A Letter to a Friend...

Yes. For sure. I am usually the hopeful type but the opposite of hope is despair. I am kind of there at the moment. Alienated from my Country, wondering how we will live under Tyranny. Thinking Canada is a possibility.

Someone wrote that there are three responses to Fascism: Flee, Surrender, Resist. I suppose I would prefer to resist. But resistance is probably mainly/mostly just in my head. Revolution in the Head. Sure we will vote for the opposition. We are willing to march and protest. But, the forces of our destruction look to be on the ascendant with all the money & power available to them.

There is very little light at the moment. We are in the process of turning away, turning inward. Turning to our "art" our music, trying to find little moments of love and creativity. Doing our best not to be consumed by the darkness

The looming threat of living under the thumb of a lawless, corrupt, wanna-be tyrant is quite disheartening, absolutely soul-killing. Contrary to everything I ever thought about living in the USA. The American Dream trashed and crashed.

I do know my history. There have been dark times before: The Bush Torture Regime, The Iraq War, Nixon's war on drugs, Vietnam, Kent State, Race Riots in LA, Chicago, Detroit, The long enduring oppression of the poor, women, blacks, browns, gays.

Fuck. The country was originally founded upon the Genocide of the Native Americans, and Slavery of Black Folk. A deep, dark history, no doubt. But also a reaching forward to a better way. That seems to have been convincingly obliterated by this election. 

I have no idea what comes next, but it is looking quite dark & bleak at the moment.

"Resist, Flee, or Surrender..."

Walking around in our little progressive Blue Bubble yesterday, everyone we met on the path was in a state of shock. Yes. The American Dream has been deeply damaged. You could feel a deep sense of mourning; there was a cloud of inevitable doom. 

As the smoke clears from the wreckage of this latest election, I think those of us in opposition to the winning party, need to brush up on history, and on the meaning, and the ugly reality of Fascism in the USA.

Here is great little primer on what Fascism is and how it evolved and manifested in the world. Know your Mussolini and Hitler. It will be essential knowledge to carry with you in the coming years.

I am with Paul Campos here, I too think the people I greatly admire are being overly concilatory at the moment, it sounds gracious and smart, but I think it's the wrong message: the Obamas and Harris/Walz are wrong, you can't walk back your opposition to Fascism. They named it, they called it out. How do you now say, "let's all get along, roll up our sleeves and work together?" No. Now is not the time for "bipartisanship." Sure, peaceful transfer of power, violence only breeds violence, but there is no compromise with Fascism. 

"The options for defenders of liberal democracy are to resist, flee, or surrender. Bipartisan cooperation isn’t on the menu with Trump and Trumpism, and anybody who claims otherwise is either a fool, or thinks that they can cut a deal with Donald Trump while somehow still keeping their own hands clean at a time like this."

I strongly recommend you check out AOC's reaction to the election on Instagram. I think she lays it all out in vivid, real-world detail. We are entering dark times. We need champions who will fight for what's right. There is no compromise with the darkness. Resistance, organizing, mobilizing folks to educate themselves and then stand up and fight for what we believe in: Rule of Law, the Constitution, Democracy, Human Rights.

Democracy Damages Democracy...

It is a human-made catastrophe. Democracy damages Democracy.  Voters who choose a person who doesn't respect the constitution, free & fair elections & the rule of law, are choosing to destroy the Democracy from the inside. Their desire for a strong-man/tyrant seeds the dissolution and destruction of this very fragile union.

It is gob-smacking, confounding, astounding, crushing, depressing, ridiculous, unfathomable. 

But, who knows, maybe this Democracy isn't really as fragile as we fear? Maybe it is more resiliant than we believe? I guess we will find out. Seems the good, the bad, the ugly are always contending.

If you believe in Democracy, the power of the vote, you have to respect the results of the vote, even if you actually despise the results, and oppose the winner and his "policies" with every fibre of your being and soul.

There is no sense "analyzing," or trying to come up with theories. I look at the election of 2024 as a calamity, a castastrophe, a black swan event. Human Beings are complicated, contradictory. They do crazy shit all the time. They are easily conned, swayed, inflamed, misled; they actually often vote against their own interests out of hate, fear, spite, envy, pessimism, vengeance. Look at the history of Humanity. So much needless bloodshed, suffering, injustice, hurly-burly, toil & trouble. 

Might as well try to analyze a hurricane, a tsunami, a mud-slide. Humans make bad choices all the time. Self-sabotage is a constant theme. Yes, seems to me that we were at an important pivot point in the History of our Country. Looks like we've either gone backwards in a very dramatic & ugly fashion, or we have taken a leap forward into a deep darkness. I mean, you know, probably both. We seem to have stepped into a dark hole, it's a major fucking fail. We will soon be testing the resiliance of Democracy, and maybe we will discover it's limits and breaking points. Who knows?!

Yikes. I cling to that idea that "The Future is Unwritten." There is hope and promise in that idea. There are always surprises, detours, new openings, new ideas, new movements, new dreams; there will be renewal to be found in the tiny corners, the forgotten substrates, the deep dark places of reflection, the streets, the cafes and coffeehouses, & in the hearts & minds of Human Beings reaching out for the promise & the possibility of a better day. Sometimes we do listen to our better angels, sometimes not. Fuck, yeah, feeling dark and broken. But, you know, not done, not undone. Still standing, still dreaming.

Wow. I mean. Yikes.

 Ha. What to say? Shit Happens. 

 I had no clue. Living in my own little progressive blue bubble. The USA is a big, complicated, contradictory country. Yikes. How does it feel? Like a punch in the gut, a sharp stick in the eye.

It's just another episode of Everything You (I) Know Is Wrong. There were a few pessimists in my midst, turns out they were oh, so right. My sunny optimism was a blinding ball of light. Sometimes things are not as they seem. Maybe I just wasn't looking closely or clearly enough? Dazzled by the joy and good feeling? I was in my happy little bubble, pretty sure that we would turn away, and turn the page, on that wanna-be tyrant. 

Yes. So very wrong-headed of me. I chalk it up to weird shit & bad juju.  Sometimes it is that kind of Universe. Supremely strange, but true, &, of course, greatly disheartening & disappointing.

I think of Curtis Mayfield this morning: "Keep on keeping on:"

"Some years back I remember, still in my mind so well

My mama made this one point clear and I find it never fails

Never worry too long (Worry too long)

About what goes wrong (About what goes wrong)

Today in sorrow (Today in sorrow)

We got joy tomorrow (We got joy tomorrow)

Keep on keeping on (Keep on keeping on)

Keep on, keep on (Keep on, keep on)"

"She's Going to Win..."

My long-time friend, who lives in Europe, in the thick of things over there, called me last night. Every time we talk we immediately click into a long-running conversation that started back in the 1990's. We are from totally different backgrounds, but in a weird way we are total Soul Brothers. He is my best friend on the planet, I haven't seen him in the flesh, we haven't been in the same room together, in decades. 

He wanted to get my take on the election happening today. Not that I am some kind of expert, but you know, I am "on the ground," closer to the action. He told me that this American election is the most important event for Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. You know, it's not just all of us in the USA who are worried about the fate of Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, Good Government, Ethics, Laws, Rationality, Logic, and the Future of the Planet.

There is a lot riding on the outcome of this election.

My friend is bit more pessimistic than I. I am a bit more optimistic than him, which makes for a great meeting of the minds. Our differences flash & light up with lots of insights and "aha" moments. We both respect each other's opinions We both crack each other up with our off-kilter perspectives. Lots of laughter, also long, rambling, free-range, conversation, sprinkled with sparks of light, little break-throughs, and weedy detours.

We both love to talk. 

Anyway, we agreed to reconncect again later tonight after the polls close. Who knows, it may take awhile until we know who emerges victorious. My closing thought to my friend last night, with a certain shaky smile & confidence reflected in the tone of my voice: "She's Going to Win..."

The Vibe is Positive...

I am big on vibes. Seeing vibes, reading vibes, exuding, and creating, vibes. I am a very public person in my little, progressive, blue-bubble neighborhood, I have a bit of a personal brand, and that brand is good vibes. I am a "good vibes Charlie." 

You know, even when I'm a bit low energy, or down, I can turn up the positive energy. It's often a shield and a protective mode, but usually my vibes are genuine. I can really turn up the vibes on demand. When folks come to see our r&r band, usually the first thing I hear from folks after a show: "I really love the vibe of your band." So, yeah, vibes are big part my life. I feel like I am a bit of an expert at the vibe thing.

When I say "expert at the vibe thing," I mean, it's all a fucking mystery to me too. I do think ever since I was a wee lad growing up in the heartland, I have been super-sensitive to feeling, seeing and reading vibes, ("Tommy can you hear me?"), reading the vibes of a person, a  crowd, a room.  Reading the good, and maybe more importantly, the bad vibes floating in the air. Early on, I often  ignored, discounted or just blew past those clear signals,  to my own detriment, which then led to much confusion, uncertainty and self-sabotaging. So, you know, it's a double-edged sword, not always useful or beneficial.  Still, I think over the years I have gotten much better at listening and trying to incorporate and act on the vibe.

This morning, one day before the 2024 election, you may ask me: "SunnyJimmy what is the vibe?"  Well, I am not afraid to say, the way I read it, the vibe is good, the vibe is strong, the vibe is positive, the vibe is Kamala. Really. Of course, folks need to vote, and I think they will. I think folks are going to be surprised by the overwhelming support for Democracy, Freedom, Hope & Joy that breaks across the land.

Everyone around here is nervous, anxious, full of worry and doubt. Folks are afraid to be positive. I do get it. Vibes are a slender reed to hang a life on, they are invisible, intangible, unquatifiable. Some folks don't believe they even exist. I am not one of those. Yes. This morning the vibe is Harris/Walz for America.

Bathed in Golden Light...

Ok. Not making any predictions about this coming Tuesday. You know, Election Day. Sure Democracy hangs in the balance, and the future of USA is at stake.  And the choice is so clear, Harris/Walz should win in a landslide, I mean, if we were a rational and intelligent species the choice would be plain & simple, so obvious, for all concerned, but, you know, it's more complicated than that, Human Beings are a tricky species, we often do stupid, evil, self-sabotaging things, maybe just for the soul-killing, blind-fuck of it all, so, you know, I guess, there's no sense in making foolish predictions.

Predicting is such a fool's game. I opt out. I choose to spend my foolishness on other things. BUT, (yes, there is another "but" here), my partner and I did a little Shaman Circle ritual yesterday. It is something we've learned how to do from some professional Shamans. Yes. I kid you not.  And it kind of leads me to think I kind of do know where we are all heading.

This year our Shaman Circle event moved to Zoom, because one of the Shamans came down with Covid. Bummer. There is something so amazing about getting together in a room with a group of Shamans and Musicians, and doing this little ritual called the Wild Hunt. We opted out of Zoom, just not our thing, so instead, we set up our own little cairn, we rang a bell, we lit a candle, we sat in a two-person circle, and we took up our drums. We put some music on the box, Promises by Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders, and drummed along for over an hour as if our lives depended upon it.

So exhilarating. My partner and I always "journey," when we drum. We close our eyes, we tune into the vibrations, and the visions just come. I think this comes easily and naturally for us because of all our years meditating and practicing creative visualization. Our inner worlds are quite vivid and entertaining. Really. Anyway. Pretty amazing. The visions are always different. I have had very elaborate journeys in the past, long, swirling, mind-fucking, and gob-smacking narratives. This time around it was total simplicity. I concentrated on my drum, beating this great-sounding little Tibetan drum; the sound, the insistent beat, was so captivating, and entrancing, I sunk into a very deep visionary state. 

What did I envision? Gold. Waves, oceans of Gold. I was bathed in a Golden Light. Surrounded by Gold, swimming in Gold. It's the highest vibration. I take it as an exceedingly good omen.  Both personally & universally. It was a total cleansing & clearing. My body was washed in the Gold, and rivers of good feeling flowed thru my whole being. I was totally lit up, every cell in my body ignited with a fiery, soothing Gold. Quite the thing. 

What does it all mean? Who knows?! If I were to hazard a guess: we are entering a new Golden Era of good feeling and positive vibes. Good times are the way. I mean, fuck, that's just me, you know? I mean, you are free to dimiss it, or interpret, as you see fit. Whatever. Godspeed, Dear Pilgrims.

Switched on High...

It is funny, in maybe not the funniest way...

The really great moments descend upon you, they flash by, and flush you, then float away, and disappear into the ether, ungraspable. Sure there is a residue of satisfaction, the warm feeling of the great happiness, but there is no holding onto its flashing beauty. It's a glimmer, a spark, a flame, an instant of perfection, that vanishes so quickly you are not sure it really happened.

The really bad moments can linger, longer. You carry the scar tissue, you nurse the broken bones, or just the deep soul-brokenness. You experience a deep loss as a permanent reordering of the Universe. 

So, you know, there is an uneveness in life. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad. There is no math here. You can't total and sum. You just experience what you experience. Hopefully you do it with all your senses and faculties switched on high. That's all you get.

 

The Big Sea...

We swam in the big sea, and it was exhilarating. All of our energy was focused on one big event, and it happened. The reception was rapturous. Maybe the audience was better than the band? I don't know, we did good. A few minor kerfuffles, but that just affirmed that it was a live performance. Nothing really threw us off. 9 musicians all bringing it to a room of devoted fans. The feedback loop was quite exquisite.  Lots of smiles, kind words and kudos afterwards. This morning it all seems like a strangely wonderful dream.

The Doris Day Moment...

Finally, you just let go the wheel. See what comes down. There is a point, a moment along the road, that you fly past, and then it's all pure ZEN. All that needing, wanting, grasping vanishes in an instant, and a certain calm clarity bubbles up. What will be will be. Let's call it the Doris Day moment. It's an acceptance, and an expectation. You hope you did everything you could do to make the moment count, but at same time you know there is so much that is firmly out of your control. The future is unwritten. You plunge forward, into a place of darkness and light. You wonder: What now?!

Refreshing. Renewing. Great Speech.

Kamala Harris' speech in Washington D.C. was a barn-burner. I mean that in good way; super-exicitng, glorious, intelligently-spoken words. Refreshing. What is she selling to the American people? Hope, optimism, a better day, intelligence, competance, responsibility, good government, empathy, compassion, hard work, diligence, freedom, prosperity, community, rule of law, democracy, good judgement, character, good cheer, joy. Yep. It's a pretty all-encompassing package. I, for one, find it completely compelling & irresistible. The alternative is not even conceivable, or in the realm of possibility to me. I think, I hope, and pray, that our "better angels" will bring us into a new era. A vibrant, lively, wonderful woman of color, kicks open the door, and renews our bonds to this great Democratic experiment we call USA. I mean, fuck, are you kidding me? Of course, the obvious, beautiful, life-affirming choice: Harris/Walz.

Easy to Sow Division, Harder to Build Bridges...

Early in our acting careers, well, you know, maybe not careers, more like in our "adventures in acting,"  a jaunt in the field of "theatrical," we learned that doing the big flashy angry scenes and monologues were so much easier than the quiet, internal, vulnerable scenes. Easy to show anger, so much harder to show sadness, loss, empathy and compassion. The really good actors could reach deep down into their reservoir and show the full range of human emotion. Being vulnerable, sad, giving, and quiet was much more powerful than walking around yelling and screaming.

Off stage it's also so much easier to sow division, hate, and tearing down others, than it is to build up, find solutions, and offer a helping hand. 

All of my "creative heroes," have made things: movies, books, songs, paintings, poems. I truly value the creatives. Sometimes my favorites will delve into the darkness, but just by going there it is an affirmation. It takes a certain creative fire and optimism to create anything.

So yeah, then there's politics, just another human manifestation of energy. There are the angry ones who want to tear down other folks, want to fan the flames of divsion, sow chaos, and discord. It's a tool and strategy that has worked in many realms, many countries, over many centuries.

Then there are those who are trying to fix and build things. Offer policies, try to build coalitions, offer a helping hand, trying to raise us all up. Bringing people together. Trying to build a more perfect union. Look to a better day. It's harder. Really difficult. Takes a special kind of human. Takes vision, compassion, empathy, and dedication to work. And it often falls short of the mark. Especially in a Democracy. Democracy is messy.  But really, these more optimistic ones are the folks who have our hearts and souls with them. For instance: Harris/Walz for America.

One Core Truth: Racist/Nazi...

The man who spews more lies than you can count; a river, a hurricane, a tsunami of lies every time he opens his mouth. BUT, there is one truth that always emerges, the one key truth in advertising. The Orange Toxic Clown is a dyed-in-the-wool racist, and in the late stages of his campaign, he has decided to go into FULL NAZI mode. Hah. At least at his core he is really being honest: Fulltime Racist/Nazi. 

I don't think that is America. I mean, it's a sub-current in our country, and the history of our country, but it is not the full story. Most of us know that we need to be open, inclusive, and supportive of a more progressive mode of politics and life. The darkness will not abide. I mean that's the optimist (see previous post), in me speaking, but in my core-being I do believe we will leave this shite behind and enter a new era of hope, good govermnent and repsonsibility. Harris/Walz for America.

Optimistic? Sure...

Yes. I am an optimist. No doubt. Ok. Maybe I do have doubts about pretty much everything. Maybe, probably, having doubts, hedging your bets is the intelligent way to go? There is no certainty, except maybe uncertainty. But when push comes to shove, I lean to the Light. What's the harm? Being optimistic, saying yes, and why not, and sure,  and being open, and opening doors and windows to new experiences. What if I'm wrong? Oh well. Keep plowing forward, right? Being pessimistic seems so nullifying. It seems like an abidication, a turning away from a full-fledged life. "Why get up?" Because, it could be a wonderful day...

Democracy Dies in the Boardroom.

Income Inequality is killing America. Yes. It seems the Billionaires are siding with and embodying Fascism. Bezos, Musk, and of course, Trump, the prime examples. The Washington Post Editorial Board was planning on endorsing Kamala Harris for President. The obvious choice for Democracy, Good Government & American Freedom. The owner, Bezos spiked it.  Of course, the Washington Post is a storied and gloried institution. It was their young reporters, Woodward & Bernstein, back in the 70's, who brought the Watergate Scandal to the world's attention. Stunning capitulation to the specter of Fascism in USA.  A non-endorsement is an abdication to the Bully. The $ are siding with the $ against Democracy.  What's the WaPo motto: Democracy Dies in Darkenss? No. Democracy Dies in Cowardice & the Board Room. Of course, I am an Optimist.  I mean, shite, what's the alternative? So, actually this isn't the death knell for our Democracy, no, it's a death knell for the Washington Post. The billionaires are badly out-numbered. They are not necessarily good or smart people. They just happen to have lots of accumulated wealth. Their loyalty is only to $. We will outvote them. Harris/Walz for America.

The Trickiness of Human...

One of my go-to themes: Human Beings are Tricky. It's a good one, validated every day. I mean, being human myself, I too embody this essential trickiness. You know the "pot calling the kettle black."

Throw in youth, or hormones, or drugs, or excessive amounts, or alternatively steep lack of $, and all kinds of mischief and mayhem can occur. Humans get weird super-easy. Too much time on their hands, too much of everything, or not enough of everything, can easily twist and twerk a psyche.

We are the species that has a very wide spectrum of traits. Think of the worst acts imaginable: Human. Think of the finest acts imaginable: Human. It's truly our cross. We are all crucified on the tree of deep contradiction and trickiness. Yes, indeed.

The Glorious Thing...

We ran thru songs with an incredible musician last night. Getting ready for a big show next week. Just three of us, acoustic guitar, double-bass and percussion. Two voices, male & female. Our own original compositions. Our own hard-earned truths embodied in lyrics and music. It was intense. Focused. Gratifying. It is truly the good work. Pure creative pursuit. It is the thing we love to do more than anything else. Soul-enriching for sure. We have created a large body of work. Getting it out into world is a whole nother thing. But the process, the creating, the melding different vibrations and energies together in a room. That's the glorious thing. 

I Took It Down...

I took it down...

Yesterday morning, walking down the sidewalk with a furry, four-legged beast. We noticed a Trump/Vance sign on the parkway fronting a massive lakefront mansion. It was an ugly, uncommon sight. I didn't think twice, I walked up to it and took it down. I looked up, the owner of the mansion came running towards me. Uh-oh. Funny. He smiled and thanked me. He told me that someone must have put the sign up as a joke. He was just about to leave town on vacation. He picked up the sign and tore it in half. "I'd never vote for or support that disgrace of human being." Hah. That's my hood. Happily alive in a progressive, blue-bubble.

It Felt SO GOOD!!!

Early voting commenced in our little, blue-bubble neighborhood yesterday. A gloriously sunny, blue-sky day. We gathered our wits together and biked across town to the Civic Center. The bike ride alone was a fabulous adventure. The streets were alive with activity, sunbeams glancing off every window. The lake was blue & shimmering. The trees and grasses looked happy. We just couldn't wait to cast our votes for Harris/Walz, and for Democrats up and down the ballot. We weren't the only ones chomping at the bit to do our very important duty as full-fledged members of USA. The voting place was jumping. Folks were streaming in from all directions. Long lines. Lots of smiles. It did feel like a celebration. There were no Trump signs, no Republican signs either. Anyway, it felt so damn good to vote for Kamala and Tim. After we submitted our ballots, a flood of positive energy flowed through our bodies. There was an electric zap of enthusiasm emanating from the crowd. Funny. One very old, wizened, scarecrow man, an old codger, came walking down the hall after voting, he wore a beat up old baseball cap. The words on the cap: "I like Ike." Ha. Thinking he probably didn't vote for the Dems, one man against the crowd, but who knows?! Ike and his brand of politics, is many decades, many felonies, and  public outrages from the toxic, orange, cess-pool of a candidate that is running this time around. A stark choice. No doubt.

Knowing & Not Knowing...

Ask someone something knowing there is no right answer, because it's something in the Future, and the Future is unwrttien, well, what do you get? Whatever that someone says will be their fears, their worries, their doubts, their hopes, their blind optimism, their off the wall guesses, their ignorance (or intelligence), their total or not so total unknowingness. So, you know, it's a bit of a futile exercise when it comes to what's actually gonna happen in the Future, but it is a very fruitful exercise if you want to know what's going on in that particular someone's internal world.