Happy, nostalgic

Christmas Day was very nice, spent with my younger brother and interacting with the rest of the family online. It just felt cosy.

Thought at Christmas

I often wonder when we will move beyond being entertained by our misery.

People hell-bent on acquiring power never have and never will "do the right thing".

Doing solo shows now, this is my next

what this blog is for, unloading

I have a view that's in my head. You have a view from yours. Your ideas are in your head and not mine, and obviously the reverse is true. Just because you can't seem to understand that your mindset does not necessarily translate into a correct and universal interpretation of reality, is not to be made my burden. In other words, I have little patience for people who still insist on pushing their ways of thinking upon others, assuming they know best. It appears to me the clearest way for me is to be rather than to just say. To look inwardly rather than point the finger as though the one pointing can live up to the judgement they imply through pointing at others. Makes sense to me.

freedom of speech (?)

Review of Pop Rock Overflow by Jonathan Friedman

This is Jon's newest production and the first thing I am struck with is the sound of hard work. Jon makes music I would call classic FM radio pop. I hear snatches of everything from Hall and Oates to Todd Rundgren to Prince. I contribute guitar to one track and that does figure into me reviewing this. Jon is a friend and I know how much this music means to him. Jon shows he has a good ear for arranging and harmomies. Every song is full of ideas and layers of parts, constructed like classic radio hits. Jon has a good voice and his songs are cut from the cloth of daily life, relationships. I want to do my part to call attention to this album. I can see much larger numbers of people going for this album than the ones I make, the trick is getting people to listen to it. Here's the link to Pop Rock Overload

passing thought

Politicians. Buffoons. Liars. Sociopaths. Gutless. Sellouts. Selfish. Heartless. It's likely pointless to say anything but I do anyway.

Healing

I post like the previous one as part of a process.

WHY I HATE THE SOUND OF THE BLUES

I swear my soul remembers a time when my dignity was intact and there was no need to sing the blues. I remember when suffering was not so monumental that the blues was necessary. My soul remembers a time when music and art primarily celebrated life. Regardless of what others try to tell me, I do not hear anything celebratory about life in the blues. What I hear is the sound of being stuck, of not having learned anything that would aleviate the need to sing the blues. I hear the sound of being identified in a way I don't relate to. The sound of the blues does not comfort me.

August thoughts

At best, the powers (unknown) that be globally, know that there are no real solutions to the trashing of the planet that continues, so they just lie to everyone knowing there is no intention of healing anything. At worse the powers (unknown) that be are intentionally annihilating humanity and their plan has been in action for so long covertly that they virtually cannot be stopped.

The news

The news is ridiculous. How the controlled media attempt to paint such a slanted picture regarding the NSA. The bold face lying that has been staple of the government for ages rolls on and somehow people continue to swallow it, even when a cursory glance at history shows that this is nothing new. It is so obvious to me that the NSA is simply spying on citizens and I am certain we will soon see use of this information in ways totally unrelated to national security. For example, the way (self serving) politicians go about discrediting others all of the time, claiming this to be strategic when it is them having no solutions, just playing the game and getting paid/laid. How scandal after scandal pops up and the information 'uncovered' to bring down the person in question seems to somehow just become available. The NSA files will come in real handy for such shenanigans. The idea that there are checks and balances to guard against such abuse is a joke. Over and over these things have happened. Hello!? The way words are used to speak of war in the Middle East, as though there has ever been a satisfactory outcome from US intervention. Seems again the whole purpose is anything but humanitarian. Who is making money off of this mess? I just have to write these words out of frustration. The way the world is drowning in debt and yet the question cannot be answered as to why this has to remain so? Debts that can never be repaid so what is the point except to control others, and in such a cruel fashion. So many decisions could be made this very moment that would be of great benefit to everyone and yet such discussions never seem to take place. And why don't I just go back to sleep like so many of the people around me?

Conservative talk radio is super destructive

My local station is KFAB and due to habit I tune in daily. After 30 plus years of turning the news on as I wake up it's too late to change the behavior. Most days I turn the radio off in anger after hearing the biased one-sided bullshit they spew. I can hardly begin to find the words to express my outrage at their blind adherence to the party line, discrediting anyone who says anything against the ruling class. Such blindness being spewed by those who control the airwaves. It's no wonder most people are totally hoodwinked.

Random thoughts

For now I have decided to leave off making comments about world events on Facebook. I'll just leave them here. To my perception, only the blind or wholly ignorant can be made to believe the US is ramping up war in Syria for humanitarian purposes. War is good for business and little else. It is so obvious that the government is a front for the global corporation that really runs things. Obama is a puppet and nothing else. What a cold and cruel joke to play on the American people, giving them a brown face pretending it is some sort of progress. Surely anyone with eyes open sees that Obama continues the very same agenda that was in play with Bush. Why do I say anything when it will make no difference? I guess I do it for my own sanity's sake. This world is in a hella state. Just heard this: Violence always produces the opposite of what we claim we want, so why do we keep going to war? I say it's because someone wants the negative effects of war, the ones who always benefit from the destruction. The ones who seem to revel in the wholesale calamitous cruelty loosed by the machine of war.

Patrick is doing just fine

Patrick says his music websites are coming soon.

Sonospheres II inserts

Copy and save and print out to go with your vinyl copy of Sonospheres II.

Artist In Residence

A diamond in the rough I truly am. I was described as such recently when introduced to an art loving audience in Omaha. I've thought about that introduction a lot since then, realizing how I likely appear as such to a lot of people. In so many ways I left conventional thought behind years ago. I get along well with folks, but I think my sense of boundaries is more fluid than the norm. Even though there are good reasons to proceed with caution among strangers I take my sense of ease with me fully aware that I inhabit an insane world. I digress. I came here to put down some thoughts about the Bemis Carver Bank site. I was recently chosen as one of the first artists-in-residence for this groundbreaking project. Omaha has a long and sad history of racial segregation that seems to be steeped more in old ghosts than anything current to keep it as such. I stepped out into the city decades ago to see what really goes on and when I drive through my old neighborhoods it is striking how there has been no change at all. I don't know that I can do much about this but it makes sense to me to provide events at the Carver that would be of interest to people throughout the city. Benson has become a hotbed for musical activity in recent years and I am an active part of this scene. The Carver Bank site appears to have much potential for becoming a place for unique and interesting media events. Exhibiting my collage art and video, doing live collaborations with various artists and musicians on at least a monthly basis are some of my initial thoughts. This entry is a bit of a ramble but I'm appreciating this opportunity.

another thought

I speculate that dark matter may actually be consciousness.

Just a thought

I felt the need to document this thought somewhere. Awhile ago I stepped away from organized religion and this is the lingering reason for it. I have wrestled with the idea of God all of my life. In my mind, if there is such a divine entity why would it/they need to be worshiped? The entire notion seems un-divine to me, rather human I'd say. The idea that people need to worship something higher to keep them in line also doesn't hold much water in my opinion. Just wanted to write this down.

Thankful

Feeling good and needing to release it. I got the test pressing in for my next record yesterday and gave the project a green light. I announced pre-orders today and have nearly 40 sales already. I only pressed 100 copies! I really didn't know what to expect, I don't take this for granted. I have always been a vinyl junkie and making records has always been what I've wanted to do. I'm just thankful for this moment in time and in my life.

Focus

Maybe I don't need to but I feel compelled to publicly state that I will be spending less time watching videos online for the time being. The You Tube Vinyl Community has been a godsend to my life, finally finding a group of like-minded record nuts. It is still very vital to me. I had gotten into the habit of uploading a video almost daily. At the moment this has changed. In my mind I am in another period of transition and my focus is different as a result. My hope is to establish mechanisms for me to be compensated for my art, in other words I am back to work on a regular schedule.

2013 first thoughts and ramblings

2012 was quite a year for me. So many things happened the time line blurs. Looking back at quitting my career job at Community Alliance by walking out, I still feel good about it. The idea of it being a burning of a bridge that I should regret still seems like propaganda to me. Many little and not so little things I have wanted to do have happened, especially after leaving my old job. I live spartan-like but I always have. To my way of thinking, the fact that most people remain blindly focused on attaining riches after all these years of folly just seems mad. Continually, the reward for me is the doing rather than the compensation. With that said, I step into the new year with the resolve to stay focused in the here and now and savor each momment.