The Human Project...

Folk #1:  Two statements, not backed up by proof or data, just my own very personal 'lived experience."

Everything is connected.

Everything counts.

You may not see the connections, but they are there. You may not think every tiny act accrues & accumulates, but, yes...

It may all seem a bit spooky, mysterious, unsupportable, unexplainable. Assume you know nothing, it's a good start, and from there, you inevitably find yourself going to "I wonder what's gonna happen next?"

It's actually a quite great way to navigate the Universe. You realize you don't always need to know, you can't know the unknowable, and that's okay, you just need to live,  truly, madly, deeply & fully; heart, head, spirit aligned. Plunge in. Open-hearted, open-minded. Not always easy, but that's the human project.

Reaching Our Limits...

Folk #1: Think of our present nasty predicament here in the USA as being in the "Bartelby the Scrivner" phase. The "I would prefer not to," era. Think of the awesome Power of saying "no..." You know I am advocating for a life-affirming, super-positive utilization of "no." A liberating "No, and, oh yeah, fuck you, & the horse you rode in on." Delivered with ultimate gusto, and the most empathy, & compassion one can muster up.

Another forever war? No. 

Fascism in America? No.

Idolize the bully? No. 

Bow down to the Stupid Ones? No.

Just go along, get a long? No. 

Beat up on the poor? No. 

Beat up on Immigrants? No. 

Brutalize our fellow humans in the streets, and the newly constructed conccentration camps? No.

Use AI? No. 

Eat a Shit Sandwich and Say it Tastes Good? No.

Turn a blind eye to the corruption? No.

Pretending to like what everyone else likes? No.

Giving up on Justice? No.

Giving up on Democracy? No.

Become totally cynical and callous? No.

Giving up on decency & compassion? No.

Stop giving a Fuck? No.

Giving up Hope? No.

Giving up anything without a fight? No.

We are free to say no. It is freeing, and liberating. There is a better way & a better day.  Can we will it to be so? Who knows? Worth trying. No doubt. Damn the Torpedoes...

Fanfare for the Common Folks...

 

Folk #1: If Democracy is to be saved, it will be saved by the common ones. Seems fascism is out of fashion. Cruelty is not really cool. Blaring, over-amped stupidity is not popular. Murder & mayhem in the streets, concentrations camps, and foreign wars are definitely on the "outs" with most of us Americans. We all focus on those crazy folks still clinging to the sinking MAGA boat, but what about the rest of us? We greatly out-number those dolts. 

At some point "Trump," & "MAGA," will be about as popular as "Covid," or "pestilence," or "sexually transmitted diseases," or "tooth decay." And, well, that kind of super-unpopularity has consequences. 

More special elections overnight. The district that contains Mar A Lago in Florida went to a Democratic Candidate. More flips to the Democrats. This year, so far, something like 30-0 flips (!) for the good guys. It is the voters, you and me, we are the ones who can take this country back, set it right. One vote at a time. Nothing fancy or easy about it. Standing up to be counted. That's how you do it.

A good thing about our little Democratic experiment, we can change direction. Maybe not on a dime, but slowly, slowly, and then, suddenly, very quickly. It doesn't happen instantly, but it can happen. One day you wake up and MAGA is a distant creepy memory. Trump is a life-less hulk, and a lame fucking duck. And we have all moved the fuck on. A new day is upon us. Yes. Indeed. I can see that vision & future, oh so clearly. 

A Zen Ju-Jitsu Maneuver

Folk #1: "Stiff upper lip." Maybe that British pose & idea is a little over-rated or out-dated, and of course, it can be "over-done," and detrimental, but as you watch your fellow humans freaking out at every little news story, you think, a bit of discipline, gumption, and counter-intuitive narrating is in order. "Woke," seems to point to sensitivity, empathy, compassion, intelligence, & gentleness, but we can also be gnarly, recalcitrant, burly,  spikey, often playing "devil's advocate." Trying on personas day to day. You know, Vince Lombardi's "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Being tough without being tough. A permeable hardness. Tough of Spirit, and, soft of touch. Sort of a Zen Ju-Jitsu maneuver.  Look all the star-crossed little sheep running like a crazy, doomy mob, watch them all gladly leap off the cliff together. You really feel for those mis-guided, hairy sheep. You aspire to be the Shepard, not the sheep. You stand still, take it all in, let it percolate inside. "In it, not of it." Sometimes, just like the cheese, you must stand alone.

Anything Can Happen...

 

Folk #1: Ha, ha, ha...

Is it funny to see that the President of the USA has no freaking clue about what he is doing or saying? Isn't it wild to realize, he, and we, have no idea what is percolating in his mushy sponge of a brain, and no idea what words will actually dribble out of his mouth next? Yes. It is funny & wild, & a bit scary too. Lives hang in the balance; with one poorly constructed sentence he can put folks around the world in grave danger, global financial meltdown could be around the corner, a certain Apocalypse Now could unfold at any moment. Or... maybe... not.  

I must say, being out and about over the weekend, meeting & talking with my fellow Americans, none of this madness, idiocy, and uncertainty is going over very well. This President is deeply unpopular around these parts. I suppose that is a good thing. Maybe just maybe he is destroying the Republican Party from the inside out? It is rotten to the core. Time to sweep that shit out, no doubt. Just hope he doesn't destroy everything else in his path too. Think: Godzilla with Early Stage Dementia. Anything can happen!

A Vibe in the Ocean of Vibes...

Folk #1: Yesterday, I spent late afternoon in packed little Chicago bar singing "my truth," It is quite the thing. Write songs, take them out into the world and sing them with all your heart & soul. I'm not saying I am a fabulous singer or anything, but "my voice," is truly mine, it's authentically mine, it took my a long time to truly find it, and there is something about letting it fly into the atmophere backed by a kick-ass band. It took a long time to get to this place without worry, doubts, or second thoughts. Also, there is the long process of finding out what "works," what doesn't; working thru all the elements, having the right gear, working thru bad sound, broken strings, tuning issues, not being being able to hear yourself in the center of the hurricane. The audience was appreciative, enthusiastic; I was just one element in an 8 piece ensemble. The "magic" comes from losing yourself in the moment. The vibe the band creates is bigger than any one of us. So yeah, my voice in the middle of the maelstrom of sound, just another vibe in the ocean of vibes. Whenever you do anything "creative," you are edging out on the high wire, not knowing if what you are doing is really good, bad, or indifferent. Really just trusting the creative impulse. Giving your all, losing your self in moments of complete trascendence. Those moments can't be ordered up, or commanded, they descend upon you, like a cloud, or like a gentle rain. There is nothing better in the world. You can bask in the glow of an uncommon, beautiful thing. Just another show, but it is a little glimpse of everything conjured up just right, everything truly in it's right place.

In it's Own Weird, Negative Way, it is Impressive...

Folk #1: Think of him as a "negative role model." You know whatever he is, represents, says & does, should be dismissed, rejected, belittled, ignored. Be glad you are not him! Use his example as a map for how not to live, how not to think, act, or believe. He is cruel, racist, unkind, selfish, boorish, ignorant, you are kind, compassionate, embrace diversity, empathic, humble and loving, always seeking intelligence in this vast Universe. Think of him as the human-black-hole, a field of negativity, nihilism, death; you must avoid him, his followers, and all his emanations at all costs. Your life depends on it. Your happiness, your fulfillment, your hope for a meaningful and satisfying life requires you to navigate away from anything associated with that very sick, twisted, corrupt idiot. Think of his life as The Idiot's Guide to How Not Live a Life. Ha. How is it that one human being can attract, embody & manifest all the worst qualities of humanity? All contained in one over-stuffed toxic package? I suppose in it's own very weird, negative way, it is sort of impressive...

Blind Stupidity...

Perfection. There are only so many ways & times you can say fool, idiot, creep, moron, knave, scoundrel, grifter, felon, con-man, cry-baby, narcissist, egotist, psycho/socio-path, liar, bully, coward, sexual predator, all-around terrible human being. Sometimes one image is all you need...

Beware the Shit-Stirrers...

Folk #1: My friend's Mother came to one of our theater productions back in the early 2000's. It was a festive get together. Our little theater group put on a funny, surreal, play, there was a good turnout, and then there was a rollicking celebration afterwards; drinking, chatting, laughing, and goofing around. One of our tangential friends, a shady, marginal character we called "Johnny Boy," stood out in a crowd of shady, marginal characters that always hung around the theater space. Free booze, pretty girls & music was like fly paper to these needy, on the hunt, flies. My friend's Mother sat observing it all. She took one look at Johnny Boy from across the gallery space; he was animated, fractured, even at a distance looked not quite right, and she remarked to no one in particular: "That Johny Boy is going to ruin it for everyone." Ha. Of course she was right. Wherever Johnny went there was always chaos, fights, and hard words left in his wake. Later in the decade, Johnny would send me photos from on the lam in Thailand; the theme was always half-dressed ladies, illicit drugs, wild nights, dark-doings.  It was best to keep one's distance from Johnny Boy. Always arm's length. Beware the shit-stirrers. Hmmm... I wonder why I am thinking about Johnny Boy this morning?!

The Good Work of Living Well...

Folk #1: Hitting bottom. What is to be found there? Nihilism. Pessimism. Doomerism. You know, death-cult, suicide-cult shite. I suppose it's good know, to be aware of the very dark things that you must avoid, and to recognize them as the intellectual poisons fatally-toxic to your head, heart & spirit. USA is in the grip of MAGA. MAGA = Death Cult/Suicide Cult. I suppose Hate suffuses & infuses everything in this dark, toxic place. It is self-hatred turned on the world. It is a mind-fuck, a spirit-suck, a black-hole that swallows everything. This Death/Suicide Cult looks powerful & inevitable, but it's a hollow, empty, dead-end, no doubt. It can't be reasoned with, it must be avoided, contained, and defeated. Most of us truly Love Life & Love Love. That is the alternative, the positive truth, the life-raft that will save us. So, yes, you touch down, then you must rise up from the bottom, land on solid ground, and begin doing the good work of Living Well.

Surrounded by Knaves & Fools...

Folk #1: St. Patrick's Day 2026. It doesn't have much meaning beyond an excuse to drink to excess, & then puke on your shoes. Beer & vomit. And for a certain class of Humans, that is just typical behavior. Some of us left all that behind in our mis-spent youth. Now it's about observing your fellow humans acting badly and thinking "glad it's not me." Unleash yourself from the drinking class, and, suddenly you are a bit of an outsider. Choose to be a vegetarian too, and, well, you find yourself on the far shore of existence. Oh yeah, admit you like to read poetry, and poetic novels?  Ok. You are an outlier, no doubt. Yes.  Being on the outside looking in gets to be quite comfortable & comforing. Dave Davies of the Kinks once put it well: "I'm not like everybody else." And that's ok. It kind of inverts the old idea of being a "rebel," no cigarettes, no booze, no BBQ, no junk food, early to bed, early to rise, leaning to the Light,  you know, just for kicks? "Straight Edge," vs."Broken Arrow." I was once told by a "psychic," that my mission in this life was to "heal my male ancestral line."  Seems a bit of a heady, mad, impossible quest & task, the kind of mission & theme you can take into the core of your being and guard with your life. I look back at my own line, a  long string of "working stiffs," folks just trying to get through, and, yes, well, there is continuity in the line. I find myself trying my best to do what I can with what I have, which isn't all that much, but just enough. I can choose to be happy, as an act of flinty discipline. Surely, I am arbitrary, temporary, making it all up as I go along. Often I have no clue what it's all about. I look around at the world and I see difficult dire, deadly, times, bounded by tragedy, and cruelty; surrounded by a world overstuffed with knaves & fools. I am in it, but not of it. That's my code. I tell myself: "It must be enough."

Clearing the Head-Space...

 

Folk #1: I write about the madness, often, here, in this little blog. Reading my posts you might think I am overly-occupied with the doings of terrible people doing terrible things. It is not so. Or, ok, it is so, but only to a certain extent. Sure, there is a battle going on in my head-space (one battle after another), sure, the hurly-burly of furious action is front & center in my head, but I am always trying to clear my head, my space, to open to a new clarity, to locate, & to retreat to, the calm center of consciousness. It can be done in short bursts, and, surprisingly, sometimes, I can do it all day long. I turn to meditation, music, laughter, love, joy. I try to fill up my days by doing those things that I love to do. Much of yesterday I spent my time in a recording studio working on new music. It was glorious. No one was shooting missiles at me. If I stick close to the ground, wander the streets of my little neighborhood, I can lose myself in a world of wonder. Really. It's true. I imagine myself as a little Golden Buddha. letting go the troubles, the worries, the doubts, of a crazy-ass existence, and focus on the Light,  Light in the Darkness, leaning into the "path of enlightenment." Yes. Be like the Golden Buddha. That is a noble path. No blood for oil. No war. Fuck the evil-doers. I let all the shite go. Damn the torpedoes.

The New World Disorder...

Folk #1: Intentionally lighting the Middle East on fire? Not smart. Gladly blundering into a War? Pretty damn stupid. And terribly immoral. Not realizing that other folks have "theory of mind;" not understanding & taking into account that  other Human Beings have their own thoughts, ideas, dreams, plans, motives? Infantile, stunted, a sign of a malfunctioning brain. Talk about "self-sabotage." No surprise this man is a multiple Felon, a serial sexual abuser, a bully & a clown with a long record of failures & bankruptcies. Did I mention the Lies? Never-ending. How could such a Human Being be elected, elevated to such a position of weight & power by a free populace? Unfathomable. This lawless President, and his boot-licking toadies are on a path of world-wide chaos & destruction. Welcome to the New World Disorder. It is true, and it is our small glimmer of Hope, there is still reality, gravity & hard consequences: "The harder they come, the harder they fall, one & all." Afterwards, the healing will commence, and the picking up the pieces and putting back together again will be a major enterprise of renewal. Other, vastly better equipped Humans will be required for the difficult tasks ahead.

The Psychopaths Amongst Us...

Folk #1: What is a Psychopath? Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, persistent antisocial behavior, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to stress, which create an outward appearance of normality.

The latest news seems to beg the question: What happens when society rewards & elevates these broken, stunted, malformed personality types to the highest ranks in Government, Business, Show-biz, Pop Culture?

The obvious result: blind cruelty, pointless violence, raw brutality. Amplify this across countries and you get bloody wars of attrition. Unhinged, delusional, diseased, poorly functioning minds at war with each other.  The rest of us are left to watch the gory spectacle unfold & to pray that the pieces don't fall on our own heads...

Stupid & Corrupt Meets the Day...

Folk #1: It's funny to watch the really Corrupt & Stupid People find out that not every one else is quite as Corrupt & Stupid as they are. You know, "the shock of the real." Another hard reality, and a hard-learned lesson in humility. Of course, these Corrupt & Stupid People are so Corrupt & Stupid, all lessons, roll off their backs, they fall by the wayside. Nothing will deter these Corrupt & Stupid People from their mission of corruption & stupidity. So, anyway, yes, the Gates of Hell have been pushed open-wide, it is quite disturbing, but there is still a tiny flicker of satisfaction as we watch the Corrupt & Stupid People flail about in total stupefied incomprehension. They find themselves up against something totally mysterious: other folks with minds of their own, some actually armed with a smidgen of Intelligence, Integrity, Agency, Will, Intention, Resistance.  Sure, all this madness & fury may spell "curtains," for a certain way of life for all of us, it is a constant battle, between the dense & the enlightened, but it is sort of gratifying to watch the Corrupt & Stupid Ones find out that "the world," & reality itself, refuses to bend or bow to their deeply stupid & corrupt idiocies...

Morning Words...

Folk #1: Words & phrases that tumble off the top of my head this morning...

Hubris
Arrogance
Idiocy

Blind Stupidity

Clusterfuck

Fatal Embrace

Catastrophic Failure

2 Billion Dollars a Day

Oil Crisis

Vietnam

Iraq

Afghanistan

Iran

Straits of Hormuz

Quagmire

Forever War

FUBAR

Civilian Casualties

Murder

Mayhem

Dogs of War

Gates of Hell

Unintended Consequences

No Exit Strategy

War Crimes

Dishonorable Men

Cowards

Fools

Lies

Lies

Damned Lies

Release the Epstein Files

Fuck

"Girl, we gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do..."

Yes, of course, the Idiot Plot...

Folk #1: Yes. Of course. "The Idiot Plot!" - an idiot plot is one which is "kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot" and where the story would quickly end, or possibly not even happen, if this were not the case.

Sure, it can be mildly entertaining, if, & when, it's just entertainment; a movie, a series, or a show, in which you watch other folks, clearly, first-class, clueless Idiots, navigating thru the world, fucking up with total abandon and idiocy. Laughter and joy can ensue, watching folks clearly more fucked up than you, totally fucking up. There is a certain satisfaction in thinking: "At least I'm not that much of a fucking Idiot!"

In the real world? Not so funny. Every morning you wake up, worried, anxious, unsure, sipping your morning coffee asking yourself: "What fresh fuckery today? What have the Idiots done now?!" 

We are stuck in the Idiot Plot, with no clear escape hatch. Yikes.

Random Words from a Diseased Mind...

Actual Quote from Trump: "No other president can do some of this shit I'm doing."

Folk #1: Exactly! Yes. In my own mind, I have danced around with the idea that Will Stancil posted on Blue Sky (see above). Thinking about this lawless, rogue, President, a human being, who rarely seems to have a coherent, rational, logical thought in his head; attributing, any cogent motives or strategies to this poor example of a man, seems like pointless foolishness, & an obvious "category mistake."   

All the media coverage of this man's mutterings are truly off-target.  Yes. "... asking a poodle to change a flat tire." So perfect. He's just "doing shit." Shit no one else would do. 

There may be some raw "thoughts" swimming around in this President's head, probably up front & center in his head: "stay out of jail," but beyond that, think way more basic; reptilian, lower-function, all-reaction/all the time. Pure survival shit; rage, blind stupidity, gutter racism, incoherent ramblings & random poorly-formulated words from a truly diseased mind.

It's pathology, baby! We are stuck with this sickness, until, well, not sure how this ends. Yikes...

Monday Morning Hot Take...

Folk #1: I am an Excitable Boy. Just like Warren Zevon. But this morning, trying my best not to be excited or anxious. I am sipping my coffee, doing my best to stay cool, calm, collected. You know, clear-eyed, grounded, level-headed, looking for Intelligent Life on the Planet. Surprised by the on-going "idiocy & barbarity of my fellow Human Beings." So my hot take isn't all that hot. Maybe this new war in the Middle East is just one grand social experiment, meant to trigger a Global Meltdown? You know, popping the balloon just to make noise? Intiated by one foolish, man, criminal in nature, well beyond the pale of any sensibility or rationality. "This imbecile doesn't know what he's doing..." Let's step back for a minute and remind ourselves of one good rule for better living: "Don't mess with shit you don't know." But, in order live by that code, you have to be smart enough to know what you don't know, and disicplined enough to know when to shut up and sit down. Our present dire cirmcumstance, this vast moment of uncertainty & chaos, is the result you get when one man refuses to shut up & sit down. Think of this Presidency as a deadly experiment that asks the loaded question: "What happens when we break everything, all at once?"

Cognitive Dissonance in Action...

Folk #1: Latest events in the world confirm that yes, we are the bad guys now. When I say "we," I mean the USA. We, our leadership & military forces, are now acting like a lawless, rogue nation. We are the source, the generator of chaos, death & destruction. In retrospect, I suppose, it was inevitable. Life & Death decisions & actions are being made and implemented by a very unwell, cruel, heartless & clueless President. Elect a criminal, expect criminal policies & actions.

We spent yesterday afternoon with a group of creative, dynamic, beautiful American citizens, musicians all, playing music together in a small room, with all our heads & hearts aligned. It was a powerful experience. Even though all of us are very woke & engaged citizens, not one word was spoken about the horror unleashed in our names. It's fair to say, everyone was stunned into silence on the state of the state, desperate to lose themselves in something close to home, something good, nourishing, and soul-affirming. 

We know that we are lucky to have each other, and that we have a project to work on together. It's an alternative, an antidote, to the latest USA Suicide Cult. This Hell on Earth newly unleashed is unspeakable. Really my thoughts this morning about it all can be summed in a string of curses & obscenities. 

Where is all this going? I have no idea, and I can't imagine these folks in charge have any clue either. Let's just be clear, we have taken a deadly, very wrong turn, I don't think it's gonna be a happy ending any time soon. We can Hope for a better day, maybe it's out there on the horizon? In the meantime, filling ourselves up with music, laughter, love. Not an abdication of repsonsiblity, but an act of healing & affirmation of a better way. Fuck the Warmongers & Evil-Doers. Damn the Torpedoes.