A Simple Formula...

A simple formula...

Our over-heated, always on, 24/7, rage-inducing, information & disinformation, super-over-loaded, media monster is always stoking the fire, fanning the flames, constantly playing up our fears & prejudices, and makes us into mindless, over-emotionally-wrought angry zombies and numbed-out drones.

Fury = Stupidity.  You can take it to the bank.

How to short-circuit the fury? Take a deep breath. Sit in silence. Listen to your heartbeat. Let the light in. Feel the Chi.  Really.

For Me Mojo = Chi...

"The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi."

It's not the book I expected. I thought it was a diary, or long narrative, from Lou Reed. It's not. Seems Lou wanted to write a book about his practice of Tai Chi, but he never got around to it. He was way too busy with music and the practice of Tai Chi which he did right up until his death.

Most of the book is a collection of other voices, those folks who Lou collaborated with, those he inspired, those who inspired him. It is a beautiful book and testament to an incredibly, complicated, compelling, fiercely-creative life.

Lou was married to Laurie Anderson, an American avant garde artist. What a fabulously uncommon, extraordinary couple. It is so gratifying to know that they found each other. Two strange, beautiful, exotic birds.

They had Three Rules for Living:

1. Fear No One.

2. Always Have Your Bullshit Detector On.

3. Always Be Tender.

So. So. Good. 

Reading a book about Tai Chi, without ever having practiced Tai Chi might be a bit like reading the Kama Sutra without ever having practiced sex. Kind of oddly mysterious.

I often talk about Mojo, you know, a magnetism, an energy. I realized I really have been talking about Chi, as in "your life force, the energy that flows through you and through everything. It is that which gives you life." 

Right. I do know what Chi is, I have experienced it, I experience it all the time. It flows thru me when I am fully alive, aware, awake and engaged in being a human being in the Universe.

Yes. For me Mojo = Chi. 

I don't actually practice Tai Chi, but there are many things I do practice that opens me to Chi: meditation, walking, listening to, and playing, music, eating nutritious, healhty food. Simple, soul-enriching, life-affirming things.

We also own a Chi Machine. Which I use just about every day when I am home. It's a very passive way of waking up Chi. But it works, and you know, it's not cheating.

Anwyay, so much of the book totally resonates with me. It's a good read. Recommended.

The Masque of the Red Death...

I am going out on a limb this morning. I don't like making predictions. I do think if folks talk about nebulous phenomena like the future, or god, they are really just betraying their own fears, hopes, dreams, insecurities, and prejudices.

So, yeah, take it all with a grain of salt.

Let me hazard a guess. Ok. I mean, I am projecting, and conjuring the vision that I want  and hope will materialize. But at the same time, logic and common-sense leads me to this scenario...

We are worried about Fat-Boy Slim destroying our Democracy. We are worried that the Republican Party has been infiltrated, and infected by Russian disinformation. and we are horrified to see that they are running with that disinfo to slime Joe Biden and the Democrats. It is an act of desperation. Turns out the Republicans have given up on Democracy & Policy, and Governing. They are stuck in a weird performative, attention-seeking display of cynicism and degradation.

Ha. The insight this morning, my guess, my feeling, my intuition: We are watching Fat-Boy Slim destroy the Republican Party from the inside out. All that raging, and dementia-fueled nonsense, all that toxic noise is actually more destructive to the GOP than anywhere else. Trump & MAGA are the virus of destruction for that politcal side of the equation.

It's all very ugly, noisy, & worrisome. And, sure, we should be worried. One of the major political parties in America is sick, infected, imploding. We should be just worried enough to stay active and to vote. But all the hurly-burly, rolling and tumbling, are the deeply-dark, death throes of that very retrograde, nihilistic movement. The MAGA SNAKE is eating it's own tail.

There is a certain fatal logic at work. A cascade of failure. The kiss of death for that political movement. Yes, it's scary & ugly, but it seems inevitable. My prediction: American Democracy will survive. The center will hold. We can look forward to better days. Really. I suppose it's my inner optimist taking the wheel this morning. You know, the coffee is good. And it's supposed to be unseasonably warm today. Alive and well in America!

Trump, Putin: The Gangsters Trying to Steal Our Democracy...

This Teri Kanefield post is a real eye-opener, head-spinner, you know, a real break open the head kind of read. It is a deep-dive into Russia, Putin, and the seemingly incomprehensible, Republican Party's love for Corrupt, Authoritarian Governance, and love for lawless Oligarchies: "gangsters who got rich by stealing."

From Teri: "One way to understand people like Peter Thiel and Paul Ryan is that they believe a few wealthy people should control the nation’s resources and industries and they believe these billionaires should be able to pull the political strings. They offer a few theories for why this is good and sensible. One theory is the “makers and takers” theory which holds that a few clever people drive the economy with their innovation and business brilliance. These “makers” create jobs and wealth for a lower class of people called “takers,” who are generally depicted as lazy and immoral. The trickle-down theory similarly holds that if you remove regulations and let clever people do their thing without limitations, they will create wealth and jobs for everyone.

People who hold to the makers-and-takers theory have a hierarchical worldview. They think nature forms a hierarchy and some people are naturally at the top. While most of us see regulations as creating fairness so people can’t get rich from stealing, those with a hierarchical view believe that regulations take from the competent and give to the undeserving.

The way to understand Donald Trump is that he wants to be like Putin and control the oligarchs."

Do yourself a favor. Get hip and smart to the present moment. I suggest you read the whole thing. It's really worth your time &  attention. It clearly and definitively explains so much of our present condition in the here and now of America. Trump, Putin & the American Oligarches are at war with American Democracy.

We truly are at a crossroads. Those who believe in Democracy, need to rise from their slumber and stand up for this wonderful American experiment in a Government for and by the People. A government for the many, not the few. Really, it is now down to supporting Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to "save the soul" of our country. Yikes. 

Quotes...

Quotes from 2 smart authors and a Monty Python Comedy Genius...

"Even the best of us are at least part-time bastards." - Mary Karr

"I've come to think of Europe as a hardcover book, America as the paperback version." -  Don DeLillo

"As an openly old man, I still believe there's a difference between forgetfulness and outright insanity." - John Cleese 

False Starts...

A couple of false starts this morning. 

I think that's where I am at this early Saturday morning. False. In the midst of a few false starts. Grasping at invisible straws. Weird. Feeling disconnected. It is imposssible to hold onto the moment to moments that are quietly floating just beyond my grasp. Life. Right. It's sometimes like that. Don't want to judge it, I think, "this is where I am at right now."  Slightly off, adrift. It's not totally unwelcome, you know, maybe something new is soon to be birthed? Ha. That's the eternal, always-conjuring optimist that resides deep in the core of my being.  Yes. Let's say these false starts are the essential, tiny cracks in the firmament that let glimmers of light to be revealed. It's those little glimmers which will lead to the next thing. I am sort of sure of it...

Loaded Question from Across the Pond...

Loaded Question from across the pond...

I had an email exchange with my best friend from from across the pond in Poland. We are "two peas in a pod." Totally different backgrounds, brought up in totally different culutres, but all that falls away when we engage. I would hazard the guess that our "original essense" springs from the same source. We are as close as can be, eventhough we live worlds away from each other.

We haven't actually been in room together for decades. We we do chat on the phone, and when we do, time melts away, our differences reflect off of each other, revealing the truth that we are two very kindred souls. 

This comes from a  very recent email exchange:

My Friend: "Well, it looks that the future resident of White House might be chosen not by the nation but by the resident of Kremlin. The question: Is the US still a super power leading the world or just redneck country faraway behind the great water?

I hope you don't feel offended by this question. But your nation's fascination with this useful Kremlin's Idiot,  is a complete disappointment to me. I always felt that I can be honest with you and I hope it stays like that. Next time I try to give you a bit deeper analysis. You take care, and fuck Republicans."

My Response: "Ha. Nope, not offended at all. America is a very divided country. I happen to live in a very Democratic, Blue Bubble, super-progressive City and State. But much of the country, at least 40% of the population, is definitely a "redneck country faraway behind the great water." 

Yes. Great description. Indeed. Turns out the old Confederacy, the slave-holding states, never joined the future. And Trump, Putin's Fat Poodle is riling up those retrograde, wannabe fascists, and died in the wool racists for all he is worth.

Luckily the Democrats, the Progressive ones actually outnumber the Rednecks. But lots of chicanery, and disillusion, and disinformation swirling around in the crazy shite-storm of a world. Hopefully Democracy does not die in America. But it is certainly gonna be a battle. Here's hoping for a better day!"

Connecting the Dots...

This Heather Cox Richardson's "Letter from an American" post on Substack connects the dots. A well-written, straight-forward narrative that explains so much about Ukraine, Russsia,  & USA. There is a direct line from Putin > Manafort > Stone > Trump. It has been obvious to some of us for a long time that Putin's interests, and Trump's interests are totally intertwined.  It is shocking and scandalous. And it's maddening that the Republican party has decided they are happy to be complicit facilitators for this anti-democractic shite. The USA, Ukraine, Europe, Democracy, are all under threat because of this toxic reality.

It begins simply...

"Although few Americans paid much attention at the time, the events of February 18, 2014, in Ukraine would turn out to be a linchpin in how the United States ended up where it is a decade later."

And then the kicker at the end...

"Now, ten years later, Putin has invaded Ukraine in an effort that when it began looked much like the one his operatives suggested to Manafort in 2016, Trump has said he would “encourage [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that don’t commit 2% of their gross domestic product to their militaries, and Trump MAGA Republicans are refusing to pass a measure to support Ukraine in its effort to throw off Russia’s invasion.

The day after the violence of February 18, 2014, in Ukraine, then–vice president Joe Biden called Yanukovych to “express grave concern regarding the crisis on the streets” and to urge him “to pull back government forces and to exercise maximum restraint.”

Ten years later, Russia has been at open war with Ukraine for nearly two years and has just regained control of the key town of Avdiivka because Ukrainian troops lack ammunition. President Joe Biden is warning MAGA Republicans that “[t]he failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.”

“History is watching,” he said.

Patty-Cakes with Skulldugery...

I hear the name "Smirnov," and I flash on that time my partner and I, (this was the long ago, in a land far away), polished off a bottle of Vodka, while playing an intense, deep into the night, marathon game of Risk. As I recall, we were both hung-over & sick for three days after that binge and bender. Yikes. Thankfully those days are long gone.

But, of course, Smirnov and Smirnoff are not the same thing at all. This latest Smirnov is "an FBI informant," who has just been arrested in Nevada, a person who has had "extensive" contacts with Russian intelligence agencies. Smirnov appears to be a pawn in Vladimir Putin's own personal game of Risk, and his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Turns out this "informant" is the main source of lies about Joe Biden and his son Hunter, which he has been feeding to prominent folks in the GOP. Republicans like Jim Jordan, James Comer, Bill Barr, Rudy G, GOP Senators like Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley have been mainling these lies into the American politcal bloodstream. Total Russian disinformation filtered thru the Repbulican Party! Oh yeah, and don't forget fat-boy-slim Donald Trump sitting on top of the swamp. These folks are either willing agents of Russia or  supremely "useful idiots." 

I would hazard the guess: Maybe both?! 

I am not one for conspiracy thinking. I don't think it's a smart or healthy way to parse what's happening in the world of human affairs. Conspiracy-minded thinking seems lazy and paranoid, and usually pretty stupid too. BUT of course, sometimes folks do conspire. Sometimes there really is a "there, there."

So, yes, we have evidence of a coordinated campaign, a multi-years long campaign, since at least 2016. It truly is "Russia, Russia, Russia." The mind reels. Many folks in that "grand old party" the GOP, the Repbulicans, have been actively spreading Russian disinformation as their primary tool to corrupt our American Presidential Elections in 2016, 2020, and now 2024. Republicans seem to have given up on Democracy, and winning votes with their policies, instead they turn to Russian Disinfo to lie, confuse, and and cheat to win. A sad, tragic, deadly-comic turn of events.

It been so ubiquitious & obvious. So obvious, like the air we breathe, it's almost invisible. Well it is not invisble anymore. There is a whole contingent of folks who have poisoned themselves by playing paddy-cakes with the worst of Putin's skullduggery. 

BTW - For those who want to know more about this cooridnated Russian Disinfo campaign implicating prominent folks in the GOP check out this handy Q & A with the fabulously great Marcy Wheeler.

Bubbles of Unknowing in the Slipstream...

Opinions. Everyone has them. And folks can't wait to tell you what they are, even, and especially, about things they really know very little about. Which when it comes to it, the realm of the things "we know little about," is vast. We all are very limited in our knowledge of the Universe, and all the pretty things in it. Still, despite that lack of knowledge and insight, Human Beings have no problem wielding their opinions like deadly weapons. Folks love to hammer each other with their opinions. It's a major past-time, a cultural phenomena,  a full time job.

Most of the blather and chatter on TV, Podcasts, Radio, Internet is just Human Beings spouting off about all the shite they know little about. It's just the truth.

Personally, when I was a Wee Lad, and maybe a Lad not so Wee too, I could slings opinions with the best of them. I was one of those people who prided themselves on having an opinion about everything. A motor mouth propelled by a spark of knowledge, and lots of nervous energy. That describes a whole genre and class of Humans right there.

I opted out of that class gradually, over the years. I find myself a bit more comfortable in my skin, and a little bit more cautious about floating bubbles of unknowing into the slipstream. Often, I now find myself saying things like, "I don't know," or "Maybe?" or "Who knows?," Or  "Beats me," or "We shall see?" Or, "I need to do a little more research."

Anyone talking about future events is just slinging hash. Really. Usually those folks are just revealing their own fears, insecurities, prejudices. Same with folks talking about "God." It's a fool's game. Folks just making shit up. And, folks having opinions about other folks motivations is a sticky wicket for sure, and again, probably more of an insight into the speaker's psyche than anything else.

I do know a lot about a handful of subjects. My list includes music, movies, song-writing, playing in a band, literature, politics, pop culture, dogs, guitars, football, meditation, headphones, coffee, oatmeal. But even these subjects can go deep, and the depths are mysterious, and interesting. So, yeah, more thinking, less opining. A friend of mine recently told me I was a "Master of Deflecting." I do think it is one of my finely-honed skills. I can easily manipulate a conversation to avoid what I don't want to talk about, and redirect it to what I do want to talk about. 

I think of it as a good mode for living: Reflecting and Deflecting.  Look into your soul. Listen to the silence. Speak less, act more, think deep, live lightly.  Oh yeah, and tune out all that noise floating all around you. Not every topic or event needs to be slapped around the ears with your opinion. Sometimes a stunned silence is the perfect response. Humility in the face of all things. Uninformed Opinion. It's sort of like a nasty virus. Avoid.

Contingent of Common Sense...

When asked how Fascism starts, Bertrand Russell once said: "First, they fascinate the fools. Then, they muzzle the intelligent."

Yes. The wise, the learned, the philosophizing, the inspiringly-intelligent Bertand. So smart & pithy. 

We have been watching the Fools in America fascinating themselves with a Racist, Conman, Fraud, Sexual Predator, Anti-Democratic Seditionist, Liar, Wanna-Be-Authoritarian, a Whiny-Baby of Blimp-like proportions.

The Intelligent Ones, the Contingent of Common Sense, unfortunately, sometimes, seem to get swamped over, their voices drowned in the Vast Sea of Idiocy. We must swim to higher ground, huddle on little Islands of Enlightenment. Yes. We must. There is no glory in Embracing & Celebrating Stupidity.

Dumb & Dumber Meets Perry Mason = Karmic Perfection...

There is "karmic perfection," to be found in the story of a fabled rich guy, a fat, dissolute man, who inherited his daddy's wealth, and then embarked on a lifetime of fraud and illusion. This particular rich guy has a "super-power" that allows him to lie and bluster without an ounce of shame. Big lies, small lies, totally stupid and transparent lies, lies that only self-deluded idiots would believe; this particular rich guy wields these lies on an epic scale and he has used that super-power, and that life-time of lies to his great advantage in the public square, in the political arena, and in pop culture writ large.

Those of us who have never bought into any of the idiotic shite this rich guy spews, can only sit back and marvel and wonder how that river of lies, bluster and total nonsense could ever have been believed. This guy can lie shamelessly with a straight face, and legions of folks gladly, and enthsuiastically, swallow his total, all-encompassing, trumpy, bullshit sandwich.

Now, interestingly enough, here's where that karmic perfection comes in. All those lies, all that bluster and idiotic nonsense falls apart in a courtroom. In fact, that super-power suddenly turns into the most deadly and toxic kryptonite for the hopes and chances of that rich guy. Facts and evidence have the uncanny ability to melt and vaporize the lies. Every trumped-up lie that rich guy tells, makes things exceedingly worse for him. All of his bluster & bullshit is now just the garnish on top of a series of dire, very costly consequences. His overloaded shit sandwich is now his very own very toxic, very deadly, happy-meal.

And the rich guy can't help himself. He can't stop lying, blustering and raging. Even if it's totally contrary to his own well-being, the brain-numbing spew of lies continues. And in the courtroom, every lie that he floats just makes things worse and more detrimental to him.

Yes. Ha. It's almost Shakespearean. Although, it's really a deeply dumbed down version of Shakespeare. You know maybe old Will is reincarnated in 2024, and he writes for a revived Mad Magazine, or he scripts new episodes for a resurrected "Three Stooges."  Dumb & Dumber meets Perry Mason.

It is gratifying & supremely entertaining for anyone rooting for facts, truth, justice and common sense to carry the day. Lying rich guy gets hit in the pocketbook for a string of epic $ judgements. What to say? 

Sweet, sweet, karma, baby! Perfection...

Russia's Nelson Mandela...

Yesterday, I heard from a long-time friend of mine who lives in Poland. He, just like me, is totally crushed to hear the news that Alexei Navalny has died in a Russian prison. What was Nalvalny's crime? A desire for Freedom and Democracy in Russia. Freedom from corruption, Freedom from the Iron, Dictatorial Hand of Vladimir Putin.

Alexei Navalny left this message behind in the event he was killed:

"You're not allowed to give up. If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utilize this power, to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes. We don't realize how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don't be inactive."- Alexi Navalny - Born June 4, 1976 – Died February 16, 2024

Masha Gessen writes about Navalny in the New Yorker:

"A month later, Navalny flew back to Moscow. His friends had tried to talk him out of it. He wouldn’t hear of staying in exile and becoming politically irrelevant. He imagined himself as Russia’s Nelson Mandela: he would outlive Putin’s reign and become President. Perhaps he believed that the men he was fighting were capable of embarrassment and wouldn’t dare to kill him after he’d proved that they had tried to. He and I had argued, over the years, about the fundamental nature of Putin and his regime: he said that they were “crooks and thieves”; I said that they were murderers and terrorists. After he came out of his coma, I asked him if he had finally been convinced that they were murderers. No, he said. They kill to protect their wealth. Fundamentally, they are just greedy. He thought too highly of them. They are, in fact, murderers." - Masha Gessen

A Rover...

Back to being a priviledged Gypsy. A rover. Roving around in a very wealthy neighborhood. Changing mansions, like some folks change their pants. There are stunningly amazing homes in this hood. Some built in the 1890's, some built quite recently. These homes all have their quirks and personalities. I have to stay alert, and always be light on my feet. There is danger even in a wecloming home. Shaky banister, sharp jutting corners, steel, glass, and a tricky step in the bathroom, weird turns, unexpected walls. It is so easy to casually harm yourself. The mantra: Be Aware, Awake, Alive. And for sure "Don't hurt yourself." Leave that to others. Ha!

Humans: We Know NOT What We Do...

We watched Fargo Season 5. It is super-violent, and wildly entertaining. Hilarious. Engaging too. Intense. Great acting, filming, writing, directing. You name it. Highly recommended.

We learned something too. I, for one, didn't know that Chairman Mao in his Great Leap Forward,  waged war with the Sparrows from 1958-1962.  That's right, those cute little brown birds: Sparrows...

"Authorities targeted four pests for elimination: rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The extermination of sparrows – also known as the smash sparrows campaign^[1] (Chinese: 打麻雀运动; pinyin: dǎ máquè yùndòng) or the eliminate sparrows campaign (Chinese: 消灭麻雀运动; pinyin: xiāomiè máquè yùndòng) – resulted in severe ecological imbalance, being one of the causes of the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–1961. In 1960 the campaign against sparrows ended and bed bugs became an official target."

Ha. Mind-bogglingly & gob-smackingly stupid. A good example of why you don't want to put unlimited power in one man's hand. Also, a great example of how Human Beings should be a bit more humble in the face of our grandly interconnected ecosystem and mutually beneficial, web of life. 

The campaign targeted four pests: rats, flies, mosquitos, sparrows. Ha. What is that Bible quote? "The meek shall inherit the Earth." Every living creature on the planet has a job. We fuck with Mother Nature at our own peril. 

What is the moral of the story? "Don't Fuck with Mother Nature." Humans, we know not what we do...

Some Constants in America...

I am a hopeful, optimistic, progressive-Democrat-voting sort. But, since I have been here in America (all my life), there are some constants to be found in this vast and variable landscape. 

There will be blood. We are a very violent country. Guns out-number the people. Lots of folks believe in the power of the gun and the bullet. It is a death-dealing, heart-breaking, nihilsm of the first degree.

There will be racism. The country was founded on Genocide and Slavery. That stain and history never goes away. A deep scar, an in the bone racism, the Mark of Cain.

There will be Drugs. People like to get high. People believe that Drugs, I am including alchohol-abuse, are the answer. Some can't control themselves. The Drugs are too powerful, too addictive. There are folks in all walks of life, stomping around like brain-addled, drug-crazed, zombies.

There will be $. Folks sell out everything to the $. Americans think $ solve all problems, that accumulating vast sums of $ are salvation. Sure, being wealthy in America is a good & privileged thing. Solves many of the basic problems of survival. The answer to everything? For sure not. If you live for $ and turn away from Love & Meaning, you are basically a just hollow, soul-less fuck.

There will be bible-thumping. There are folks who believe every word in that musty, moldy, totally-confusing,  totally retrograde, contradictory, man-made, and man-compiled stack of pages. Folks who think Jesus was a lilly-white, nationalistic, sort of Authoritarian & Fascistic Dude. These folks are free to think and believe whatever they want, but they also want to force that shite down everyone else's throats, and to make laws based on their own very poor reading comprehension. 

There will be bad actors & chaos agents. There are folks who will happily fan the flames of Chaos & Racism for kicks and for profit. And, unfortunately, this toxic B.S. is sometimes a political winner. 

So yes,  these constants float around us. We need to see with eyes of cold clarity. Can't let it get us down. We must swim against the current, lean to the light. Hope and fight for a better day. 

Let's just say that the American Experience is a work in progress. It's easy to fall back into cynicism and hopelessness. We must not. Not a good or healthy way to live. Disappointment and failure lurk around every corner, but that's just the price of admission to being a Human Being in the USA and on this little, spinning, blue planet.

Owning Time...

Thinking about time...

We are time. We embody it. It swims past, and around us, too. Living in an ocean of time. Living in our own time. Seems essential. Making time your own. Owning time, owning up to time. Can't stop it, although, sometimes it feels like you can slow it down. Certain flow activities allow you to make time fungible. At least that's how sometimes I experience time. For instance, put a guitar in my hand and everything falls away. Even time. This morning up ungodly early. Making time my way. That's the way. The artist's way. A time artist, working with time.

Explaining the Cool & Amazing...

Yeah. I watched that "big game" yesterday. Superbowl in Sin City. Wild. Lots of glitz & glamour. Over the top Hurly-Burly. It's a very powerful, ridiculous & meaningful ritual in America. Billions of $ gambled. Untold numbers of pizza slices & chicken wings consumed. Crazy-ass commercials about Donuts, Jesus, Apartment Shopping, Soda, Beer. Yes, oceans of beer, rivers of harder stuff too. Renditions of such old-war-horse songs as America the Beautiful, the Star Spangled Banner. Super-celebrities in the stands: Beyonce, Talyor, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga. Over the top halftime show with the hip-hopping, roller blading, Usher and an overstuffed cast of thousands.

In spite of all the hubbub, and adrenaline-stoked nonsense, it was a great game. Two really good teams playing their hearts out. I am a long-time Chicago Bears fan. You know, the "love" of football is carried down thru my male ancestral line: my father, father's father, my grandfather, my grandfather's father. It's a weird, brutal game, with lots of silly, arcane rules, and quirky plays. Sit down sometime and try to explain the game to someone who never saw a game. Difficult to do. Basically, large men, running around with a pigskin in hand, pummeling each other on a field of green. But there is beauty, strategy, atheletic excellence to be found in every play of every game. Look close enough and the whole damn human experience is to be found between the goal lines. Striving for success, crushing failure, blood, guts and glory.

I don't really get emotionally caught up in football games any more. I am a bit more neutral, "intellectual" or "academic" about it. Maybe it would be different if the Bears were good again. Often I don't watch a game, but during the season, I always read Peter King's writeup on Monday mornings. He is an incedibly great reporter and sports-writer,  he is long-time football fan, keen observer, always brings the drama alive. Always has surprising insights too. His column this morning about yesterday's Super Game is exquisite as usual.

Yeah, and Patrick Mahomes. The Bears could have drafted him and whiffed. OMG. He is the "Michael Jordan" of Football, no doubt. A Superstar in a Super game. He thrives under pressure, get's better when the shit goes down. Just like Michael. Plus he is a total wild-card. A bit of a Lucky Fool. A fool who makes his own luck. Can easily improvise, break an opponent's back and spirit with total creative abandon, joy and precision. Pretty amazing.

Andy Reid, Mahomes coach, talking to Peter King about his QB, Patrick Mahomes: 

“He makes the difficult look easy,” Reid told me in his Allegiant Stadium office post-game, “at the highest possible level in the whole world. There’s only 32 in the whole world, and he’s the special of the special. I watched Tom Brady turn the keys over to him which was cool. Tom said, ‘Hey, this is your league now, man.’ Patrick’s humble, he’s competitive, he’s a great teammate, good father. He does it the right way. It’s great for young guys to see. It’s not just God-given. It’s what you do with what God gives you. Every day he comes in the huddle, he goes, ‘Let’s be great today.’ Every day. You know he means it.”

You know, pretty damn inspiring. I mean, I know it all sounds totally cliche too. But, sometimes, the cliches are very useful in explaining the cool & amazing. Really.

Wading Thru Waves of Mud & Shite...

Yikes. It's getting harder to listen to the news. Every day one has to slog thru waves of urelenting mud and shite. Not easy trying to find clarity, wisdom and common sense. The cultural landscape seems to have fractured. It seems like our "major institutions" are tilting and cracking under the weight of an onslaught of bullshit.

I am an optimistic, progressive sort, but it's often a freaking chore to do the parsing, the wading, the trying to make sense of things. Sometimes, for sanity's sake, I need to just tune to it all out. I turn to art, music, literature, and often, I find myself meditating in a determined and concentrated silence. 

It's a bit of a turning away. A defensive move.  A strategy for survival, better living, keeping my head on straight. I find myself tying to find a healthy neutrality, a distance, a space in my head to process and deal with the deal.

I am reading Jeff Tweedy's book "World Within a Song."  Yep. It's great. Funny. Insightful. Jeff talks about how music changed his life at an early age. And I find myself exclaiming: "Yes, me too!'

This morning I am listening to three "miracle" albums. Music made by wild-ass creatives, folks doing their thing with wild abandon. Totally unique, & inspiring works. Uncommon. Extraordinary.  I am talking about Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (1998), the Pogues "Rum, Sodomy &  Lash"  (1985), Jeff Tweedy & Wilco's "Summerteeth." (1999). Everything is to be found in the grooves. There is joy, light and enlighenment in these albums and songs. Gives me hope in the midst of the mud and shite.

"The Truth Has A Liberal Bias - Truly!"

Ha. This is something that was originally floated as a joke, that turns out to be true: "The Truth has a Liberal Bias." And there is a study to confirm that conclusion. I suppose I love this article and the study because it confirms my perception of the political landscape and the broader cultural conversation too.

As a pretty enthusiastic Liberal I do my best to sift thru information and come to smart, right and true conclusions. And, I'm open and willing to change my mind if the reality demands it. I think of that as knowledge and wisdom. A smart way to navigate the world. But even my conclusions are up for a rethink if the science, the data, the reality of life confilcts with my preconceived notions. I find it best to keep my "conclusions" open-ended, open-minded, you know things like, Life is Good, Also Life is kind of a Mystery, A Better Day is possible, All Human Beings have a right to a happy, good, fulfilling reality, you know, that kind of dreamy liberal stuff.

You know, I think that all knowledge is up for examination. Everything is partial, tentative, life is a working towards things. And that's ok. We can learn, always be learning, adjusting, rethinking, evolving, morphing, trying on new ideas, trying new things. That's a powerful, liberal way to live.

This is so contrary to the Coversative, Right Wing, MAGA, Lunatic world view. In that camp, those folks cling to their madnesses, their idiocies, their biases, their prejudices. They seem to want to impose their views on life and everyone in it. They will tell you Science doesn't matter, the data doesn't matter, really, reality doesn't matter. They want to believe what they want to believe, and really they want to impose their world-views on the rest of us. They have invented a whole information system that basically tells them the lies they want to believe. Talk about a distorted hall of mirrors.

It seems too cut and dried. Too black and white. But, over the years, it seems pretty much true.  Liberals are for the most part on the side of the truth-seekers, Conservatives not so much. Funny how that has played out. 

Magnificent & Glorious...

I had a "nightmare r&r show" awhile back. My Telecaster failed, and I sort of spontaneously combusted on stage. Quite memorable, in a pretty bad way.

Ever since I have been trying to do a little mojo repair. Small steps forward. Last night, I got the chance to get back up on stage with 7 other musicians, creating a hurricane of sound. It was a stellar outing. No broken strings, no flubs, no hesitation, no kerfluffles, no fuckups. 

It was incredibly hot on  a very crowded stage under the glowing stage lights. The temps outside were unseasonably warm, inside it was a steaming hot-house. I wore a dark coat, and quickly found myself in a pool of sweat. But, this time, I was not hot and bothered, instead, I was totally in the moment, alive, aware and flying. 

It was magnificent and glorious. The band played a fabulous set. The audience went wild. It was quite sastifying. Afterwards, folks raved about our performance. Seems we really connected with the audience. Very gratifying. That's how you reconstitute the mojo.  Just like that.

Immunity for Citizen Trump?! "No way, Jose!"

 If you care about our country, you know, USA, this column from George Conway in the Atlantic is an essential read. It's a review of the Appelate Court decision & ruling against Citizen Trump. The gist? "No man is above the law!" Specifically, in this case, it has been decided that a former President is not immune from the consequences of his actions. Maybe seems obvious, but in these crazy times, nothing can be taken for granted. It is worth reading the whole thing. Really, I mean, everyone should. 

A few highlights:

"Unanimous. No air. Tight as a drum. The court’s per curiam opinion—per curiam meaning “for the court,” in that no individual judge authored it—is all that and more. It’s a masterful example of judicial craftsmanship on many levels. The opinion weaves together the factual context, the constitutional text, the judicial precedent, history, the parties’ concessions, and razor-sharp reasoning, with no modicum of judicial and rhetorical restraint, to produce an overwhelmingly cohesive, and inexorably convincing, whole. The opinion deserves a place in every constitutional-law casebook, and, most important—are you listening, members of the Supreme Court?—requires no further review."

And...

"For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution."

The Coup de Grace:

"Former President Trump’s alleged efforts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election were, if proven, an unprecedented assault on the structure of our government. He allegedly injected himself into a process in which the President has no role—the counting and certifying of the Electoral College votes—thereby undermining constitutionally established procedures and the will of Congress …

We cannot accept former President Trump’s claim that a President has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power—the recognition and implementation of election results. Nor can we sanction his apparent contention that the Executive has carte blanche to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count.

At bottom, former President Trump’s stance would collapse our system of separated powers by placing the President beyond the reach of all three Branches. Presidential immunity against federal indictment would mean that, as to the President, the Congress could not legislate, the Executive could not prosecute and the Judiciary could not review. We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter. Careful evaluation of these concerns leads us to conclude that there is no functional justification for immunizing former Presidents from federal prosecution in general or for immunizing former President Trump from the specific charges in the Indictment. In so holding, we act, “not in derogation of the separation of powers, but to maintain their proper balance.”

Seems definitive to this Humble Pilgrim and American Citizen.  A great ruling. Super-gratifying. Wonder what happens next?!

Lean to the Light...

"I prefer to remember the good times. Not dwell on the bad times."

Right. Lean to the light. Emphasize the good. That's a Mojo-builder right there. 

Sure. Take the hits. As per Samuel Beckett, we all take the "pricks & kicks." That's life. Remember where they came from. Remember  the who, what, where, when and why. Know your enemies. Know who your enemies are.

"Take what you need, and you leave the rest." Good times/Bad times. All of your experiences are basic learning tools. Lessons. Ha. Funny that.

What is it that Conan the Barbarian once said? "That Which Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Stronger." Sure. I mean, it's only a comic book hero saying things in a comic book world, but you find the wisdom where you can.

Damn the topedoes. Full speed ahead. Be like a well-made time-piece: "Take a licking, and keep on ticking." There is nobility in defying the naysayers, the bullies, those who seek to destroy you. Be careful of those you let close to you. There are the wolves in sheep's clothing, and dark enemies pretending to be glad-handing "friends."  Remember, often, "familiarity breeds contempt."

P.S. As I type the words above, I am listening to Shawn Macgowan and the Pogues great album "Rum, Sodomy & the Lash" (1985). Brilliant. Songs of Experience. Just the finest stuff. The perfect soundtrack for one trying to heal, to renew, and to carry on despite the shite, the turmoil, the toil and trouble, the dark hurly-burly that life throws your way.

Rebuilding Mojo...

How to rebuild (see previous post), your Mojo?

Slowly. One step at a time.

For instance, a restful sleep, a couple of nourishing meals, keeping busy making all your appointed rounds. You know, just embracing the day. Walking around in the neighborhood helps a bit. 

I fell back on some of my most essential activities. I listened to some great music from Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Anders Parker, Steely Dan & Mogwai.

I am also reading "You Dreamed of Empires," by Alvaro Enrigue. Cortez the Killer, Montezuma, the Spanish Expedition, the Aztec empire, psychedlic murshrooms, tomatoes, and mole sauce. Really!  Brutal blood sacrifice, crazy-ass Shamans. It is all quite head-spinning, & a funny, wild ride. Captivating and fun.

I also, and maybe most definitely, took Jeff Tweedy's advice, "How to Write One Song," and wrote one song. Yes. A one-day, one afternoon, wonder. I played a borrowed, small-bodied, mahogony, Martin guitar, composed the lyrics in Google Docs, and played, and sang, into a small digital recorder.

The song came out in a flurry of emotion and motion. I submerged myself into the process. Time stood-still, and then it just flew by. Lately my last 3 songs have come out of negative stimulus; feeling low, out of sorts, and empty. 2 of those songs are now in our band's sets. Funny how that happens.

Not sure about this latest one. Newly-hatched. I really like the riffs, not sure about the lyrics. Pretty raw. But, for sure, a blast of creativity, complete. Not sure if it will make it's way to the band in our rehearsal room. Maybe? 

Mojo slowly starts to flow back. I cleared the darkness. Venturing back into the light. Yes, indeed, that's how to do it.

Contradictory, and Essential...

1st: "Know thyself."

2nd: "Don't take yourself too seriously."

Yes. Good advice. Being a Human Being. Comes with lots of baggage. You are partial and limited. Best to embrace it.

"I am what I am." - Popeye the Sailor Man

"Don't confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them." - Jackson Browne from "These Days." Yes, amazing, Jackson wrote that line and song at the tender age of 16. 

I was recently confronted with series of my own very personal failures. Very, very humbling, as in "to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of.." Yep. A total mojo-killer. And it came from a friendly corner. Which made it all seem so much more toxic.

To be seen so clearly & truthfully. A powerful, humbling, humiliating judgement. A blow to a certain confidence. 

What to do? 

Carry on. Damn the topedoes. Pull in your wings. Dig in. Do the work. Lean to the light. Decide you will not be defined by your failures. Sure, crash and burn, but then what? I think of words like:

Heal. Change. Grow. Flourish. Adapt. Morph. Evolve. Learn. 

Embrace humility, and humbleness, with a renewed confidence. Make that renewed humility a strength. Contradictory, and essential.

Life is Transformation, Transfiguration...

Maybe we all  possess an unchanging, totally fundamental, and unique "original essence." Maybe somewhere deep in the core of our being there is a kernal, or  a hard-nut-spark that holds firm throughout a life. Maybe. 

At the same time, no doubt, we are all always changing. Our bodies, every cell & emotion, our minds, every thought & idea, are subject to fluctuation. We are always morphing, evolving, adapting, repsonding to everything around us. For some of us, change comes easy, for others, change comes hard. Dylan tells us: "He not busy being born is busy dying." Maybe the truly living are always hatching a new person?

We cling to certain ideal of continuity, we hold onto certain personality traits, we construct a sequential narrative of a life. We fool ourselves into thinking that the narrative is set, that the story of our lives can only be told one way, that there is consistency in the telling, but really, the truth is the narrative too is always changing, it is always subject to revision and major edits. These revisions and edits are sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic. Sometimes they are so subtle we don't even notice the stories of our lives are now completely new and truly different. 

You wake up one morning and just know that you are not the same person you used to be. How you got here, how you arrived at this particular moment is sort of  a mystery. You remember other places and times, but that version of "you," in those earlier scenes is not the "you now." Weird. For sure. You find that you are a stranger to yourself. All your habits and routines have morphed, evolved, changed. 

And maybe that is what it means to live a life. It is an act of transformation, and an act of transfiguration. Maybe that is a good life. A life of change. A becoming. Always becoming. Those not evolving, not adapting, not changing? That would be a deadness. A dead-end. Change. We can embrace change. To not fear change, but to embrace it, maybe it really, truly is essential to a healthy, good, rewarding, fulfilling life?

Embrace Your Fate...

Do you believe in Fate?

Why do I ask? This phrase has been floating around in my head the last few days: "Embrace Your Fate."

I am not sure where that came from, what triggered it. It's just been a little cloud circulating thru my neocortex. It's been a bit of a taunt, a prophecy, a motto.

For some reason I think of a blade of grass, a frog, an ant, a sperm cell. Not so different from a Human Being. All born in a particular time & place, into a Universe propelled by Evolution, a mysterious reality, always evolving.

We all live our fate.

I don't think of it as surrender. Embracing is an active affirmation. Fate = "a power that some people believe causes and controls all events, so that you cannot change or control the way things will happen."

Sounds so Universal. All-encompassing. Living and embracing your fate? Yes. Of course. Let go the wheel and fly.  Those wings are metaphorical, but that's ok. Fly. Sure. Why not? "Damn the torpedoes."

Lucky Pagans...

A long, unrelenting, string of cold and gray days around here. For those paying attention to the weather it was all a bit oppressive and depressive. Yesterday, broke the string, blue sky and sunshine appeared like a benevolent god. Temps near 50 degrees. It was a religious experience. Maybe there is wisdom in "worshipping nature?" Sometimes a loving, benevolent force, sometimes a very cruel & uncaring energy? The higher power, non-human, "god energy," both kind & cruel.

My partner and I are "nature lovers," Pagans, human beings tuned into the wonders of nature, and the natural world. We are beings of nature too. So, yes, after a flurry of activity, attending to our appointed rounds, it was natural for us to meet on the lakefront, to take a long bike ride, and to shelter in place at our "sun spot," with our backs up against an enormous stone wall, bathing in the rays of the sun.

Everything fell away under all that blue and shine. It was a worship service for us. We talked about everything and nothing. Words really weren't all that important. We lingered in the moment to moment, which seemed to slow down, and stand still. A very happy state, indeed. 

My partner turned to me and said: "We are lucky." Yes. It's true. Sometimes we don't feel lucky, but, really, we are very, very lucky. Funny to say it. Don't want to tempt fate. But, yes, lucky, true.  We can often say, "time is our own." Totally in tune with the natural world, and with time. That's when we know we are fully aligned and running fine, and true.

Like Jazz...

"Life is a lot like jazz. It's best when you improvise." - George Gershwin

Yes.  So good. Learn the basics, and then, try new things. Always. Be open to the music of the day, the music of the Universe. Go. Flow. Dance.