Running To Stand Still

Today I had a lunch appointment with a colleague and went to a bank first to get some cash. As I walked out of the bank and ran up to meet with my lunch partner, I realized that most of my adult life seems to consist of running from one meeting to another of whatever sort (personal, professional or otherwise), giving little time or thought to the meaning of the experience or even to my feelings about the experience. Even less time is spent telling the other party what the experience meant or felt.

So…I had a great time at lunch today. Thank you!

Men At War

Rosalind: “I’d rather keep it as a beautiful memory – tucked away in my heart.”
Amory: “Yes, women can do that – but not men. I’d remember always, not the beauty of it while it lasted, but just the bitterness, the long bitterness.”

This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner’s, New York, 1998 8th printing - page 181.

If men could learn to transcend this we might have fewer struggles.

The Ministry Of Information

“If we could only learn to look on evil as evil, whether it is clothed in filth or monotony or magnificence.”

This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner’s, New York, 1998 8th printing - page 144.

Do you hear that Fox News?

In Our Time

“He thought how much easier patriotism had been to a homogenous race…”

This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner’s, New York, 1998, 8th printing - page 139.

Perhaps a clue (from a writer who saw some of thebefore and aftermath of the First World War) as to how to end certain conflicts in our own time…Put aside your land and tribe. Let us own each other’s culture.

Awakenings

“…and when Amory crept shivering into bed it was with his mind aglow with ideas and a sense of shock that someone else had discovered the path he might have followed.”

This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner's, New York, 1998 8th printing - page 119.

And so another man stuck in adolescence grows up…

The Becoming

“It was always the becoming he dreamed of, never the being.”

This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner's, New York, 1998 8th printing - page 24.

This is a trap of adolescence. A trap because many of us bring this attitude into adulthood and are constantly searching instead of living. Some can make great art out of this search but most just dream away their lives.

Harm

Violence is a subject that intrigues and troubles me just about every day. Maybe it's because I'm a father and read the newspaper every day. This is probably no surprise to anyone who reads this blog (all three of you).

I’m still really torn on the issue of using violence. So, how about an examination of both sides, however superficial it might be.

Firstly, the use of violence:

Violence may not always be unreasonable; but in order to formulate a reasonable response to atrocities we should try to figure out what is going on first and that includes understanding the other guy's side. Violence may indeed be an answer once we have ascertained the five w’s. The old saying, "to defeat your enemy you must first know him" applies here. For example, going to Afghanistan and bombing the heck out of the Taliban and hunting down bin Laden probably was a reasonable response after the events of Sept. 11. Going to Iraq was not.

Secondly, the use of non-violence:

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

I have used here only examples from the New Testament because it is the book I am most familiar with but I could have easily used the Old Testament, Qu’ran or Buddhist texts to come to similar sayings. And I believe that the writings on compassion, love and responsibility far outweigh the writings on calls to violent action in these very same books. Amen.

Share The Blame

During an argument recently, an American Christian fundamentalist said to me, “If you haven't noticed the entire world is vehemently arrayed against Jesus in everything it says and does.”

I wonder why then her own vehemence seems to be only directed at Muslims. Why is there no rage against evil, greedy marketing folk or corrupt papists or atheists or scientists…all of whom have done arguably worse to Christianity than Islam…

Lots Of Zeroes

In 1997 the CIA's budget was $26.6 billion dollars.

In 1996/97 the federal portion of total expenditure for elementary school education in the US was $22.2 billion dollars.

World View

Too much seriousness again. So time for anothe fun quiz. What is your world view. It might make you think or throw up. Either way, it has produced something.

As for myself - Cultural Creative. But then, I rigged the game...

Power Words

Loss.
Intent.
Magic.
Expectation.
Understanding.
Present Moment.
Suffering.
Truth.
Consequences.
Pain.
Memory.
Lust.
Love.
Let Go.

These are just mine. Please add more of your own in the comments section.

The concern to fix a moment in time undermines the moment. A moment of process is that process. When fixed, the process ends. We move "downwards" through the worlds. This means the possibilities open to us close. We are left with a photograph, or a recording, but not the event. For some people, the representation has a greater reality than reality.

Robert Fripp – June 10, 2000

This is one of the reasons why I rarely consent to video-taping or photographing certain events where I would rather be a full participant. Most of my relatives are angry because I wouldn't take pictures during their wedding ceremonies, this even though they had a professional photographer and many other family members were also taking pictures or videos.

Corporate Droning Tentacles

I have a really difficult time reconciling what seems to be two seemingly opposing experiences in one body : listening to Ozric Tentacles in the car, blasting it really loudly, and being a good corporate working drone.

One seems to be a letting go of ego and the other seems to be of keeping ego in check, which is simply another way of not letting ego go.

Who's Side Are You On?

I don't think the U.S. is really on anyone's side except its own anymore (if they ever did at all).

Bash! Bam! Kapow! Splurt!

You'll never look at comics the same way again.

Dream 7

Fear of a black planet.

Then I wake.

The Ultimate Police State

"In a sense, we’re policing ourselves and that’s the ultimate police state, where people are terrified of challenge."

J.G. Ballard from an interview in the summer of 1997.

Communication Breakdown

Although I love Led Zepelin, at one time the soundtrack to lust, actually finding out about this stuff kind of puts a little damper on things. Not much really, but enough. Ah, I'm just naive.

A list of some of the songs Zep stole from other artists:

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" - A folk song by Anne Bredon, this was originally credited as "traditional, arranged by Jimmy Page," then "words and music by Jimmy Page," and then, following legal action, "Bredon/Page/Plant."

"Black Mountain Side" - uncredited version of a traditional folk tune previously recorded by Bert Jansch.

"Bring It On Home" - the first section is an uncredited cover of the Willie Dixon
tune (as performed by the imposter Sonny Boy Williamson).

"Communication Breakdown" - apparently derived from Eddie Cochran's "Nervous
Breakdown."

"Custard Pie" - uncredited cover of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down," with lyrics
from Sleepy John Estes's "Drop Down Daddy."

"Dazed And Confused" - uncredited cover of the Jake Holmes song (see The Above
Ground Sound Of Jake Holmes).

"Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" - uncredited version of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On
Down."

"How Many More Times" - Part one is an uncredited cover of the Howlin' Wolf song available on numerous compilations). Part two is an uncredited cover of Albert King's "The Hunter."

"In My Time Of Dying" - uncredited cover of the traditional song (as heard on Bob Dylan's debut).

"The Lemon Song" - uncredited cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" - Wolf's publisher sued Zeppelin in the early 70s and settled out of court.

"Moby Dick" - written and first recorded by Sleepy John Estes under the title "The Girl I Love," and later covered by Bobby Parker.

"Nobody's Fault But Mine" - uncredited cover of the Blind Willie Johnson blues.

"Since I've Been Lovin' You" - lyrics are the same as Moby Grape's "Never," though the music isn't similar.

"Stairway To Heaven" - the main guitar line is apparently from "Taurus" by Spirit.

"White Summer" - uncredited cover of Davey Graham's "She Moved Through The Fair."

"Whole Lotta Love" - lyrics are from the Willie Dixon blues "You Need Love."

I'm not listing covers that the band credited to the actual authors ("You Shook Me") or the less blatant ripoffs (the "Superstition" riff in "Trampled Underfoot").

Delta Of Venus

The other strange thing I've found in my travels through the blogosphere is the amount of sex blogs. You know the ones. Where bored housewives write about secret dirty encounters and bored husbands post nude photos of themselves. They're almost as scary as the hot christian chicks. But not quite.

Food Of The Gods

Just one word today: Chocolate. It's been that kind of day.