Gonna or Not Gonna...

Events conspired.

A barrage of news. Elevated temps. Feeling a bit under siege. 

We were sitting in the shade. Taking a break in the late afternoon, in the middle of a long bike-ride. Hot. Sweaty. Alive. We were talking about the events of the day, and of our time on the planet. A very-typical kind of conversation for us. Everything under the sun up for discussion. A daily existential examination.

My friend told me this line that came from my mouth did not sound Zen, no, maybe too much of that "under siege" feeling, too much of an air of resignation, but, you know, I do think it's "true:" 

"Whatever is gonna happen, is gonna happen, whatever isn't gonna happen, isn't gonna happen."

The a.m sound track - Fever Ray's "Fever Ray." (2009). Stunning. Electronic. With great heart and soul. Beautiful. Different. Amazing. The lyrics to "Dry and Dusty" get me, cut me open-wide, every time: 

"Never leave me

Walk close beside me

Your hand my hand

Fits so easy

No tomorrow

Let us stop here

We did some great things

Didn't we?

Dry and dusty

I am a capsule of energy

You speak softly

We are capsules of energy

Work as I've been told

In return I get money

Small feet in the hall"

Bat-Shit Crazy...

Turns out. I mean, maybe it has always been so, and maybe, really, we always knew this, but it is now pretty clear, I mean, blindingly obvious, that, many, no, ok, most, of our fellow Americans are pretty much "bat-shit crazy." 

You know. This pandemic thing isn't a "hoax," it is not a liberal conspiracy, George Soros and Bill Gates are not conspiring, they are not trying to fool and cheat us and plant microchips in our asses. 

I mean, Blame the bats: 

"The new coronavirus appears to have circulated unnoticed in bats for decades, scientists found. Horseshoe bats are the most plausible origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen, researchers led by Maciej Boni of Pensylvania State University’s Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics said in a study published Tuesday in Nature Microbiology."

And you know, wearing a mask is no big deal. Trying to stay safe and healthy is not a radical idea. It's not an infringement on anyone's right. There is no specific right to be a "selfish asshole." Not in the constitution. I mean, I know there's that gaudy phrase:  "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

I know. A bit nebulous. But really. Some of this shit is just common sense. Get it together, people.

The Crooked Wheel...

The crooked wheel.

A broken spoke.

You can learn to live with it.

Don't even notice it.

You ride your bicycle everyday.

That crooked wheel wobbles.

You just adjust.

You acclimate to the wobble.

You wobble too.

You don't even know it.

You are totally unaware.

You are a badly wobbling entity.

One day, your front tire goes flat.

You take it to the bike shop for repair.

The bike tech wonders how

you could even ride

with such a bad wobble.

You shrug. You "didn't know."

You leave the bike there.

Walk home.

Hours later 

you pick up

your bike.

New tube.

Fixed spoke.

No more wobble.

Crooked no more.

Newly aligned.

It's like a new bike.

A new ride.

You fly straight.

You roll down the pavement, the path, with ease.

You can learn to live with the crooked wheel.

But you don't need to.

You can wake up.

Straighten up and fly.

Straighter than an arrow.

With ease... 

broken

crooked

wobbling

no more.

Sometimes a change of consciousness 

is one flat tire away.

The a.m soundtrack - Chicano Batman's "Invisible People." (2020). New sounds. Just "discovered" this band, actually tipped to it by Greg Kot of Sound Opinions. Per Greg: One of the "best of 2020, so far." Fun. Funky. Great catchy tunes. A melting pot of influences. Sounds so new and refreshing. Chicano Batman, the kind of Superhero we could use right now. 

Together, Alone...

J.P. Sartre -- "Hell is other people."

Seems a bit harsh. 

I'd say: People are the problem and the solution. Look around, most of our problems are caused by other people. People will be the ones to provide solutions. People = Both Hell & Heaven.

It is strange to realize that all one's "anti-social tendencies" are now survival strategies. The less human contact the better. The lonely path is the safer path. Time for silent contemplation. So necessary. We are left to our own devices: reading, dreaming, living in a world of solo actors. Living inside our heads. A long path of discipline.  Smart. Safe. Aware of germs, religiously washing our hands, staying clean, clear-headed in everything we do and say.

At the same time, living this solo trip, you realize we are all the same. We are all in this together. And if we are to solve the major and uncountable problems confronting our species, we must work together. One great community.

Still a touch of  lonely paranoia seems rational & reasonable. We are all in this together, but of course, we are also in it alone...

You Wonder

You wake up wondering what's gonna happen next...

Sunday Believing (inspired by the late great John Lewis)...

I do believe 

we need to 

imagine 

envision

a better world 

a better way

a better day

Act like we

are

what we

want 

to be.

Let Love

guide us.

Turn from

Hate

Fear

Worry

Doubt.

Lean to

the light.

Don't be afraid

to embody

the Good

the Right

the Beautiful.

Imagine

Envision

that we live Now

in the Beloved Community of Souls.

The a.m. soundtrack - The Dirty Three's "Ocean Songs." (1998). Majestic. We need to listen. To the ocean, to the trees, the grasses, the wind. We need to humble ourselves. Take in the vibes around us. There is love all around us. Life. Love. Beauty. This is a record to savor. Guitar, Drums, Violin. Everything is in the grooves...

Folks are Getting Lax...

Oh my. Folks are getting lax.

I think even really smart folks, those who are listening to "the science" are getting a bit casual on this whole virus thing. My friend and I stopped over to check out an outdoor, neighborhood concert yesterday. Nice summer evening. The cicadas buzzing.  5 musicians on the lawn, set up between between houses. About 25 folks scattered around, drinking refreshments, grooving  to the music. Most everyone was wearing masks, but a few did not. And a few folks actually got upfront, close and personal with other folks. One person actually pulled down her mask to talk to another  person. Hah! That's pretty dumb.  Another person came up and wanted to hug, and had to be delicately fended off. It was all a bit disconcerting. It's the first time since the lockdown we have been around that large of a group. My friend and I are pretty Covid Militant. We were a bit shook up. Probably won't be doing anything like that again for awhile.  Just not worth it. Even though we all crave human, social interaction. We must assume that Covid is everywhere,  everyone is infected. Maybe a bit paranoid. But, well, being militant, that's the safe and smart way forward.

Long Days in Pandemic...

My days in pandemic.

I have fallen into a weird rabbit-hole of day to day existence.

Long walks.

Long bike rides.

Long meditations.

Long song-writing sessions.

Long lunches.

Long music-listening sessions.

Long reading sessions.

Long streaming video sessions.

My days are long. I mean really, really long.

Time has slowed down to a crawl.

We wear masks outside at all times.

We wash our hands frequently.

We rarely converse with other folks.

It's a weird hermit-like routine. Not totally disagreeable.

We do tune into the news. The news is all bad. More illness. More death. The "Trump Virus" is loose in the land. The corruption and incompetence at the top is breath-taking, soul-killing. Democracy is being pummeled to death. You wonder how anyone can support the Toxic Clown Prez, but you realize there are brain-dead Zombies afoot in the land.

We hope the sensible, rational, intelligent ones can hang on til November. It's seems like a life-time away. We may all be thru with the Virus, but the Virus is not thru with us.  Hanging tight. In for the LONG haul. Hope to make it to the light...

Glimmers of Light...

Glimmers of light. It doesn't take much to crack thru the gloom...

Nancy Pelosi just knows how to put words together. She is now calling the Coronavirus, and all the corrupt shit that has descended upon us over the last 4 years the "Trump Virus." Yes. Exactly. I mean, perfect. I burst out in laughter on that one. I have adopted this as my go-to phrase too.

What else makes me smile? I found myself in an automobile yesterday. A rare thing nowadays. The windows down, summer day, radio blasting at maximum volume. Two songs defined the afternoon and left their imprint on my consciousness, two classics: The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," and Stevie Wonder's "Living in the City." Perfect dichotomy. Two of our greatest songs. Left me breathless, and well, strangely inspired, and hopeful.

And...

Reading about the "Wall of Moms"  and "leaf blowers against tear gas" in Portland. 

"A group of women who call themselves the Wall of Moms has drawn national attention, clad in bike helmets and goggles. They link arms to form a protective barrier between law enforcement and Black Lives Matter protesters who took to the streets after the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police."

Yes, just like "Athena of Portland" (see previous post), this just renews my faith in the Human Project. Peaceful, non-violent protest.  Folks taking to the streets, demanding justice and a better day.  Hopeful. Sometimes Humans Beings really can do the right thing. Dare I say it, "We Shall Overcome!"

The Power and the Glory of Athena of Portland...

I must say that I was totally knocked out by this story. This image is astonishing. Let's just say that I have a new hero, or is it a new heroine? "Athena of Portland:" - As the newsprint tells us: "She emerged as an apparition from clouds of tear gas as federal agents fired pepper balls at angry protesters in the early Saturday darkness. A woman wearing nothing but a black face mask and a stocking cap strode toward a dozen heavily armed agents attired in camouflage fatigues, lined up across a downtown Portland street. The agents, dispatched by the Trump administration over vociferous objections of state and city officials, are part of a force that has fired projectiles at and detained activists protesting nightly since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police May 25."

To put yourself in the line of fire. Naked as a jay-bird. Exposed. Vulnerable. Peaceful.  Maybe a touch crazy. Who wants to be that vulnerable in the face of tear-gas, billy clubs, and burly men? I mean, talk about intentionally putting yourself into harm's way. But maybe crazy-cool, like a crazy-cool kitty-cat. The wonder of the eternal feminine. The joy, the mystery, the power of a beautiful, unarmed, naked body. "Pussy Riot," indeed. 

Amazing. Poetic. Lyrical. Myth-making. Totally renews my faith in the Human Project! 

Go-To Phrases...

Some "go to" phrases...

I think of myself as "Covid Militant." Seems sensible. I am only listening to the experts, the scientists, doctors, folks with their heads screwed on straight.  I do think it's smart to tune into the intelligence, and to tune out the stupid. It's not that hard to do. 

Avoid the loud-talkers, the raving mouth-breathers, those who think they know shit, when it's clear they don't. BTW - We really need to stop entertaining ourselves by listening to idiots. It has been a very destructive trend in our culture. Check out the radio & cable TV personalities who trade in stupidity, and weird-ass conspiracies, I mean, don't check them out, TUNE THEM OUT! Pollution. Brain pollution.

I think of Neil Postman and Roger Waters, early on they told us we are "entertaining ourselves to death." Death and stupidity.

As an antidote, seek out the intelligent ones. Those dedicated to clear-seeing, clear-speaking.

Try to find an "Unwarped Perspective." Life. It tends to warp us. We need to find ways to "UNWARP" ourselves. Clear-seeing, clear-speaking, clarity in everything we do.  Meditation helps. Silence helps. Good sleeping helps. Dreaming. Yes, dreaming is essential. Eating well. Sticking with vegetables is recommended.

Alive. Aware. Awake. 

Hard Lesson #2

We must live with contradiction & complication. We must holding opposing ideas in our heads at all times.

For instance, (one of my favorites), "Life is cheap. Everything that lives is Holy."

Or, you know, (see previous post), "Life is suffering. Life is a joyous gift."

Wm. Blake once wrote: "Some are born to endless night, some are born to sweet delight."

Most of us get both: Endless Night AND Sweet Delight. It's all about proportion. You hope for less of the one, and more of the other, but how it all ultimately gets doled out to us is sort of a mystery.

We want to know what we can't know.

We want to do what we can't do.

We want to be what we can't be.

But we can know and do and be. We get the chance. To do the best that we can do. Yes. It's true.

Hard Lesson #1

We may all start out young and innocent, but it doesn't take long for that to change. We learn the "hard lessons" fairly early in the game. 

Lesson #1, and maybe the only one we need to learn...

"Life is Suffering." - Buddha 

Yeah. No way around suffering. We all suffer. We can't solve suffering, we can't avoid it, or talk our way out of it. There is no denying.  Life is suffering.

Think:

Loss.

Death.

Pain.

Worry.

Doubt.

Fear.

You get the idea.

Unsolvable, unreconcilable.

We must live with suffering. Learn to live with suffering. And still carry on. Not move past, not deny, just live with suffering as best we can.

A New Era Beckons...

I am, (surprisingly), feeling relatively healthy and optimistic this morning. Maybe I shouldn't trust my feelings, I mean, feelings are like germs, they are invisible, and they can really turn you, but this morning my feelings are strong and surging, (maybe blame the morning coffee brew: "mind, body & soul"), they are like waves crashing over and thru me, and they are relatively healthy and optimistic waves, at least that's how they seem to me. Maybe a bit strange and off-target?

I mean, in the bigger picture, it seems we are in the crash and burn phase of our global crisis. Lots of folks seem lost, clueless, or actively, stupidly mendacious.

But now, this a.m. I am choosing to think this is the beginning of a new era. An era where we appreciate science, rationality, facts, reality, truth and truth-telling. An era of progressive humanity, fully-realized in all aspects of our personal and global lives. It's a lot to ask. A lot to envision. And well, it may seem a bit heady, foolish or overly-sunny.

And not everyone will be on-board with this new era.  They will need to be pushed to the side, marginalized. I mean, we will welcome all comers, but there are always the hold-outs, the last Stalinists (I am reminded that folks cried when Stalin, the unimaginably murderous strong-man, died), I mean some folks will never "get it," they just become obsolete.

Onward, upward. A new era beckons...

When You are Inspired...

Inspired. Right? That's how we want to live our lives. Totally inspired. Enthusiastic. Alive. Aware. Awake. In the moment. In the flow of life. Open. Embracing. Expansive. Always growing, morphing, changing. 

It's not easy. And maybe it just happens, or not. Are we born that way, or does it descend upon us?

When you are feeling it, in every cell of your body, the feeling is the absolute best. All your senses are sharp, focused. Ideas are dancing in your head like fireflies. You are ready for the next thing, pretty much whatever is coming down. You are always, always onto the next thing.

The Weird Narrative...

You can't help thinking we are watching the "unraveling." Not to say that the "end is near," because, there really is no beginning, and there is no end. Just the great always expanding, undefined, middle.  We are stuck in the middle. Trying to figure out what's happening.

What's happening? Maybe the great unraveling?! 

Everything degrades, rusts, tends to dysfunction. Everywhere you look, everything you hear, everything you see, seems to be falling, sliding, pulling apart. There are "stressors" on the system, stressors on the people, and the people aren't really handling it all that well.

This is a test of character, a test of our resilience. Our resilience as human beings, as a collective species. Many of us are failing, flailing, grasping at straws. Some of us acting totally stupidly. Goofy. Clueless. Crazy thinking.

I think the antidote is Clear-seeing. That's the ticket. Not sure if enough of us will see the light before the dark engulfs us all. Yikes. It's a weird narrative. We are truly in a pickle.

Better Living with Chemistry - Electrolytes!

Steve Martin in the movie "The Man with Two Brains," (1993) famously "cooked his nines." I really don't remember much else about the movie, but that phrase has been a go-to phrase around here ever since. There was a bit of a heatwave in the heartland, and one day, no doubt, I "cooked my nines." It has happened to me in the past. This time though, I think I cooked my sixes too. Made me think of that Hendrix song: "When Six was Nine." Yes. A six is a nine when it's turned upside down and vice versa. Anyway, cooking your sixes and nines is not a good thing. There were a few days where I felt this force pushing on me. I described it to my friend as the "Unseen Hand" squeezing my head from above.

What's the remedy?! Dear Pilgrim: think Electrolytes!

Luckily, I remembered, or it came to me in a flash. They make some powders and potions that can help you replenish your electrolytes. Seems my sixes and nines have returned, and the Unseen Hand has disappeared. Whew. That's the way to do it. Better living with chemistry!

Astonishing Recording...

I haven't listened to all that many records released this year. Only a handful. And, hell, this year from hell, is far from over. We've only made it to July. These next few months could be really long months. I have a feeling we are in for some surprises along the way, but, no matter, I am willing to declare Lucinda Williams' latest record, "Good Souls Better than Angels" a masterpiece, a major artistic statement from one of our greatest musical souls. The record channels the zeitgeist of 2020. Definitively.

It is an overwhelmingly powerful record. So raw and it kicks serious ass (see previous post for first impressions). I have now listened to it a few times, on headphones, on our stereo with the big speakers in the living room. It is the real deal. Head-turning. Punches you in the gut. The band goes toe to toe with Lucinda and she holds nothing back. The drummer, Butch Norton and the guitar player, Stuart Mathis really bring it. So much fire and power and nuance and they make a big, bold, indelible impression.  Lucinda is so engaged and pissed off at the current state of the nation. Her song, "Man Without A Soul" takes a whack at describing someone we all know, someone we all hope will be banished from our lives in November. It's a great track. Reminds me of that phrase: "Anger is an Energy." Yes. The key is to be able to channel that anger, that rage. Lucinda does the good work, for sure. Every track on this record shimmers with intelligence, poetry and fire. Astonishing.

"Man Without A Soul"

You are a man without truth

A man of greed, a man of hate

A man of envy and doubt

You're a man without a soul

All the money in the world

Will never fill that hole

You're a man bought and sold

You're a man without a soul

You bring nothing good to this world

Beyond a web of cheating and stealing

You hide behind your wall of lies

But it's coming down, yeah, it's coming down

You're a man without shame

Without dignity and grace

No way to save face

You're a man without a soul

How do you think this story ends

It's not a matter of how

It's just a matter of when

Cause it's coming down, yeah it's coming down

There's a darkness all around you

To cover all you're hiding

There's no light in your eyes

You're a man without a soul

Now the exits will be closing

A sad life will be exposed

No dealer and no deals

Cause you're a man without a soul

How do you think this story ends

It's not a matter of how

It's just a matter of when

Cause it's coming down, yeah it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Yeah, it's coming down

Lucinda Williams

Of Course, All of the Above...

Feeling a bit blue? A bit down and out? Feel a bit like an "Unseen Hand" is gripping your head and squeezing, hard?

Maybe it is...

Spiritual

Psychological

Rational

Biological

Physical

Hysterical

Metaphysical

Logical

Delusional

Pathological

Sociological

Maybe, (and you knew this was coming), all of the above?

The a.m. soundtrack - Lucinda Williams' - "Good Souls Better Than Angels" (2020) - Just bought this one. Listened once. A total knockout. I mean, I was stopped in my tracks a few times. Head-turning music, played with true-grit. I didn't catch all the words, but Lucinda is on fire. She is pissed off, raging against the dying of the light, and the stupidity and evil nature of many of those surrounding us. She is a hell-cat. One of our finest singer-songwriters. No doubt. This time around the band totally, totally kicks ass. Stuart Mathis is phenomenal on guitar. It's raw, dirty, rocking. My jaw dropped a couple times during playback. The production is fabulous. Kudos to the great, legendary producer Ray Kennedy. Recorded in Nashville. One listen tells you this is a classic. One of the finest. Love the fire and brimstone from Lucinda. I'd go to hell and back with her, the ride is worth it. Can't wait to put it on again.  I need to understand the words too. More than worth it.

Quiet Silence...

I fell off the planet yesterday. Totally unplugged from everything. It was pretty glorious. To find my own space, cut myself off from all outside influences, sink deep into my own consciousness.

There is a quiet silence. You can get there. I believe it is a healing.

No a.m. soundtrack today. We purchased a handful of new records. Some new artists I've never heard before, and a few go-to artists we know well. I need to let the music sink in, absorb it, before I can write about any of them. I do love discovering new music, and I do love re-connecting with music that's been around for awhile too. Music is one of the driving forces in my life. Music & Quiet Silence too.

Dreaming in Covid...

Yes. Dreaming in Covid-19. It's true. I have had a few very vivid Covid-19 dreams over that last months. Maybe not surprising. Probably, like you, I have read about the virus, I have studied the graphs, I have listened to the experts, the doctors, I have poured over the data, I have speculated about a vaccine, I have wondered and worried about how this global pandemic will change USA and the world. I have changed my habits: frequent hand-washing, socially/physically distant from my fellow humans, religiously wearing a mask any time I venture out. 

I have become a coronavirus expert. Amatuer, don't you know? Last night I had another quite vivid Covid-19 dream. I was in line for a public restroom, and there was an enormous crowd waiting in line. Hundreds of folks. So strange and surreal. I was in line, trying my best to hold my place, but at the same time trying to be safe. A man walked up to me and "tagged" me. He put his hands on my chest and said: "This is how you get Covid-19." And then he walked away. 

 Funny. I am not a hypochondriac, I am not "overly" worried, or frightened of getting sick. But I think I am "appropriately" concerned, doing my best to stay safe.

A local restaurant in our neighborhood just recently re-opened for business. My friend and I walked past one day, the outdoor patio was packed with customers, people are so desperate to "get back to normal." We were a bit horrified, no one, except the waitstaff, was wearing masks.

Word is that restaurant just closed again. Turns out one of their staff came down with the virus. So back to lockdown and an intensive "cleaning." Not surprising. The virus is with us. We may be ready to get back to normal, but normal no longer exists.

"This is how you get Covid-19." Yes. It is simple. The problem is other people. You must assume everyone you meet has the virus, and act accordingly. Otherwise, you are being foolish.  Don't be a fool.

The a.m. soundtrack - Cornershop's "When I was Born for the 7th Time." (1997). I have not listened to this one for a long time. Don't know why. It is one of my favorite records. An uncommon knockout. It still sounds fresh and new. It was a record we played often, I mean constantly, when it came out in the late 90's. It is a fabulous record. So many sounds, influences all mashed up together: "low-fi funk expands into low, fat grooves, and Singh's pancultural, anti-racist lyrics become more sophisticated but no less impassioned." So tuneful, funky and groovy. Funny and smart too. It ends with a "Punjabi" version of the Beatles "Norwegian Wood." Classic song and reminds me that the first time many in the Western world heard a sitar in a pop song, it was  George Harrison playing on John Lennon's song on "Revolver." It's kind of cool that Cornershop re-claimed and re-purposed it. What a joy of a record. It sounds just perfect this a.m. in the wake, the morning after, Covid Dream Land...

The Car-Crash Phase...

Channeling the Hermit from the Tarot this a.m. The "Rider-Waite Meaning" - "The Hermit shows that you are taking a break from everyday life to draw your energy and attention inward and find the answers you seek, deep within your soul. You realise that your most profound sense of truth and knowledge is within yourself and not in the distractions of the outside world. You leave behind the mundane to set off on a journey of self-discovery, led only by your inner wisdom and guiding light. Now is the perfect time to go on a weekend retreat or sacred pilgrimage, anything in which you can contemplate your motivations, personal values and principles, and get closer to your authentic self."

Right. Not claiming any special powers here. Looking for an "inner wisdom and guiding light."

I see a series of clashes on the horizon:

Blue vs. Red

Intelligence vs. Stupidity

City vs. Rural

Healthy vs. Not so Healthy

Rational vs. Irrational

Science vs. Religion

Not Completely Crazy vs. Totally Fucking Crazy

Yikes. I do think we are in the car-crash phase of our present Global Pandemic Crisis. I hope most of us make it thru relatively unscathed.  Not holding my breath on that reality. 

No. Instead, deep breathing, silent meditation, leaning to the light, searching for an inner wisdom, peace and grace.

The a.m. soundtrack - John Frusciante's "Shadows Collide with People."  (2004). John is an amazingly gifted, lyrical, guitar player. An on-again, off-again, on-again member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A famous car-wreck of a human being. Famously strung-out, into the Occult, burned down his house (literally) in the middle of his deep drug-phase, some on-going emotional issues. He is also a creative dynamo. A melodic, slinky, beautiful touch on electric guitar. Heavily-influenced by Hendrix. Listen and marvel at his guitar playing across a handful of excellent records (the Peppers are a surprisingly, counter-intuitively, great band, I mean, funny enough that). This is a nice solo outing. Certainly, "Hermetic," with a dash of Peppers.

Random Lines...

"Yeah. My hair looks great, but the rest of me is melting."

"I'm six years ahead of you, think of that. Everything we do. Every step we take. I'm six years ahead."

"Take your hands off the wheel. There are bigger things going down right now. I mean, we aren't driving anyway."

"I have given up trying to figure things out. Who knows?!"

"The U.S.A. is the richest country in the world. The most technologically advanced. We have more Covid-19 cases than any other country. More deaths. WTF?!"

"I really, truly, madly, deeply, think I cooked my nines' this time."

"No, I don't think schools will reopen in the fall... or they will close back up really quickly if they do. Disease and death are a great motivators, don't you know?!"

"Coffee in the morning, kombucha at night. Reasons to be cheerful."

The a.m soundtrack - Jimi Hendrix' "Are You Experienced?"  (1967).  A foundational r&r statement. For the longest time, if pressed, I would have said that "Electric Ladyland" was Jimi's best record. But lately, this debut record totally knocks me out. I'm having a bit of a re-think. It's an old recording now, but I recently snagged the 2010 Song Legacy version of the album which includes six extra tracks, original singles and album tracks. Usually, I am not a fan of adding extra tracks to an album, there is something sacred about the original vinyl album format, but you know, in this case, the additional tracks on the remastered CD fit and flow well. This band, this artist, were too much for one little vinyl record. This version of the album just builds on the original, overflows with originality, with fire, with magic, with power, grace, humor and experimentation. It's is over-powering, overwhelming. I am playing it on low volume this morning on the BOSE system, and it just sounds totally fabulous. Brings out some of the subtleties and textures of the music. Hendrix' guitar is a force of nature, power, grace, slinkiness, and Mitch Mitchell is one of the finest drummers amongst us. They really play so well together. Two soloists fighting and co-existing. Prodigious talents. Noel Redding on bass holds it all together. So many great tracks: Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Red House, Stone Free, Third Rock from the Sun. Yes. It's trippy. Psychedelic. LSD is the spirit hanging over the record. Jimi was pushing the boundaries of music. He was also fascinated by UFO's and time-travel. Which leads to some of the funniest, weirdest tracks and some of the finest experimentation. A boundary-crosser. A magus. A major talent. Unique voice and spirit. Nothing quite like the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A classic record. A masterpiece. Still thrilling and head-opening. Alive. Inspiring.

Air Quality Alert!

There is an "Air Quality Alert" today in the Heartland.  Be assured, the "Alert" is not to tip you to the idea that the Air is "Quality" stuff. No, the tip is that the air is "Bad," "Toxic" and assuredly not good for you.

Also, listening to the radio this A.M. I think it is safe to say that the air is a toxic combination of "Stupidity," "Racism," "Human Fallibility" and a "Decided, Determined, Block-Headed, Ineptness."

Human Beings are polluting the air with all their garbage and flaws. I am not feeling good about my fellow Humans this morning. 

The a.m. soundtrack - Stevie Wonder's "Journey thru the Secret Life of Plants."  (1979).  A soundtrack album to a documentary. Everything Stevie Wonder does is worthy of a listen. I snagged this one fairly recently, I have only listened a few times. Not what I expected. It's pretty damn cool. Opens the door to another world. Mostly instrumental, but some singing too. One of the first all-digital recordings. Sounds pretty amazing. It's goofy and weird. "Wonder remarked in 2004 that the album "was an experimental project with me scoring and doing other things I like: challenging myself with all the things that entered my mind from the Venus's Flytrap to Earth's creation to coming back as a flower." Yes. Coming back as a flower would probably be an upgrade, even for one of our finest Humans. Wonder.

Hope & Visions...

No one, (not even me), wants to make any political prognostications about our 2020 election. We are all gun-shy. We remember, I mean, the memory is seared in our brains, of what happened in 2016, and we have lived with the dire, toxic, mind-numbing, soul-killing consequences ever since.

Let's just say, I hope, I pray, I am trying my best to work the MOJO, I intend to do a conjuring and special dance to assure a Blue Wave 2020. I mean, I will vote for the Democrats up and down the ticket.

It's instructive to watch our current White Supremacist, supremely racist, toxic-clown in chief, flail away, in the midst of a pandemic, and a sea-change in attitudes about race and social injustice. He is a man "out of time," and out of step with reality. He has his rabid, zombie army who follow him, no matter what, but they are fucking bat-shit crazy, beyond repair, beyond reason, beyond the pale. Luckily, they are out-numbered by the rest of us.

Still the toxic clown is doubling and tripling down on racism, and division. It's kind of extraordinary. He is a one-trick pony, a toxic-waste-dump of a human being. Yikes.

I do think we are watching the end of a movement. Looking forward to the crash and burn, and then we must collectively rise like the Phoenix from the ashes. A new day. A new reality. I see a new country emerge from the wreckage. I really, really do.

I mean, no predictions, these are just the hopes and visions that drive me. We must stay engaged, and positive. The Trump Cult is a Death Cult. We must turn to Life, to Love, to A Better Day.

We must...

The a.m. soundtrack - Prince's "Around the World in a Day." (1985). What to say about Prince? An exotic, rare bird. A musical genius. No doubt. Strange character. A hybrid-being and a boundary-crosser. The only other musical artist I can compare him to is Jimi Hendrix. Both were fabulous guitar players. Both shy. Unique voices. Unique songwriters. Unique spirits. This record is sort of "psychedelic." Rock. Pop. Funk. A little bit of Soul. Gospel too: "Everyone is searching for a ladder." A strange mix. Actually, kind of confused and profound. Which is kind of great, and so human. I have always had a bit of trouble understanding where Prince was coming from. A workaholic, prodigious talent, a religious man, a gentle character, twisted, sexual, maximum sensuality in everything he did. Maybe a bit of a  tortured soul. Complex. Lonely. Strange. The work is impressive and amazing. So sad that he died from an overdose of opioids. A tragic ending to an amazing career and life. This record has grown on me. It took awhile for me to get into it.  But so many sounds, layers. Sophisticated production. Pretty amazing. I mean, yeah, I do love this one, even though, also, it's a strange beast, off-putting, and sometimes, maybe even ridiculous. Makes me smile, wince, & laugh. A mixed-bag of genius.

"Wait."

Pandemic time.

Push the button on red-light pole in the cross-walk in our town, and a voice, male, sort of robotic, says: "Wait." Push it a few times in a row and it sort of sounds kind of "musical" - "Wait... Wait... Wait..."

I think of that as the theme song of the Pandemic 2020.

Time has slowed down. This holiday weekend almost felt like one long, hot summer. 3 days felt like a whole summer.

"Patience, Grasshopper."

"Wait."

Whatever you are doing. "Wait." Take your time. Long, lazy, wandering, bike-rides on the lakefront. Long, leisurely lunches. Long movies. Long listening sessions. 

Everything is longer. Stretched out. Slowed down. Even the sweat rolling off my brow takes forever... 

The a.m. soundtrack - John Zorn - "The Big Gundown" - 15th Anniversary Edition (2000). A freaky soundtrack. A tribute to the late, great Ennio Morricone, one of the greatest film composers ever. This is a wild album. I own many Zorn discs, for awhile I had a major John Zorn obsession. Avant Garde, edgy, weird, mind-expanding & mind-blowing music. Zorn always pushes the envelope. No, scratch that, with Zorn there is no envelope to push. This morning I hear the news that Morricone died at 91. What a great man, what a fabulous artist. His film-scores, especially in those great "spaghetti westerns" were like another character. Distinctive, funny, enrapturing, head-spinning, cool, pop. Zorn reimagines the soundtrack to the "Big Gundown." It's weird, fabulous, sort of ridiculous too. Adds a bit of spice to the morning coffee session.

No Monuments. Trees.

Let me toss out an idea into the body politic...

No monuments. Trees.

There are no perfect Human Beings. We are all imperfect, flawed, incomplete, contradictory, capable of great and horrible things.

Human Beings should not be putting up monuments of other Human Beings. That is just pure vanity. Unearned. So, you know, I have no problem with Human Beings taking down monuments to other Human Beings. 

On the other hand, I'm not big into angry mobs. My thing is peaceful, non-violent protest.  But I do support the movement to remove monuments across the land.

I would suggest all these monuments should go to museums. They are part of our history. So if you have a monument of a White Supremacist who owned slaves, you should put it in a museum with a placard explaining who that Human Being was, and what horrors he inflicted on other Human Beings. How many slaves did he own? How much money did those slaves generate for the White Supremacist and the economy of the USA?

Maybe that would be a way forward to begin to calculate the reparations we should be giving to the sons and daughters of the slaves who now live across the land? Yes, I am also for reparations. Let's get economists to work on the equation. How much revenue was generated by slave labor in USA? What was that worth to the country in terms of GDP? What is that number of $ in today's economy? Divide it up the total by the number of descendants of slaves, and parcel out their share. Maybe there should be a monthly or yearly stipend?

I understand. That doesn't adequately account for all the pain, heartache, unimaginable suffering, of the slave economy, but maybe we can finally try to pay some of it back. There is a debt  that must be re-paid by white America to the Black families that were ripped apart, destroyed and exploited.

So, anyway, back to my "no monument, trees" idea. Every spot where a monument is removed, plant a tree. Plant a tree that is native to that locality. We need more tress. It's good for the planet, our ecosystem. Trees are life, and support life. No monuments. Trees.

The a.m soundtrack - Otis Redding - "The Best: See & Hear, Otis Redding" (2009). This is an excellent compilation. "Deep Memphis Soul." Indeed. Great voice. Incredible band. This disc spans a career. 15 amazing, soulful, life-giving tracks. Includes: Shake, Change is Gonna Come, Try a Little Tenderness and the song I remember hearing on my little transistor radio, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. Those horns, that bass player, a big-time band, and Otis singing his heart out. Unlike anything else. Fabulous. The real-deal. Astonishing.

Maybe a Few Moments of Silence?

Sure. Celebrate the "birth" of America. Independence Day 2020. Throwing off the shackles of the British Monarch. Yay!

But, really, come on, it's the middle of a pandemic. Do you need to blow off firecrackers? Do you need to congregate in large groups without masks?

Are you freaking nuts?!

And remember this country was founded on Genocide, Slavery, Misogyny, Racism, Homophobia & Xenophobia.

Maybe a few moments of silence for all the death, destruction, bad blood, travesty & tragedy? That would be appropriate...

The a.m. soundtrack - Allman Brothers' "Brothers & Sisters" (1972) - Unexpectedly good. Duane Allman & Berry Oakley were dead and buried when this was recorded. Surprising that the band carried on. This is probably the Allman's last really good record. This was before Dickie Betts and Greg Allman had their falling out, before Dickie Betts lost his head to bigotry, drugs, racism, and inflated ego. Of course, the Allmans carried on for decades, but no doubt their best work was behind them. Both Duane and Berry had died in motorcycle crashes. This was recorded in the aftermath of those tragedies. This one sounds great this a.m. A classic, American band. Southern to the core. Interracial. Soulful, bluesy. They were broken, but they carried on. So American, so Human.

I'm in with The Dangerous Ones...

I am not immune from bias. I am not immune from stupidity. I do my best to overcome my biases and stupidities. My fellow Humans are really starting to piss me off. I intend to take a breath, lean to the light, and try to envision a better world.

Be sure to check out this video from Eleven Films, it is incredibly powerful. Kind a review of how far we have fallen, how badly we have neglected, abused and wrecked the vision of the Shining City on a Hill.

Here's to a new vision of the Illuminated Community of Souls.

Count me in on the side of "The Dangerous Ones."

"Let the motherfuckers burn..."

Vote in November 2020 like your life and your country depended on it. Because it really, really does.

The a.m. soundtrack - Sturgill Simpson's "Sound & Fury." (2019) Sturgill sounds pissed off too. The record starts with car door opening and closing, clicking the radio on. Makes me think of the car in Stephen King's "Christine," ominous. Getting ready for a rough, wild ride. Not sure what it's all about. But you know, anger is an energy. The key is how to channel it, how to ride it to a new idea, a new vision, a new dream. The ones that don't get it? Well, pardon my French, fuck them.

Not So Smart...

Humans.

We aren't as smart as we think we are.

I write from the perspective of a Human.

I have lots of experience being Human.

And of not being as smart as I think I am.

We are clever.

We are resourceful.

We are enduring.

We are legion.

But every day, many of us go out of our way to prove that we are not as smart as we think we are.

That is just the reality of the situation.

The Human Predicament.

It's explains a lot.

Look at our burning planet. 

Look at the vanishing nature of nature, caused by Human ignorance.

Look at the ugly mess of our Politics. 

Look at all the pain, horror and suffering we inflict on ourselves and our fellow Humans.

Look at the endless steam of idiocy, selfishness, small-minded-ness we unleash every day.

Yikes.

Yesterday, out in the Heartland, wearing my mask, trying to be safe, I ran into a friend. She was not wearing a mask. She admitted she was "terrified" of getting Covid-19. But she wasn't wearing a mask while she was out walking her dog. I asked her why. Her response: "I just don't want to."

Exactly. We are not as smart as we think we are.

The a.m. soundtrack - More silence this morning. Sometimes silence is the only appropriate soundtrack. A moment of silence for the enduring Stupidity of Man...

All the News is Bad...

All the news is bad.

It's the first day of July. 

Summer in the Heartland.

Hot & sticky today.

I have the radio on (am I nuts?)

and all the news is bad.

I mean, every damn story.

Bad.

What's a Pilgrim to do with that?

I decide to let the chatter flow over me.

I mean, I want to know what's going on in the world.

But I refuse to be swamped.

I'm gonna have to find some serious diversions today.

I expect lots of activity. 

Lots of music.

Sink into a book.

Keep moving.

Lean to the light. Damn the torpedoes.

The a.m. soundtrack - Silence. This morning: silence. No music. I just let the radio chatter away at me like some weird electronic Tower of Babel. It reminds me that my fellow human beings are a gnarly, disagreeable lot. Oh man, we could do so much better!