Thoughts, Words, Images Collide this Morning!

Everything this morning reminds me the mystery of our lives. Thoughts, words, images collide.

Words. I think of the inadequacy of words. They are our friends but they can also mislead us. We sometimes think that the universe is made of words. We confuse the map for the territory. 

Think "river." The word conjures an image in our heads. But each of us "sees" their own version of a river. And of course the word doesn't do the phenomenon, the process, the reality of what a river actually is any sort of justice. The word is an attempt but also a sort of lie.

I pull some Tarot cards this morning Art/Alchemy, the Queen of Swords. Images. Iconic. Mythological. Another way of describing a world, a moment, an interior state.

And then I read Ray Pride in New City and read: The eye... “It’s the neon demon!” he says. “You can’t destroy it. The eye is more powerful than our reality. Our perception is more important than what is essentially there.”

Mysterious Nature of Life!

Yes, well, when it comes down to it, I go with "mystery." Huge portions of my life are unexplained & unknown. Especially to me.

I have spent much of my time on earth trying to figure things out. And it slowly dawned on me that the most important things in our lives or at least my life, are actually pretty "unfigure-out-able."

There were times in my life when this realization was a bit disappointing. But now, not so much. I am on the search for "wisdom"  (or - wiz-dom!)  But there are no great expectations. I am not unhappy with the mysterious nature of life.

Word.

"A man of his word." Right? If you can't trust someone's word, you can't trust that person. Trust - a belief that someone is reliable, good, honest.

There are the words, and then the followup, the action. We expect the word and the action to line-up, work together. When they don't, we are all at sea.

The Universe is Not An Edifice of Facts!

We wear these faces. They are masks.
We inhabit these bodies. They are containers/vehicles.
We are flooded with thoughts and feelings. They are rivers and streams that run thru us.
We are essentially spirits. Invisible. Intangible. The four winds.
We think the universe is built on facts. Facts are flimsy, inadequate constructions of our minds.
Our minds can't encompass the universe. We are left with spirit, even if we can't hold it in our hands or minds.

Go to the Light!

Yes. Go to the light. Sounds like a good plan. Light a candle. Pray. Chant. Call on the "Spirit Guides" to help guide your friend to the light. Yes, our friend did like nature. They loved nature. Finding a spot near a waterfall sounds perfect.

Klosterman Goes for the Bad Guy!

The villain. Right. Why are we attracted to the villain? Maybe not so much in real life, but in fiction for sure? That's the subject of Chuck Klosterman's "I Wear the Black Hat."  I just started reading it last night. Yes, another brilliant book by Klosterman. He never fails to deliver. He's always twisting your brain. 

He is sort of a pop cultural philosopher. 

He makes you think Bernard Goetz is a real-life Batman. Sort of. And Muhammad Ali was a pretty blatant racist. No doubt. And it's not really all that important to actually hate the Eagles. Okay, watch the documentary on the Eagles and you really will hate them. For sure.

And Chuck explains how maybe our opinions about good and bad aren't really all that important anyway. And we are always making shit up to justify things that just pop into our heads.

Like I said, pretty damn brilliant.

Michael Herr One of the Great Ones.

Michael Herr has died. One of the great writers. Of all time. "Dispatches" is one of my all-time favorite books. It's non-fiction, about Vietnam and the war. The best writing imaginable. I just recently re-read it. Life. Death. Blood. Mad. Surreal. Just the absolute best.

Herr also worked on "Apocalypse Now," (all that great narration spoken by Martin Sheen was written by Herr) and "Full Metal Jacket." 

Later in life he "resented his celebrity," gave up writing, and turned to Buddhism.  And there in a nutshell is the reality of the human thing. 

"The Future Has Become Unpredictable, And So Has The Past."

I didn't realize Brexit would be so fascinating. Like a big reflecting diamond. Lights up so many issues/topics. Yesterday I plunged into reading about Britain's exit from the EU - The New York Times and Vox provided an amazing array of great writing on the Brexit phenomenon. 

You think it's a dry topic. Nope. Turns out everything comes into play. The battle of young & old. The longing for a mythical past. Worry about an uncertain future. Anger about a confusing present. Winners, losers, a global world churning and burning.

Many questions left hanging in the air: Who are we? Where are we going? Are we all in this great adventure together? Or really is it all against all?

Loved Rachel Donadio's "Reporter's Notebook." She tells us "nationalism is now back in." And then there's this great quote: "The future has become unpredictable, and so has the past.

I was also excited to discover a very cool blog The Strix. You know you have discovered a writer of distinction when he/she has elevated the conversation by bringing Socrates, Plato and Machiavelli into the conversation. Thrilling!

Division!

The Dali Lama reminds us that we are "Human Beings first." But there's only one Dali Lama. The rest of us, struggle with our demons.

As Human Beings - we are really good at division. Dividing old from young, rich from poor, elite from common, Christian from Muslim, White from Black (or Brown, or Red), city from rural, male from female, straight from gay, Etc.

On our good days we see love, beauty, kindness, generosity, tolerance, brotherhood.

On our bad days we see hate, anger, selfishness, intolerance,  jealously, war vs. all.

Most days it's a battle between the good and bad. A constant flux and churn.

Bold Step into the Past!

Brexit. It wasn't the number one issue on my radar. My first, fairly uniformed reaction: Britain voted against the future and jumped right back into the past. 

You think the future is inevitable. But there is always a churn, and the future isn't really what you think it is. You may have hope for a big united global community, but you also know that that reality is a long, long way away.

BTW - Felix Salmon gives us a good idea about this whole issue. A good read.

Felix: "The result is that we are now entering a world in retreat from progress, a world of atavistic nationalisms and mutual distrust, a world in which we demonize foreigners and prefer walls to bridges. In November, the U.S. will have its own plebiscite, and will likely vote along similar lines to Britain. The cities, and the young, will vote for progress, inclusion, and unity. Meanwhile, the white, rural areas and the old will vote for a sepia-tinged dream of a past in which equality was something only straight white men really qualified for."

Congressional Sit-In!

A congressional sit-in? Really? Kind of warms the heart. Demanding a common-sense vote on guns?  John Lewis, American Hero. Yes. Of course. About time. So glad to see that a few of our paid representatives have the gumption and energy to do something, anything, to protest the gun madness. The obstructionists of the GOP are absolutely letting the country down. Blood on their hands.

Yes, Extremely Funny!

The Saga of the Short-Fingered Vulgarian...

At first I laughed. It was quite enjoyable to watch the Vulgarian mow down the other 16 GOP contenders. He absolutely destroyed Bush, then Cruz. The GOP Godzilla.  And then there was the worrying phase. "Holy shit. This guy actually has people supporting him."

That phase didn't last long.

"The cheese stood alone." And kept talking. Off the top of his head. And it got to be funny again. The Short-Fingered Vulgarian is actually scamming the GOP. Not running a serious campaign. He has no clue how to raise money, no clue how to bone up on the issues, how to appeal to anyone who isn't a racist, misogynist, or xenophobic lunatic.

And he has no money to speak of to run a campaign, and isn't wired to ask other billionaires for money. This is an empty suit running a scam. And the GOP is the mark, the chump, the sucker.

That's funny. Extremely funny.

Summer Single!

Yesterday it was a full moon and the Summer Solstice. Supposedly that hasn't happened since 1967. So a special day.  Cosmically special, right?

To celebrate, our band whitewolfsonicprincess decided to release a "Summer Single" - one of the 1st songs we ever wrote together.

"Everything is Everything" is now a FREE download on BandCamp. It's probably the closest we have ever gotten to a "Summer Single!" Stream it, download it, share it, etc. It's our gift to the universe! 

Various & Random

Various, random thoughts/questions swirling in my head yesterday...

1. Can a Universe get tired, weary, overburdened, run-down, cranky?

2. There are stretches of vast beauty in the land. And stretches of terrible blight. Much of our heartland seems like the "Land of the Left Behind." Burned out. Abandoned, run-down. No visible means of sustainability. Dead zones. 

3. Reality is big and complicated. Contradictory. Is it possible that everything is not as good as it used to be? Or is that just the reflection of being seasoned, I mean, relatively old?

4. It's good to get out of the neighborhood. It's funny when people say things like: "You're not from around here, are you?" 

5. When someone from "over there" asks you: "Are you from California?" They don't mean it as a compliment.

6. Everything sounds better on the radio. Especially if they are playing a song from your latest record!

7. Robert Plant's "Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar" is such a great album. Perfect road music. Plant really continues to do the good work. In fact, I'd say his late career music is as good as anything out there in the music-verse.

8. Pretzel roll! I have found my new love. My friend tells me they are so "last year." But I have fallen in love with pretzel rolls. I don't care if I'm late to the party, or missed it all together. I say "Pretzel roll!"

Restful. Not So Restful.

Oh how human. You have a "restful" sleep. You zoned out for about 9 hours. Let the sun rise without you. That's rare. You should feel recharged and expectant. Face the day with renewed vigor. 

But of course, it's not like that. Dimly recalled dreams call into question your very existence. A sense of futility, missed connections, a series of failures and disruptions. And you wonder "What is my purpose?" And "Why am I here?" And "How the hell am I gonna make it thru?"

So, not really so restful. Or maybe yes, very well-rested and totally invalidated.  A headful of questions. I wonder if the coffee this morning can change the conversation in my head?

Taste. Not What We Think.

Taste.  We like what we like, because we like it. Or maybe we like what we like because people we like, like it. Taste is a complicated topic. And it's one of those things where there is no there "there."

My friend doesn't like mushrooms. Why? "They feel funny in my mouth." That's as good as any other reason you can come up with when it comes to taste.

And taste changes. It's not intuitive or in-built. It is malleable. And we build our lives and personalities on this shifting mound of sand.

But change is good. Our tastes can change. What I like today might not be what I like tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day.

"Personal Insult, Racist Woofing, and Misogynist Bile..."

Yesterday I came across David Remnick writing about Hillary Clinton and the Short Fingered Vulgarian. I do love the way the man writes a sentence.

"Has a national election ever suggested a more vividly divergent choice? Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye for decades, and her ideology, her instincts, her mistakes, her victories, her intelligence and character, her resilience are as exposed as those of any candidate in recent memory. Donald Trump—gaudy real-estate brander, reality-show star, educational huckster—has been in the glare just as long, but as a bit player in the national phantasmagoria. Not anymore: with his puckered scowl and his preposterous narcissism, he clinched the Republican nomination with ease, serially vanquishing sixteen rivals rendered hapless by a campaign that made improvisation its organizing principle and fuelled itself on an unending stream of personal insult, racist woofing, and misogynist bile."

Character Studies.

Character study. Yes. I think I've always been more interested in the characters of a story than the plot. As an aspiring writer I quickly grew weary of English Lit, and switched to Psychology, thinking if I was ever to write anything worthwhile, I needed to try to understand human beings and the way they thought and acted. 

What makes a human being a human being?

It's a life-long thing. Try to understand your own motives and actions too. A complicated web for sure. So the latest mind-boggling, heart-rending tragedy in Orlando - the shooter is a character worthy of a Dostoyevsky.

A man "sick in the head." Seems there was a war raging in the man's head - rage, self-hate, hate of "the other." Instead of suicide, a mass murder of innocents. So sad, so terrible. Actions of a human being, being human - inhuman, monstrous. A very troubled mind. 

We want to understand that which is totally not understandable. And absorb another tragedy.

Trump - American Nazi!

Kevin Drum over at Mother Jones is pretty much a middle of the road, moderate Democrat. Not extreme. Not an over the top worrier. Does not fan the flames. Is always looking at the data. Trying to be clear-headed, clear-minded. He along with Paul Krugman are pretty much my "go-to" political writers. 

So when Drum describes the Short-Fingered Vulgarian's "industrialized racism," I do take notice. It is remarkable how quickly the Vulgarian has devolved into "fantasies of the Third Reich."

Think of him as "Hitler-Lite!" Or "Toy Hitler." Crazy? Right? Only if you don't believe a word the man says, which is understandable. But if you do listen to the man, and take him seriously, you realize he is imagining some kind of grand demonization and "manifest depravity" of epic proportions.

Now that being said, I do not think this abomination of a human being will be elected President. There are not enough racists/Nazis in America at the moment. He's a fringe candidate leading a major political party. But he is a truly dangerous phenomenon, an obvious fraud, blowhard, and trumped up Nazi, fanning the flames of fear and racism. 

The man is clearly out of his element. Most of what he says is not rational, not ready for polite company. And he does not represent a valid, political movement. Yes, he should, and will be, crushed. That's if he doesn't walk away from it all before the convention, or before the election.

This Nazi will not be President. But maybe it's all instructive for us to witness the blatant depravity of his ignorance, arrogance and racism. Maybe America can learn from this black hole of political ugliness.

Move the Conversation Forward...

The political stalemate over guns is maddening. And seems like a sickness. A branch of crazy. Lax gun laws. Easy access to military-style weapons. And mass shootings just continue to roll out.

Troubled human beings. Armed to the teeth. 

America's love affair with guns is a sickness. And the politicians who stand in the way of sensible gun laws have blood on their hands.

Maybe if we change the language, the way we define, discuss, and frame, the issue can move the conversation forward. I hope so.

For instance: "It's time to talk about gun control as a way to stop terrorism."

Acts of Psychosis...

Yes. Some times something happens and there's really nothing to say. That's how I feel this morning. There's a tremendous sadness hanging over me. A tremendous sadness for us all.

I think Kevin Drum gets it right: "Terrorism and Lunacy are not the same thing." Often we are talking about an act of "psychosis" when we are describing acts of terror - delusions, paranoia, mental disorders, irrational hatred.

In our society we must add in the easy access to weapons designed to kill many people very quickly. It is a bad and deadly combo.

And as B. Obama tells it "inaction in the face of mass shootings is also a political act."

"There is no step three..."

This "mock ad" from the Clinton campaign is pretty hilarious. Of course, it's also "true." Trump University was a classic fraud. A scam. 

I do wonder about, and feel sorry for, my fellow Americans who actually thought it would be good idea to give money to Trump U to what, to become more Trump-like? The mind reels at the gullibility of human beings.

Mockery. Yes. Great way to take down a bully. Mock him. And man, oh man, is this guy a big fat juicy target.

Positive and Optimistic!

Hot around here. Yesterday afternoon we found ourselves at the neighborhood coffeehouse, sitting outside, in the shade, sipping excellent coffee beverages. A group of us were talking politics. So much fear and worry on people's minds.

It's funny. I was the most positive and optimistic of the bunch. I am feeling really good about the upcoming election. I know it will be sort of a slog, and there is more madness and ugliness to wade through, but when the dust settles, I do believe that a Woman will be finally sworn is as President of the USA. And this will be a great thing.

And I'm not sure, but I do think that this particular Woman has the potential to be a tremendous President. She's smart, tough, and she will be leading an energized party. I have great hope that a new, more progressive era begins.

And I am also positive that Obama will be remembered as one of the greatest Presidents we ever were lucky to have in office. He is a brilliant man. He has navigated through tough times with absolutely no help at all from the bat-shit crazy GOP. 

This video just makes me so happy. It's so good. Kind of takes you through the highlights of the Obama era. I miss the man already. I do wish I could vote for him again, and again. Fie on the 22nd amendment!  Jimmy Fallon, the Roots and Obama! Big love!

The Most Important Speech of the Year.

Yesterday Elizabeth Warren made the most important political speech of the year. You can watch it in full here (highly recommended):

Yes, it's a complete takedown of the Short-Fingered Vulgarian. She absolutely destroys the man. With facts. Hard, cold facts.

But more importantly as Jeff Stein of Vox explains, the speech made a much bigger argument about the Republican party and how they have systematically attacked the rule of law, and tried to bend it to benefit Corporations and the wealthy. Folks like Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions have obstructed judges nominated by Barack Obama just because has has nominated good judges who follow the rule of law.

The speech really ties it all together. Beautifully. Yes, it's a takedown of the "nasty thin-skinned fraud" but it makes the case for a complete overhaul of the Senate and House.

I'm rooting for a wave election with a Woman in the White House and lots of new progressive Dems in both chambers of Congress. Thank you Elizabeth Warren. Fantastic!

Life - It's Organic!

Organic growth. That's one way to think of your life. "Of, relating to, or obtained from living things."  Your life is organic in itself. A slow unfolding. No artificial ingredients

Also, no plan. Lots of aimless wandering and spinning. Sometimes spinning out. A few dead-ends. Hard stops. Detours. You emerge, as you emerge.

Early on you may have been attracted to the odd cases, the wizened souls, the interesting characters. And then, one day, you realize you are all that, and more, or less. But not exactly what you imagined you would be.

And you are still living, growing, emerging. At least as long as you breathe...

whitewolfsonicprincess on WGN Radio - The Nick Digilio Show - Weds Morn!

I just don't have the R&R lifestyle thing down. Stay up late. Play music on the big-time Chicago radio Station! Yes whitewolfsonicprincess (3 of us) were on WGN, the Nick Digilio Show... and still up early with the sun and the birds. 

It's that damn coffee machine. It calls me from the kitchen, "Get in here, brew a pot of coffee and let's get started."

I will sleep later. I have coffee to drink and plans to hatch! BTW- Nick was just the best - funny and cool!

Go Woman!

Yeah. This election will be an easy one for me. The first Woman nominated to run for President by a major U.S. political party VS. A Confirmed, Over the Top, Racist?

I can vote and sleep easy, no matter what happens after election day. I will vote my conscience, I will vote enthusiastically. I will hope for a better tomorrow. Go Woman!

Scam-Artist, Flim-Flam Man!

You can call the guy names. But that doesn't really get to the heart of it. He really is a scam-artist, a film-flam man, a human being totally unqualified to seek the office he is supposedly seeking.

Even his intention to be the Big Kahuna seems like some kind of scam or bluff. It's hard to believe he really wants the job. Actually, it's hard to believe he wants any job, except being himself, he is just a brand name, seeking things in which to slap his brand upon. What an exquisite blow-hard extraordinaire. A blow-hard of epic proportions.

And there is a deep ugliness about the whole scam. But maybe it is that ugliness that he is really selling us. And the ugliness is latent in our politics. The deep ugliness is a feature, not a flaw of the man, and the "movement" (Neo-Reaction?). So if you point out the racism, the misogyny, the xenophobia, the authoritarianism and bullying, well you are actually pointing out the strong points of this particular phenomenon.

Doubt, Fear, Guilt, Worry.

Doubt, fear, guilt, worry. 

Sometimes you think it would be better to live without these things.  Clear your mind. Drop the baggage. Live clean.

But then again maybe they are useful tools. Tools that must be used wisely. It's all about proportion and balance.

Clear skies, cloudy skies.  Each has their benefits and positive attributes. So guilt can be useful. Worry, fear, doubt too...

"I aint' got no quarrel with those Vietcong..." - M. A.

I heard the news today. Decades of my life flashed inside my head. And the tears, they fell like rain...

"Floats like a Butterfly, stings like a bee..."

Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali - 1942 - 2016

“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.” M.A.

"It just doesn't matter..."

Bad Day? An astrophysicist explains why "It just doesn't matter."

Yes, the immensity of space does freak me out. Toss in the immensity of time too. Space and time. Both immensities totally do freak me out. Against those two mind-boggling immensities there is me/you. Tiny, insignificant, me/you.

It can be overwhelming. And ego-deflating. 

"Sure, space is unimaginably vast, and you're just a tiny speck of speckiness in the vast wheeling cosmos. But does that mean you're insignificant and unimportant? Yes, it does. And that's awesome because what that means is you're off the hook."

This astrophysicist advises us to embrace our insignificance. No matter what happens, at our level of tiny-ness, "It just doesn't matter." I suppose this totally contradicts one of my core ideas - "Everything counts." But then again, maybe not.

How about "Yes, everything counts and, yes, guess what, it just doesn't matter?!?"

A Leap to Goat!

You think transgender is a leap? To go from male to female, or female to male, or to be indeterminate? Not such a big deal.

How about going from a man to a goat? Or a badger?  Now that's a leap. I have to say that I thought Joshua Rothman's article in the New Yorker was funny. Super-funny.

Not sure if trying to live like a goat in every way possible is ridiculous, fabulous, silly, a pathology, or what. Maybe a bit of all of that. Once we go past imagination, observation & study and try to make the leap into another species, I think we are entering some kind of zone of madness.

Still lots of interesting ideas surfaced in the reading. Especially the concept of "Umwelt" - a "self-centered world." Each species is coming from a completely different world, dictated by their environment. When we as human beings talk about other species, and try to measure them in relation to human beings, we do them a great disservice.  Our worlds are so different. 

"Literally, Umwelt means “surroundings,” but those surroundings can be cognitive and existential as well as physical. “Umwelt stresses an organism’s self-centered, subjective world, which represents only a small tranche of all available worlds,” de Waal explains. A reindeer’s Umwelt includes forests lit with ultraviolet light. An eyeless tick’s includes not just the smell of butyric acid, which wafts from mammalian skin, but the years-long wait for a moment of succulent opportunity. "

Our Job on the Planet!

Yes. So what is our job here on the planet? Be aware. Be awake. Pay attention. Cultivate compassion & empathy. Tell stories. Good stories. Stories others want to hear. Stories that inspire. Take nothing for granted. Remember that every step, every thought, every action counts. Remember you are in charge of yourself. You are the boss of you. You are connected to everything and everyone. You are unique. You are like & unlike any other being that lives, or has lived, or will live. Unlike and alike at the same time. Enjoy your time. It's precious.

The Heart of the Matter - Atoms vs. Stories!

Our lives: 3 Billion Heartbeats (give or take)... 

"Poetic Naturalism." -- The universe is made of atoms. We are made of atoms. But our understanding of the universe is a story. For us, the universe is a rollicking mass of stories.

"Purpose and meaning in life arise through fundamentally human acts of creation, rather than being derived from anything outside ourselves." - S. Carroll

The world is the world. We get to choose how we decide to talk about the world. We choose the stories we tell...

In the Past, Now in the Moment!

The last few weeks, the past keeps slapping me upside the head. The longer I live, the longer the past gets. Usually, I am not a backward-turning type. I would rather look forward, than back.

What am I gonna do today, not what did I do yesterday. 

Of course, I don't want to forget the past, or at least not most of it. And it's all probably written in my bones whether I want it to be or not.

I am the past. All those events over the years add up to me now. It's a process. I can look at it all as a strange, crooked, path: missteps, false starts, dead ends. But I can't imagine really changing the past.

I mean, that's not right. Sure, I'd like to change some events in the past, but it's not possible. I can choose to forget, or I can re-interpret, or re-imagine, the past, but knowingly doing that would be a lie. Right?

Better to remember where you came from. Helps you understand who you are now. And what I am in this moment is informed by what I was over the years. 

So yes, don't need to wallow in the past, the past is all around me, like a halo, every moment. I am the past now in the moment.

Always a Better Day!

Put your finger on the problem? I would say, a crisis of spirit - a deficit or lack, or a deep unmet need. Not a spiritual crisis - typically caused by a spontaneous spiritual experience.

We don't have enough spontaneous spiritual experiences. Or if we do, we don't recognize them, or accept them, or just don't see/feel them.

Speak to the people. Meet and greet. There is a great yawning need. A gap. A burning churn. A great lack -  of belief, of meaning, of purpose.

I am not big on the "religion thing," but I am all about spirit. I am pretty sure we must believe in the power of belief. We must be careful of what we choose to believe. We must choose wisely.

There are some basics to my belief: We are more than our bodies. We are all connected. There is a mystery underlying our existence. We are a small part of a much bigger puzzle. Everything counts.

We are everything and nothing. It's complicated.

We get to choose our belief, our meaning, our purpose. Surprisingly, mysteriously, no matter what, I believe in a better day. Always a better day... laughter, love, wonder... and that's enough...

The "Meg Thing!"

I was talking to a friend about the "Meg thing," (see previous post), and he thought the whole thing was childish. To break up a band after an argument about Meg's drumming style... "They're acting like 8 year olds!"

I thought to myself, but didn't say, "No, you don't get it!" 

Aesthetics. What is good. What is beautiful. A disagreement on fundamentals is the most intense and important kind of disagreement. It can be fatal to a group. 

It helps if people are on the same wavelength - a shared vision, but, of course, differences can also feed the collaboration and make a group stronger. It depends, right? 

But, no, not childish. Or not only childish, deeply important too.

It Came Down to Meg!

A friend's band, an up and coming outfit, just broke up. They did some nice shows. Did a little tour. Appeared on a big time radio show. Why did they break up? 

Artistic differences!

It all came down to an argument about the White Stripes. Remember them? One band member absolutely loves Meg White's intuitive, innocent, child-like and musically crazy drumming skills. Loose, sloppy. Short of technique, but pretty amazing. Feeling trumps technique.

The other band member thinks her sloppiness, her loose-ness, is messy and terrible. No skill, no technique. Sinks the Stripes sound. Technique trumps feeling.

Put me, of course, in the first camp. Love Meg!

UPDATE: As for Jack, no question. Meg and her intuitive approach to the drum kit was the heart and soul of the White Stripes. Check out his conversation with Kot & Derogatis on Sound Opinions to hear it first-hand!

"We don't want a revolution..."

A good friend reminds me - "We don't want a revolution." As Chairman Mao once said, "Revolution is not a dinner party." We don't want fighting in the streets. We don't want to ratchet up the chaos. We don't want beheadings, car-bombs and herding people into holding tanks.

We don't want to ban people. And build walls. We don't want a Strongman shaking things up. Really.

We might want health-care for all, free college and a more equal society. We might want to end political stalemate, but things can go really wrong, really fast.

Empower a clueless rabble-rouser and see what kind of havoc and malice can be released. That's not the future we want to see. No kidding. Really.

A Stark Choice!

I for one would be totally happy with a workaholic, a "tough as nails" woman, a super-wonk who knows the issues intimately, who does policy and process, and revels in the doing of politics. Serious.  Super-qualified. A woman of substance. Progressive. Intelligent. 

The alternative is a bloated, big-man, who believes that the world revolves around him. An American Putin. Hair-challenged. In love with his own brand. Lazy. The man is lazy. And has no clue what he doesn't know.

Or as Elizabeth Warren tells us: "a small, insecure, money-grubber..."

Pretty stark and easy choice. Wonder what America will decide?

Tribes...

Tribe. If I'm a member of a tribe, it's a very loose affiliation of creators, odd-balls, mis-fits, underdogs, dreamers. The tribe of outcasts from other tribes. It's a wide-open, open-arms, kind of tribe. We welcome free-thinkers, seekers, searchers, those who are lost and just don't feel welcome anywhere else.

"You're not from around here, are you? Welcome."

That's It. Life!

You unplug from social media, you unplug from social contact. You turn the radio off. You don't turn on the TV, you don't put on a CD. You sit in silence. You go for a walk. You look at the blue sky. You watch the day fade to black. You look at the big, fat moon. It's up there. It's always been up there, doing it's thing. You realize you could fall off the face of the planet and no-one would notice. At least for awhile. It's almost like you disappear. You are in your head, but you can even sort of turn off that constant internal monologue. And you are left with space. Silence. The beating of your heart. One breath after another. That's it. Life!

A King for Sure!

I'm staying at a big mansion a block from the shores of Lake Michigan. Tom Petty's song "It's Good to Be King," is playing. I'm here with a four-legged friend. I am the care-taker for the weekend.

I am living like a King here. Sort of a low-rent, temporary, just for the weekend King, but a King none the less. I'm in charge. No one is around to contradict or disagree with me. A King. A lonely King. A King with no real subjects. No one around to subject to my whims, unless you count my four-legged friend, but him, I give a pass. He's just such a good buddy. He's a bit like my own furry Court Jester.

Here I do what I want, when I want. Play guitar. Sing songs. Make pasta. Eat frozen yogurt. I'm on my own time-table. I am a master of myself. The weather has turned for the better. So even the sky, the sun, the stars and moon seem like they belong to me.

No problems. No effort. No feedback or noise. A sort of weekend paradise. So yes, a King of no consequence but a King for sure. 

"It's fun being scum, too." - J. Lydon

I saw that Johnny Rotten/Lydon has a new book out called "Anger is an Energy." I put it on my wish list immediately. In the meantime, I went back to re-read (yes, really),  his "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs."

It is a rollicking good time. Johnny is one of the all-time great R&R characters - a bit of Oscar Wilde, a bit of Olivier's Richard III, a bit of Iggy Pop, another Anglo-Irish rogue in a long line of Anglo-Irish rogues, think J. Lennon and Steven Morrissey too.

One look, one quick listen, and you immediately got  the whole Rotten/Sex Pistols thing. "Anarchy in the U.K." Johnny is funny, intelligent, and oh so quotable. Came across this and it seems just as true today as when he wrote it in the 1990's.

"That's the trouble with working-class people throughout the world. They always try to spur their hatred onto what they see as being lower down the scale, rather than going for the fucking jugular of the upper- and middle-class bastards who are keeping them down in the first place. We were the Irish scum. But it's fun being scum, too." - J. Rotten/Lydon

Social Media Cesspool!

I'm with Kevin Drum on the "social media cesspool." So much toxicity, negativity. Folks who used to sit in their living rooms yelling at the TV, they now have various social platforms that allow them to vent. Off the top of their heads.

Everyone has something to say. And lots of what they have to say is drivel, or hurtful, stupid and ugly. Maybe it's better to take a moment and think before we type? Twitter seems to encourage the "know-nothings" to let it all out.

Pretty ugly. And not exactly a positive social phenomenon. There is something to be said for not saying everything that pops into your head. Reminds one of those folks shuffling along the boulevard shouting at the wind. Madness!

I Don't Like the Lying!

I had sort of a "deja vu" experience yesterday. I was confronted by a figure of authority, although to be honest, this particular authority was not very authoritative. And this "confrontation" which wasn't really a confrontation, more just a meeting, was uncomfortable, and weird, and it made me really unsure about the encounter/experience.

I said to myself, "What is that feeling?!"

And I realized it really was a feeling I used to feel all the time. In another time and place. I used to work at a company with a cast of real bad characters. And there were all these strutting, ego-balloons, figures of authority who used to lie to me all the time. They lied to everyone. But especially to their employees.

I was lied to my face all the time. It was a daily occurrence. And it was always uncomfortable, and frustrating, and disappointing. So yesterday, this same feeling came over me in the face of this tin-pot authority. This guy was lying to my face. He could hardly look at me while he did it. And it made me super-uncomfortable. I realize I can usually tell when someone is lying to me, and I don't like it.

Not at all.

Bernie is Feeling "The Bern!"

Kevin Drum writes about "The Sad Decline and Fall of Bernie Sanders." I too detect a bit too much anger and bitterness in the man. I do love his agenda. And he has done lots better than I ever thought possible. I always thought he was a long shot, but then he did ride a wave of small donors. He does represent a "movement" and points the way to a more progressive future for the Democratic Party.

But I have always seen Bernie as a guy who never has had to compromise or roll up his sleeves to make anything happen. He has not really been a "politician," a guy practicing politics. Instead he is a prophet on a mission. Same speech every day, for 40 years. A true-blue Democratic Socialist.

Admirable. Sort of like Don Quixote was admirable. A noble soul, fighting windmills. And it turns out lots of folks want to fight windmills too.

But I have always thought his crusade against the Democratic Establishment and 8 years of Barack Obama is totally misguided, and doesn't reflect the reality of our political environment. The problem with politics today doesn't reside with the Democrats. All roads lead to the Bat-Shit Crazy GOP.

Bernie has lost it. I think he got consumed by his own success. And it's not pretty to see. There is that exquisite phrase... "Delusions of Grandeur!"

But this has always been Hillary Clinton's moment. As Paul Krugman says, "she's tough as nails," and she has The Short-Fingered Vulgarian in her periscope. It's gonna be a difficult, ugly campaign but it's time for a Woman to take the reins of power. I do think she's the right woman, at the right time.

A policy wonk. Real plans. Knows the issues. Knows how to politic. A progressive, Democratic, Woman. Now.

UPDATE: Alternatively, just to give Bernie his due, according to this blog post Bernie is not delusional, he has defied the odds many times, hung in, but ultimately is a pragmatist. I guess, we shall see. Does he stand down, graciously join hands with Hillary and agree to take on the GOP together? It's a test of character...

Transgender - Love & Respect!

Transgender is a real thing. As some folks have pointed out, equal rights and respect for transgender people is just the latest progressive cause. It's logical & human to expand, include and encourage people to be who they believe they are - male, female, none of the above.

My friend pointed out to me that other species, like the common reed frog switch genders too. So when it comes to human beings, it's not so radical. Just another step forward in our consciousness. We can be understanding, generous, supportive. It's in our nature!

In the case of frogs it's a natural reaction to the stress of the environment - if there are not enough males needed for procreation, frogs switch from female to male. So there's some kind of environmental logic at work too.

Maybe that's the case with people too? Who knows. But I am totally into the idea that we can continue to expand and enhance and enlarge what it means to be a human being. Love and respect!

Morally Loathsome!

I heard this phrase this morning... still sort of ringing in my head...

"Morally Loathsome." Evangelicals will be wrestling with themselves. "Moral" folks, thinking about throwing their lot in with the loathsome one. Think: repulsive, disgusting, revolting.

If you are a "moral" person, you wear your morality like a badge, this seems like a pretty big deal. Let's see how easily that morality can be bent, perverted and twisted  just to avoid voting for the progressive woman candidate.

Yes, those moral paragons sucking it up for the Short-Fingerd Vulgarian! Ha!

Be Radical, Be Hopeful!

I've probably said this before, I mean, I'm sure I have, but I don't feel the need to go searching for supporting blog posts - it's sort of a radical choice to be hopeful in this cultural moment in our lives.

It is so easy to be cynical, sarcastic. I suppose it's also a strategy to shield yourself from caring, from being hurt. But it's the more fully human choice to be hopeful, knowing that there is much pain, misery, sadness and loss in store for all of us.

So yes, hopeful, with eyes and hearts wide open. Damn the torpedoes. You may be considered naive. But that's no great shakes. Better to live with a heartfelt openness. Any day. Every day.

When Does the Short-Fingered Vulgarian Cry Uncle?!

I am surprised the Short Fingered Vulgarian has gone as far as he has so far. Something tells me he isn't gonna make it to November. Did the Dude used to pose as his own publicist back in the 90's? That would be a funny, silly thing to do. Maybe if you were just a blowhard real estate mogul you could do that kind of thing, and no one would care.

But now, running to be President, that kind of funny, silly thing doesn't look so funny, silly or cute anymore. And hanging up on Washington Post reporters in the middle of a phone call? That's funny, but in a much different kind of way. Can this guy keep up the charade until November?

I do like the idea of the major newspapers of our land (NYT, Washington Post) delving deep into the history of this man. It should all be quite entertaining. When does the Dude take his ball and go home?

"Vinyl" - A Black Hole of Nothingness

As much as I love "Sense 8," (see previous post), I pretty much loath this one...

I watched the pilot episode of "Vinyl," HBO's new series, created by a pretty impressive group of people: Martin Scorcese, Mick Jagger, Terrance Winter. I am a big fan of these guys. Love much of their work. And you would think a series about the early 70's music scene in New York would be just the ticket.

You would be wrong.

Can't really put a finger on why exactly this first episode went so wrong. How many negatives can I jam into a sentence? Insulting, ignorant, stereotypical, cliched, wrong-headed, belittling, degrading, corrosive, mind-numbing, ugly, profane, cynical, jaded. Not so much characters as hideous, garish gargoyles, spewing over-the-top profanities and nonsense.

BTW - I am not an overly-sensitive viewer. I am a big fan of much of Scorsese's work, including his two fantastic collaborations with Terrance  Winter - "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "Boardwalk Empire." Violence, drug use, gratuitous sex scenes and prodigious streams of profanity are fine with me, as long as there is a point, a purpose, an idea, a vision. And of course, Mick Jagger is a r&r hero. I still listen to much of his output with the Stones from 1965 - 1978. The essence of r&r!

Still everyone looks bad in this show. Everyone is hustling, needing, wanting grasping with no social or moral center, no redeeming aspects. Which might make for a great story, I suppose, but not in this case. There also seemed to be a bit of odd "score-settling" in some of the scenes, for instance a gatuitious whack at Iggy Pop and Led Zeppelin. Jagger might be drawing upon real-world events and characters, but they really come off shallow, badly-drawn, overly-harsh, cartoonish, and silly. Not in a good or amusing way either.

Even the musical choices seem overwrought, extreme. Sort of annoying. No, I mean, totally annoying and grating. Really, really bad. Not sure I can stomach watching any more episodes. It's probably not fair to judge a series based on one episode, I mean - Do I owe it to these creators to give the show a chance to develop?

The pilot episode: no beauty, no humor, no insight, no spirit... yes pretty much a black hole of a thing... yikes, what a deadly train-wreck!

Can Watching an Original Netflix Series Make You a Better Being?!

Thinking about the Netflix Original Series "Sense 8..." How many superlatives can I jam into a sentence? Compelling, mind-blowing, beautiful, intelligent, overwhelming, touching, inspiring, brilliant, powerful. Watching it (we are 2/3 done with season one) is sort of like taking a audio-visual bath that cleanses the senses, airs out and polishes up your soul.

It is conceptually brilliant. Visually stunning. Perfect use of image and sound. Can a television series make you a better human? Watching characters with a heightened sense of empathy and compassion - does just the watching increase your own empathy and compassion for yourself and others?

This series is so "of the moment," and then everything is just pushed forward a bit. You have to go with it. Maybe not everyone can, but if you do, you will be rewarded immensely...

The series is filmed in locations around the world. No CGI. Actual filming on location in Chicago, San Francisco, Mumbai, Berlin, London, Mexico City, Seoul, Reykjavik. 

Created by the Wachowskis of "The Matrix Trilogy."

My favorite parts are just sound and vision... like this stunning  sequence from Episode #4...

Tom Petty R&R Hero!

Have you ever seen Peter Bogdanovich's movie about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? "Runnin' Down a Dream." It's streaming now on Netflix. Released in 2007. It is an epic, an opus, probably rivals the running time of "Lawrence of Arabia." Actually the Petty flick is longer than Lawrence.  It took me three sittings to get through the thing. And it doesn't tell the whole story, Petty and the Heartbreakers are still going strong today. So yeah, a major commitment to finish it, but the movie is totally well worth it.

I must say Petty emerges as one of the great heroes of R&R. A man of integrity and determination. Unstoppable. Even with all the hits, and all the great records, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame and all, I think it's safe to say that he's sort of "underrated."

It's all a pretty amazing story. Petty got it in his head he was going to be rock & roller, and he carried a van load of musicians with him to L.A. He stood up the record labels, fought for his songs, fair pricing, a good deal. Never sold his soul. As George Harrison said about Petty: "He's not full of shit." High praise indeed.

And Petty is always searching for the next great song, the next great record. And he connected with amazing artists and characters along the way - Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne, Stevie Nicks, Rick Rubin, Jimmy Iovine. Plus his trusted and loyal band members: Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench.

The saga all rolls out like destiny, a tale of trials, gumption, and good fortune. A powerful dude with a sterling vision. Never wavered. As they say, "Damn the Torpedoes!"

Center-Left Bias!

Yes. You think Paul Krugman is on the case. As always. It never fails to track with him. His track record is quite good. And he is not afraid to change his analysis if the facts demand change.

You hope this isn't true, but you see signs all around you that it probably is...

The hard-right extremists in our midst are crazy, loud, and fact-resistant. And now, in reaction, the hard-left extremists seem intent on being crazy, loud and fact-resistant too.

So it's the Center-Left that seems to stick to reality, and works their vision around the facts. Think Obama, Clinton, Biden, Pelosi, Harry Reid, Elizabeth Warren, Al Franken... you know those folks who actually see clearly and try to come up with real-world solutions.

Not Even Close!

If you are a "Berner" you should take a moment to read this post from David Atkins: Advice to Bernie Sanders from a Supporter: Keep it Positive From Here. Tracks pretty well with my thoughts too.

My feelings on Obama's 8 years are even more positive. Whatever problems there are with our country can be laid at the feet of the GOP. A radical, extreme, broken political party.

And I do think incremental progress is progress. And I will willingly and enthusiastically support Hillary vs. the Short Fingered Vulgarian.

Not even close.

Lean to the Light!

Cultural, social, political dissonance. I've been swimming in it. I think we all have. I think of myself as a "wise-guy." I keep my head in the game. I keep my ears open. I try my best to understand who I am, where I live, what's happening around me.

There is so much negativity, corrosive thought and speech in the cultural stream. It's hard not to submerge into it and conjure up your own negativity and corrosiveness in response. But that's not my nature.

I am hopeful. Right!? Thinking that things could be better. That not all people are evil or corrupt. That even politicians and other people of power can some times "do the right thing." At least, we should give folks the benefit of the doubt. And be ever watchful to make sure they live up to their words.

Hope. Full. Knowing things are difficult, knowing that we live with pain, loss and tragedy all the time. I don't mind being thought a bit innocent, a bit naive. If I am a wise guy, I am a wise guy who thinks it's wise to find hope in the gloom, who keeps my eyes peeled, stays on-guard, but fills myself up with hope for a better day, a better human being. I hope we can all sort of to lean to the light!

Radiohead - Coolest of the Cool!

Is there any band cooler than Radiohead? I think not. The National and Wilco are other bands with a high "cool factor," but Radiohead seems more forward-thinking, more experimental, more challenging, than any other band out there. They do what they want, when they want. And every record they've made has been impressively great. 

They have a new album coming. Check out these two pretty amazing videos. The first one is Directed by P.T. Anderson...

Which makes me think of my own favorite motto: "Every step counts..."

And this one reminds me of that phrase from John Milton, famous poet and Protestant, when speaking of the Catholics: "Them We Burn..."

Political Junkie-Hood!

I would describe myself as a "political junkie." But if I am a "political junkie" I am an optimistic, somewhat happy and naive one. I do tend to give folks the benefit of the doubt. I tend to judge politicians on their actions more than their words. I don't get jaded or cynical if someone falls or betrays our trust. I know that human beings are weird.

Anyway, how did I get to be a such a self-defined "political junkie?" I was thinking about this all day yesterday. I tried to come up with answers for myself, to myself. I kind of think of these as foundational.

Two early novels that I read as a youngster come to mind, "Treasure Island," and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." They were probably the two most profound books I read when I was young and very impressionable. 

What did I learn? Some times the "Bad Guys" aren't really bad, and, America is a dark, scary place.

I was a wee lad when RFK was murdered. That had a major impact on my family. A young, charismatic Catholic gunned down after winning the California primary. I remember my mom and dad going to sleep so happy that RFK won in CA. The next morning, in the car on the way to school, my mom and I heard that RFK was dead. I was totally shocked to see my mom cry for RFK. I cried too.

Lesson learned. What you hope happens doesn't always happen. And things can change in an instant.

Then there were Chicago Cops beating up kids in Grant Park. We moved to a small town in Wisconsin that summer and I was considered a "Chicago Gangster." Lesson learned: Other people have no clue who you really are.

Later I discovered Hunter S. Thompson. I remember reading his dispatch from the Republican Convention in Miami when Richard Nixon was renominated for a 2nd term. CREEP! I read some of his writing to my creative writing class. I was shy, my voice was shaking, and I was reading HST's ramblings out loud to a class of kids who had no idea what I was talking about. I felt foolish, but at the same time I felt I knew something they didn't. Lesson learned: There are many realities all co-existing. My world, might not be your world, but that's ok.

Vietnam & Watergate. Right. Those words hold so much meaning to me. Lesson learned: My America is sometimes evil, Presidents are no different than any one else and they can fall.

For some reason, I think these are the signal events in my political junkie-hood. Of course, since then, many events, many books, many elections, etc. 

Am I jaded & cynical when it comes to politics? I don't think so. I mean, it's much more complicated than that. Yes am a bit surprised that the Short Fingered Vulgarian has had so much success, but I wasn't surprised when Bernie's socialist crusade fizzled out. 

Still. I am optimistic. Naive. Hope for the best. Jaded and cynical? Nope. It's all a bit more complicated than that...

For and Against!

My experience with politics: it's always about choices. Maybe not perfect choices, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Oh well. As the Stones tell us: You can't always get what you want, but you find sometimes you get what you need. Sometimes it's about what we are for, but also what we are against.

Yes, I'm for a Woman for President. And this time around, that woman would be Hillary Clinton. But I'm also very much against the Short-Fingered Vulgarian. He can not be President. So I am doubly fired up this election season. Hillary just released her first anti-Vulgarian ad of the season and it is a good one. Pitch Perfect. Bring it on!

Here it is in all it's glory... 

The Woman Card x 2 = Political Oblivion for the Short-Fingered Vulgarian!

My Dream Ticket for November is Hillary Clinton & Elizabeth Warren. Two Women. Two strong Women. Warren is a bit more liberal than Hillary, which for me works quite nicely. I do think it would be a fabulous ticket, great dynamic duo. 

And I am confident they would stomp the GOP nominee into political oblivion. A loss of epic proportions!

Plus, there would be the bonus that The Short-Fingered Vulgarian would lose to two Women, which is just so sweet and perfectly, poetically appropriate. The script could not be written any better. I do not think there is enough Viagra in the world to pump up that limp Vulgarian to erect anything else ever again. 

So yes, play the woman card. Double! It's time we let the women call the shots for awhile. In fact, it is long overdue!

I Will Greatly Miss Barack Hussein Obama!

I will greatly miss Barack Hussein Obama when he ends his term later this year. I am already missing him greatly, just watching those people running to replace him. Irreplaceable.  No doubt the greatest President in my lifetime. I enthusiastically voted for him twice, and would do so again and again if they hadn't passed the 22nd amendment .

The right man, right time.The only other President in modern times that is even in the same league would be FDR. No one else even comes close.

Recently there have been some great articles about Obama's foreign policy successes - The Obama Doctrine - not only should we be thankful for all that Obama has done in foreign policy - extricated us from two very corrosive, terribly painful & tragic wars, but we should be thankful for all the "stupid shit" he didn't do.

It takes guts and intelligence, patience and tough-mindedness not to succumb to the blather, the bluster, the chatter, the easy sound-bite.

There is also a great article about Obama's economic policy over the last 8 years. Obama inherited a wreck of economy, and slowly, steadily he has guided us out of the disaster. Small, determined steps forward. 

Kevin Drum also takes us thru the "long hard slog" of health care reform. Democratic Presidents since JFK have tried to advance health care for Americans. Obama with a razor-thin majority in his first 2 years passed Obamacare. Incremental progress. Major legislation. As Joe Biden was once quoted as saying: "A big fucking deal!"

And Obama has achieved all this with total opposition from the GOP. They have not lifted a finger, not done their jobs for 8 years. Maybe it is not a coincidence that a bloated Con Man is now on target to win the GOP nomination. The GOP has abdicated their responsibilities as a viable political party. 

We live in a divided country. Brutal, political stalemate. It has been a slog much of the time. But Obama has been strong, steady, far-sighted. Also funny, smart, super-intelligent. Amazing. I truly love the man and what he has achieved for our country. I do wish I could vote for him again, and again. I will settle for Hilary to carry forward. Hope she seeks Obama's counsel often during her term.

What is Aging Like?!

What is aging like? Just in case you wanted to know. You morph. Your mind and body changes. Some changes are pretty subtle, some changes are kind of radical. They say that every 7 years your cells have pretty much been regenerated, and have been replaced. But also every 7 years it's like a copy of a copy. Do this over and over again and you get a blurry, fuzzy, copy of a copy. Aging is sort like that.

The narrative in your head gets longer. But there are lots of parts of the narrative that get buried, or lost. Or maybe it's in there somewhere but you just can't recall those parts any more. If you are a positive type you might make parts of the narrative a bit sunnier than they actually were, and if you are a negative type, you might make parts of the narrative a bit gloomier than they actually were, but for most of that stuff, who really knows but you?

You look in the mirror and don't really know the person looking back. There is something familiar, but also lots of odd details that don't add up. I haven't seen that Jeff Goldblum movie "The Fly" in a long time, maybe I saw it a life-time ago. Don't want to look it up now. But if I remember right, Goldblum's character had to deal with the strange, unreasonable horror of watching his body become it's own thing. Yes, aging is a bit like that too.

We Can Understand that We Don't Understand So Much!

We are just a collection of particles and light. Dust. Space dust. Star dust. Reflecting, emitting light. And also we are thinking, feeling beings. How to reconcile the two conceptions of our existence? Maybe there is no reconciliation. Just acceptance. Drop resistance. Resistance is futile.

So some times just a particle. Some times just a being of light. Other times a more holistic being of thinking and feeling. We embody the full dichotomy. From the small, the tiny, the infitesimal to the discrete, the self-contained connected whole.  Almost a universe.  

We use our minds to jump the shark. Deep into a new evolution, a new revolution. We can understand that we don't understand so much. That's very, very good.