters my deep gaze into the swirling oily Mandelbrot dancing before my eyes. Organic magic. Somewhere, in all our sleek metallic finishes, clean edges, flickering LEDs and tangled plastic webbing, we've lost ourselves... humanity buried within inhumanity...

Hey! Are you still here or what?

Huh?

You're drifting off again. I don't know what you're thinking about all the time. Why can't you just enjoy yourself? Who cares about all that philosophical garbage--you'll never make any money that way. When will you stop dreaming?

Never.