Saturday, December 02, 2006

Ancient Wisdom

This term I have been translating quite a bit of Latin. Through this process, there are times when I feel like I am being injected with regular doses of poison (I have no idea what disease the chemo is for, maybe notenoughlatinus) and times when I am totally undone by the poetry's beauty. At other times, I am struck by how appropriate the subject matter is for today. I could easily satirize our nation in the same way as Horace (1.1.61-64):

At bona pars hominum, decepta cupidine falso,
'Nil satis est,' inquit, 'quia tanti quantum habeas sis.'
Quid facias illi? Iubeas miserum esse, libenter
quatenus is facit;

But the good part of mankind, deceived by false desire,
'Nothing is enough,' they would say, 'because you are of such worth as you have'
What do you do for such a man? You order him to be wretched, since
he does it willingly.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Breaking Down

The snow smoothed the landscape and muffled sound. All was made new and the ugly covered; the annoying noise of traffic quelled. Peace at last; people even walked. Our power diminished : If Hydro goes, fate rests in ability; Survival over convenience. I am glad it snows once in a while in Victoria.

I broke down and downloaded some songs from itunes (what holds me back is the low quality/dollar ratio). One was Pacing the Cage, which I think as Cockburn's version of "Blowing in the Wind". Cockburn's poetry is amazing:

Sunset is an angel weeping
Holding out a bloody sword
No matter how I squint I cannot
Make out what it's pointing toward

I've proven who I am so many times
The magnetic strip's worn thin
And each time I was someone else
And everyone was taken in

I never knew what you all wanted
So I gave you everything
All that I could pillage
All the spells that I could sing

Monday, October 30, 2006

Good Bye John

Today, I had the pleasure of attending the funeral for John Dougan (the pleasure was in knowing this great man and hearing about his impact on so many, not in having to say good bye). Well, why was he so great? You can only answer this question by having known him, but here are a few things. I first met him when we moved to Victoria, he and his wife Rie were our new neighbours, immediately our family took a shine to this man and his wife. Over the years he has been more than a grand parent to me. He was the second person (after my mom) Tessa and I told the news of our engagement to, while he was on one of his usual walks in the neighbourhood. My mom is right, the neighbourhood will not be the same without him; he knew everyone and was always up to date with what they were doing. He delighted in giving toonies to my children as if they were his own grand-kids. To me, the glint in his eye and gentlemanly manner stand out. Over the years my mother has oft said, "always the diplomat, John Dougan". He was always so gracious and loved a good joke; he would always laugh while telling the punch-line. I still break out in laughter when I recall some of the occasions with him. We, humans, truly are meant to be together, given the impact we can have upon one another. It is amazing how the stories of so many have "John" in it and he is inextricably woven through the last twenty-two years of mine. Thank you John, for being you. Just like a ray of sunshine you were always seen to be brightest in the gloom. Good bye.

Monday, September 18, 2006

The Battle Within

A good friend of mine and pastor, Hans, wrote about Stanley Hauerwas in his blog. It is really cool because Hauerwas' views on pacifism completely echoed my last blog entry. Colman McCarthy quotes, "I say I'm a pacifist because I'm a violent son of a bitch. I'm a Texan." This very blunt statement shows that for him the battle is within. This is the case for me and the case, I believe, in general. Check out the Raskolnikov-effect given in my last post. Earlier he is quoted, "I would not be a pacifist if I were not a Christian, and I find it hard to understand how one can be a Christian without being a pacifist." This is remarkable again given the question on Israel in my last post for so many Christians are staunch Zionists.

A cool juxtoposition has taken place in my studies. I am translating (I'm hoping to be reading at some point) parts of the Iliad and all the Trojan Women by Euripides and parts of the Aenid. What is cool is that the Iliad deals with the war, the Trojan Women with the fallout and the Aenid with the founding of a new city once the baggage of the old is dealt with. In class we watched the Cacoyannis film (the soundtrack and filming is excellent by the way) The Trojan Women. Oh! the horrors of war. Check out this quote from the play:

"I do not commend the fear of one who fears but never yet has reasoned out the cause."

Astyanax, the child of Hector, had just been killed because Odysseus reasoned that one day he may be a threat to the Greeks. Check out how it lines up with Hauerwas says, "[I] recalled that Bush, after urging Americans to go shopping, immediately proclaimed, "We are at war." Hauerwas explained that peculiar juxtaposition this way: "We are frightened, and ironically war makes us feel safe. The way to go on in the face of 9/11 is to find someone to kill. Americans are, moreover, good at killing. We often fail to acknowledge how accomplished we are in the art of killing. We now conduct war in a manner that only the enemy has to die." This is exactly what Euripides was struggling with. The Athenians were adept at war and went campaigning every summer. Also, it is possible that the play was a response to the Athenian's slaughter of an entire city, very similar to Troy's situation. The point, though, is that Euripides definitely took his minerals, in other words, he had balls because he was sponsored by the state and still produced this play (a much harsher critique than Michael Moore's work). As my professor stated, "this play today could easily be set in Iraq, Afghanistan or Darfur".

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Struggling

Is life an endless cycle of hate? Wars, battles, attacks and daggers in the back? Apparently so, but the cycle can be broken and the stream reversed. What? There must be a catch. There is! The effort that a person makes will not be readily apparent for a long time, much like when one first lifts a heavy piece of furniture the pain is excruciating until raised from a squat the muscles have finished contracting. Then a sense of lightness overcomes the lifter. How can one feel lighter? As Gene Edwards says in A Tale of Three Kings, "One, never learn anything about the fashionable, easily-mastered art of spear-throwing. Two, stay out of the company of all spear throwers. And three, keep your mouth tightly closed". Any other catches? Yeah, one more, a person will go through almost more pain by doing the above three things than if he fought back. What about assertiveness? Be a doormat? Remember the goal! To rise beyond conflict. Ghandi lay like a doormat, but was never used as one. Are people powerless, then? No! A person has incredible power, but it must be harnessed. What? The same hate can be brought out of anyone. In classical speak, anyone can be Raskolnikov; in modern speak everyone must win against their own temptation of the dark-side or the ring. Pass the test and peace will come. Aung San Suu Kyi passes all the tests with flying colours. Look at the size of her enemy and the power they have over her, yet she will win one day since she wins one day at a time. This sounds like passive crap? The battle is in a person, that is why questions like this are asked angrily. Why be defensive, if it's crap? Well then what about Israel? Israel owes its heritage to a pacifist, David. David overcame his own soul first, became king legitimately and then ruled and established the kingdom. Yes, he made mistakes, but he wasn't mad like Saul. And yes he could have deposed of Saul since Saul had served his purpose. What about fame and power? None is more famous (especially over time) than Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Theressa, Aung San Suu Kyi and many others. Power then? Whose kingdoms have influenced the most outside their lives, i.e. lasting power? Keep up the struggle and acknowledge first temptation, its source and then overcome it for power is not taking but overcoming.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Control

The subject of control enters my mind often. Control is an illusion that deceives many, for at certain times a person can truly feel in control and actually be in control to a limited extent. Times in life exist where everyone does another's bidding and everything goes that person's way, a person has control. Or does he? Can that one make things go his way or is it the hand that he is dealt. In no way am I minimizing the need for gracious behaviour and seizing the things that are in a person's reach (and we can extend the reach somewhat), but in the end humans are limited. There is a ceiling.

In addition to the temporal nature of control, control, which is the ultimate exertion of power, often has many inconsistencies. In the Constant Gardiner a central character states "I was the control freak who couldn't control himself". He couldn't control his lust nor could he figure out what caused it or where it came from. He was disjointed.

Rather than control, I favour the word influence. Complete control over another person is not natural and is more akin to slavery than anything else. In contrast, there are many ways that a person can influence another without tampering with their self-determination, i.e. when a person does not bend another's will through withholding food, clothing, visas, and passports. Does it violate your existence? If yes, it's control. Influence can be feeding another with ideas and ideals, but brainwashing is the unacceptable limit of this influence. Influence arises from the authority structure present in most, if not all, cultures. Lastly, someone always remains above another; world-records are usually broken, so there is a levelling effect present in influence. I was reminded of these facts when I read the following:

It towered so vast above petty human creation, so elemental in a man-made world, that even if all the men who had lived in all the past millennia had opened up their arms as wide as they could and carried everything they had ever created or intended to create and piled it all up in massive heaps, they could never have raised a mountain ridge as fantastic as the Caucasus. Alexander Solzhenitsyn. August 1914. Trans. Glenny

Fly on! Enjoy the feeling! Breathe it! But remember that you can always fall to the ground because your being is governed by many laws.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

All That Stress

In the previous post I described how adrenaline remained in my system even though it was clear there was no need for it. I just read a movie review of Crank in which the main character must keep moving and awake to retard the effect of a deadly poison. Since it is September and I am starting a very demanding degree, I have been thinking about stress and what causes it. In the past during school I have been like Jason Stratham in the movie, always on the move, adrenaline flowing and without peace. Understandably, university is intense, so my body should react somewhat, but my reaction seems excessive to me even though it is within the normal limits of student stress levels. I have determined that much of my stress results from a feeling of being out-of-control. If I had all the time in the world school would not be stressful, I would be in control. I could study for each test appropriately and do thorough research on my papers. The fact is that I don't have nearly enough time. I feel out-of-control because so many things enter my study time, necessary things. Should I resent going out for coffee with other students? No way, if I want friends and compatriots. Also my grades lie in the hands of my professors, what they will assign and expect.
Control truly is an illusion. Who knows when sickness will scupper all our plans? What can I really control? Is it really that big of a deal? I have heard of those employees who believe that the company will come to a halt if they take a vacation. What will halt is their control of the workplace. So what I can control are my expectations and the demands that I put on myself and not let them control me. The thing about stress is that you cannot lie to your body. If you feel cause for stress you will be stressed, sure, tell yourself it is not a big deal, but if you don't believe it you'll take two hours to get to sleep while fretting about needless details. This need for belief necessitates the change of our mindset, logic must prevail : if I can't change it who can? Many people have their own answers, for me it is he who stated "but trust, for I have conquered the world."

Angel Moment

We have a glass door in our dining room that leads to an outdoor patio and a couple of weeks ago my daughter put her arm through it. Evelyn had just jumped on the couch and she was running back to get the farthest possible start when she tripped. I watched with horror and anxiety as I saw her entire arm go through the glass, stopped from a complete trajectory through the window by her torso. Immediately, I reached for a towel, ran to my daughter and yelled to my wife. My intention was that my wife would start the car while I applied pressure to the wound with the towel. Then we would rush to Emergency and hopefully Evelyn would not lose that much blood. Instead, I got to her and found no blood at all. There was a little glass on her hand and upon later inspection a cut under her arm, but only the first layers were scratched. Evelyn was fine, but I was not. Despite telling myself repeatedly that she was fine, my being would not respond to this information and adrenaline flowed through my veins for a few more hours. Her slight injuries defied my expectation. The next morning I took her to the clinic first thing to ensure that no invisible damage was done. The Dr. said she was fine, but that all the nerves and blood vessels for the arm and hand ran 1cm deep under her cut. Her injuries could have been so much worse. I was thanking God so much for her safety, but remained puzzled by the way the glass broke because two large pieces were pushed through leaving a thin rim remaining around the frame. My conclusion was that some force pushed the glass out just before her fall. In telling this story I have heard many other close-call stories in return, angels really are watching over us.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Tradition and Reason

Upon reflection, part of the reason that I and many in my mixed culture seek reasons why is a lack of tradition : I have no idea what my ancestors did or believed. The chain is broken. What spiritual beliefs? What did those stars represent? What do those birds sing of? What happens after starlings flee? These questions came with no answers, not even a framework for me. What is true for me? leads me to explore, prove and adopt. Although no pure tradition exists except in isolation, since influence relentlessly pursues even the most xenophobic culture, the difference is that those with a strong tradition have a root to grow out of. Multi-racial, -cultural, -ethnic make-ups, by nature and contrast, have internal conflicts. Also certain cultural roots are often either preferred or suppressed. My parents are first generation Canadians, yet I do not speak Gaelic, Dutch or Chinese. Where do I come from? During different periods of my life I have even stressed my relation to certain cultural groups by diminishing or not recognizing the other cultures present in my make-up. I am? I used to envy those with an easy answer, but now I view myself as an alloy : I have some strengths that derive only from the fact that I am a mixture. I realize that I can neither escape my roots nor can I only be my "base-metal". Since few answers have been given to me, I'll continue to explore what causes what.

Was Mark Mothersbaugh really the front-man for Divo? Wow! And he can write "Let Me Tell You About My Boat".

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Hungry!

I just made a donation to World Vision to supply rural children in Uganda that walk to the city each evening to avoid capture and subsequent forced enlistment in the rebel army with blankets, etc... Unfortunately, I had to turn down supporting Unicef because of my commitment to World Vision and Feed the Children. The need is so great! I have really enjoyed dialoguing with Unicef volunteers downtown and on the phone. They are doing a really good job. Unicef, due to their wide volunteer base gives 90 percent of what you donate to children in need. World Vision the last time I checked gave 86 percent and Feed the Children gave a similar percentage (who wants to pad already full pockets). All are good : choose one and help those that are hungry and scared.

Unqualified

Botched in Translation in the August 7, 2006 issue of Macleans humorously recounts tales related to tattoos with incorrect Chinese and Japanese characters ( I don't think anyone would knowingly put "crazy diarrhea" on their calf). Imagine if my language training was limited to this : "wow! that inscription reads, "Romans conquered diarrhea".

Pleasuring

Wow! The whole month of July has passed by without me blogging. Renovations have taken up most of my time outside my regular work/parenting schedule but I have squeezed in some moments of enjoyment. One moment came tonight when I put away the mower and witnessed a spectacular sunset. Jean Vanier's Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John remains a consistent source of pleasure. In many ways the book embodies more than pleasure and often I feel the words reaching my soul. In addition to trans-soul communication Vanier provides many thought-provoking statements, e.g.

We human beings are a mixture of the presence of God and the absence of God,
of light and darkness, truth and chaos, goodness and evil, openness and closedness.
No human being in himself or herself is holy or pure.
We become holy only through the holiness of God.

I wonder if Hans, to whom I gave the book, has ventured into its rich pages.

Last week I went out to a Euro-pub for dinner and got to sample some fabulous beers from their menu : My brother said, "They have a Cognac beer." right away I ordered it. I also tried the Wee Heavy and a Chocolate Stout. Fortunately, my local liquor store carries these and the Cognac remains my favourite, its flavours are as complex as a fine red, though I am looking forward to the stout.

Also, for my birthday I finally picked up Hancock's Gershwin's World and Pat Metheny's Speaking of Now Live. Gershwin's World is much better than Possibilities (the last Hancock album I bought) in which Hancock voluntarily took a backseat to other artists. Joni Mitchell is amazing and rivals her accompaniment to Neil Young on The Last Waltz. Wayne Shorter always rocks and Hancock's talent, appropriately, stands out. Metheny, Anthony Sanchez and Richard Bona stand out on the DVD. Ironically (because Sanchez was present), the DVD was filmed among a conservative and relatively sparse Japanese crowd (possibly favoured for their expression of appreciation being limited to enthusiastic applause after each song as opposed to shouts during the performance).

Alpha Yaya Diallo played downtown for Canada Day. The concert was a highlight of July and the fireworks that followed rounded out an awesome night. Dancing with my family in front of the Parliament buildings and viewing the fireworks on my dad's boat stand out. Hopefully I will find the CD tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Emptiness

Today I felt at a loss with no scores to check and no matches to follow. What will I do after the final? I did a bit of organizing today and guess I will do some more catching up. I read a clip my mom had cut out from a newspaper during her recent trip to Scotland about a rare postcard that was found under the lining paper of a drawer. The postcard was dated 1883 and addressed to barristers in Victoria; the cool thing is that the address is the two block street where I work. I work in a heritage building, one of about three on the short street, so it may have been sent to my building all those years ago. Cool!

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Shame

Today, I went through the pain of watching Holland versus Portugal. It was painful to watch due to endless dirty play, cautions and red cards, and the fact that the Dutch brought shame upon themselves because they did not redeem the mistakes they made: Cocu who passed when he was in the penalty zone rather than shooting came closest to redemption when he hit the crossbar (see what happens when you shoot, the ball actually goes near the net). Robben said he could play much better when he played against Serbia. Where was he today? I know he was double teamed, but come on! Kuyt passed rather than shot and then when his chance came he kicked the ball right into the goalie rather than going around the goalie or shooting up high. Van Persie and later Van der Vaart were the only players that seemed to get the urgency of this game : elimination. Delivery has been a common problem among the Dutch this round (I talked about the heart-attacks they caused me by not scoring insurance goals, previously). They have very few finishers. The good news is that their finishers are young and I look forward to great things from van Persie, especially. I just hope that he stays out of Holland until the next World Cup so no one can convince him it is better to pass rather than shoot when you are in the penalty zone. Portugal deserved to win despite all their dirty work and if it weren't for Van der Sar the score would be even worse. Hopefully for Holland someone will be able to fill his shoes for the next World Cup (if they qualify). Until redemption it's sackcloth and ashes and lots of hard work.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Lag Effect

Last night while I was trying to sleep after a very long workday --see the last post-- I was thankful that I did overwhelm my body with coffee. Unfortunately, at times I have loaded up while studying and heard my own heart pound and stayed up much longer than required. It is difficult to calculate how long the stimulant will last over how long it is required for and how much is needed to stay awake for that required time. The lag effect of the economy, however, is much more difficult to predict.

This thought originated yesterday when I was cycling to work and saw all the new construction in Victoria. "Will there be enough demand?" was my question. The lag in construction is considerable, given the time between planning and finishing. I think most of the mid-to-late eighties when many lost there shirts being spread to thin or investing too late. When does the wave crest and when does it break? There is time, if you can surf well enough, to get out even at this latter stage; if, however, you ride it too long you will be washed up on shore and have to take the long and hard journey out to the swells. The fear of missing activity compels one to push on and assume that demand will not be quenched : what if more people move here? If you drop in late you are toast, so I would ignore the "what if" and wait for the next great swell. I was, however, proven wrong about interest rates as I predicted they would have started to rise long before they did. The signs of the Reagan era are here : high defence spending and high gas prices (although they have a diminished effect on inflation to the eighties recession). I do not monger fear, but recommend not taking uncalculated risks based on unceasing demand : just look at all that fiber-optic cable that has not paid for itself ten-years later.

Bang! Bang!

I am writing this after only 3 hours of sleep --during the last half-hour my daughter screamed constantly because her hair was being washed, so it wasn't a quality three hours. Neil Young's Living with War is on and last night begins to flood into my conscience. I went to work purposefully late yesterday to prepare for the long day ahead because I was hired by a film company to be a liaison for our building. The film company told me I would end between 11 and 2, but 5:30 turned out to be the time. Anyway, I made some decent money and got to see the large number of people exercising at that time on a Saturday morning.

It was pretty cool to be "part" of the crew and I was shuttled off to lunch with other workers at around 10:30. I was able to put in an eleven hour day of work, but couldn't focus so late at night so I watched the filming for the remainder of my long shift. At one point I was imprisoned upstairs because they were filming on the stairs. Repeatedly the prop-man handed a gun to an actor and yelled, "The gun is hot." The scene consisted of a woman who is kidnapped by some guy, the kidnapper shoots a cop and as they go down the stairs the victim breaks free and grabs the gun from the dead cop and kills the criminal. Funnily enough, at one point the actor playing the criminal got hurt so there was real blood with all that fake blood. Bang! Bang! still rings in my ears from the firing of all those blanks.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Football Poetry

Well, Spain came back, but there is still a chance for Tunisia if they can beat the Ukraine by two goals. The compilation The Beautiful Game in National Geographic (June 2006) really pumped me up for the World Cup. The map is awesome, especially the chart that shows that 218 million watched the Final in 2002 compared to 127 million for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics and to 95 million for the 2004 Super Bowl. Given my interest in the Classics I particularly enjoyed Robert Coover's article Morality Play: Soccer as Theatre:

The explanations advanced for soccer's intense mysterious power, the trancelike quality of great matches, its worldwide domination over all other sports, have been many...Soccer has often been compared to Greek Tragedy, or seen as a kind of open-ended morality play. Perhaps the difficulty in scoring...intensifies this sense of theatre, causing the denouement--or collective catharsis--to be withheld almost always until the final whistle.

I hope to read some more of Coover's works in the future (on the web version of the article he supplies an article on Spain).

Fever

Renovations and upkeep have filled my waking hours lately, so it has been a while since I blogged. I have run the gamut of emotions watching the World Cup Finals : despair, anxiety and elation. My genetic makeup comprises of 50 percent Dutch (25 percent Dutch-born, 25 percent Chinese immigrant) and 50 percent Scottish. Since China and Scotland never make it to the Finals, the Netherlands is my team. Now I mostly watch games feeding and distracting my two year-old daughter to keep her away from the TV. I used to visit Holland quite regularly as a child and recall the severity of punishment if my brother or I breathed too loud during a game. Now, when I watch Holland I hardly breathe, since they never score that insurance goal and give their opponents too many chances during the last 15 minutes of play when their chances of scoring would be slim. Whew! I will be even tenser on Wednesday when they play Argentina, who has just come off a 6 goal win against a team that Holland only scored one goal against. So far, the FIFA rankings do not match performance, since the Czechs lost and both Holland and Brazil have not played to their potential (the top 3 rated teams).

I am very excited about the remaining 3 African teams that have a chance to proceed. Tunisia is ahead 1 to nil right now (Joga Companion Rules!!) against Spain and a victory today will help them greatly. Ghana has the best chance; if they can beat the USA by more than one goal they will proceed, due to Italy's poor performance yesterday. If Mexico loses against Portugal, a possibility, and Angola defeats Iran, a high probability, then they will proceed. That would be awesome for a team that just earned their first World Cup Finals point by holding Mexico to no goals.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Labelling

Labels can accurately represent contents if the contents/ingredients are few in number and readily identifiable. If it is a case of WYSWYG the label works. Although many people like to extend labels to people, people are individuals that cannot be so readily categorized. More commonly, labelling people leads to or is used fuel racism and other forms of intolerance/ignorance. Todd Haspect, a Youth Empowerment supervisor, states in May 26, 2006 issue of Saanich News, "Upon spying a group of teens adorned with Mohawks, ragged clothes, tattoos or body piercings, some adults tend to make negative snap judgments about their character rather than remaining neutral or taking time to find out who they are as people." The label reads: "those with Mohawks are sketchy".

Waiting for my drink in a new coffee shop I was checking out, a homeless man introduced himself to me. Subsequently, I shared my table/food and chatted for about half-an-hour. I am glad that he broke the barrier and ripped the label off by introducing himself to me; what a blessing.

What is very interesting about labelling is that many feel compelled to label themselves. This compulsion arises in seeking an air of respectability in social circles. Even though I genuinely say that I want to be myself and forget about the pressure to conform, I still find myself at times glamorizing my story. The pressure to fit into an acceptable preset mould is great. Finding a label also saves you lots of explaining at cocktail parties. Anyway, I'll still venture to be myself and to find my place.

My co-worker showed me the fuh2 website the other day. I wish that one day I will invent something so quirky and original. It, however, both encourages and mocks labelling, so mine hopefully will be in a slightly different vain.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Searching for Meaning

Edward Wilson in the May 2006 issue of National Geographic states, "Well, the human mind has evolved to search for meaning." This statement seems counter-intuitive to me. There are few things in history that have caused as much grief to the world as the search for meaning. Notably any institutionalized form of religion. How could it then develop? I do like the fact that Wilson considers the subject of the world as A Meeting of Science and Religion (the subtitle of his new book). It is true that many have lost the big picture. The world is beautiful. Let us not screw it up too bad. We will have an impact, so the question is quantity. How needless is our (the traditional West's) waste? I agree that Intelligent Design will not provide scientific answers, but I in no way believe that science can provide all the answers humans need. I like how Robert Miller put it in the April 2006 issue of First Things:

"The larger problem the Dover Area School Board was trying to address--the apparent atheistic drift of much public education--may still have a solution, however. I think public high schools ought to offer, at the senior level, a course in philosophy, including metaphysics...This would negate the impression, perhaps created in science classes, that science explains everything there is to explain about the universe." Check it out! The whole article is good.

Getting It

Since I read the article Duchy of Cornwall in the May 2006 issue of National Geographic, I have a few apologies to make. I was lulled into a diminished of view of Prince Charles, but now have much greater respect for him. Although the maximum level of respect that he can get from me is still hampered by his treatment and fall-out with the most popular woman of this age (her funeral attendance says it all), I would like to apologize for thinking he was completely without judgement. Not only does he have judgement, but he also "gets it" and puts his money where his mouth is. The town of Poundbury says it all. As does the following quotes from pages 102 and from the article:

"'It very nearly didn't end up like it is now because there were efforts to water it down', the prince said. 'But we have probably shown that for a ten percent extra cost, roughly, you are actually achieving a far higher value in the longer term than the shorter term, which is the way the modern world looks at everything.'"

If only Bush could think the same!

"'In farming, as in gardening,' the prince once wrote, 'I happen to believe that if you treat the land with love and respect (in particular, respect for the idea that it has an almost living soul, bound up in the mysterious, everlasting cycles of nature) then it will repay you in kind.'"

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Blast from the Past

Besides being astonished by the amount of 80's music on the radio --it exceeds the amount of new releases by far, the popularity of Star Wars among 7 to 9 year-olds blows me away. Lately I have watched my son play Star Wars with his friends, though he only saw the movie the other night. He played along just fine with my basic summaries of the movies and characters, though I had to correct talk of "rookies" to "Wookies". Either the movies are overly simplistic or children do not "get" a lot of it. I believe it is mostly the latter; shows for kids often have dialogue for the benefit of adults. I have noticed that, since he watched the movie, guns are more prevalent in his play. Col. Grossman at www.killology.com has many sources to back up the correlation between video games and increased violence (the Marine Corps uses violent video games to induce a willingness to kill). I think we'll scale down the level of violence that he watches for a bit until this stimulus is diluted a bit.

Duped

What says more: the now record-low approval ratings for Blair and Bush or their victories after 9-11? The fact that they were re-elected, in Bush's case with a greater number of ballots, shows that the general public was duped by their rhetoric. Next time they should listen to Scott Ritter, read Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century and use some common sense. Saddam had no relationship with terrorists at the time and the sources above show that it was Bush Sr.'s goal to topple Iraq that was really fulfilled. Saddam was lead-on by Bush Sr. until his sudden abhorrence at the invasion of Kuwait, so Saddam is not entirely to blame. I guess it should be no surprise that Invasion Iraq was in the works for years, given that Ford and Kissenger approved the invasion of East Timor. At least the approval ratings show that common sense and truth prevailed to some extent, as opposed to being covered up for twenty-five years (the case with East Timor).
Unfortunately, policies are on the table that suggest that we are not out of the woods yet. There are some that see through the fear: "Are you telling me that tens of millions of Americans are involved with al-Qaeda?" Patrick Leahy, U.S. Democratic Senator from Vermont, on reports that the National Security Agency has amassed the phone records of millions of U.S. homes and businesses since 9/11, in search of patterns that might lead to terrorist networks. Both the image and quote are from the May 22, 2006 issue of time on pages 9 and 13 respectively. Overall, I can't believe that the warning sirens surrounding Hayden are not loud enough to be heard, never mind the fact that Rumsfeld still has a position.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Here's To You

Here's To You on CBC Radio 2 is one of my favourite shows on the radio. It is a request show and I enjoy hearing how classical music has impacted different people. Due to the diversity inherent in this genre, a wide variety of music is played on this show. Here is my recent request:

My daughter Evelyn is just over two years-old and she loves horses. "Horse" is one of the few words that she can say well at this stage. One of her favourite activities is prancing like a horse around the living-room to the Prelude-Allegro giocoso of Carmen Suite No. 1. Only this first movement will suffice for her and once the pace of the music calms she repeatedly says "horse" until I go back to the beginning of the track. The odd time I can get by with playing the whole Suite without her noticing, but she doesn't dance with as much vigour. Similarly, to ask me to play this track she points at the stereo and says "horse". I don’t know how she came up with this association, but I can now imagine horses in full-dress apparel performing on the parade-grounds. Could you please play the Prelude for me so I can once again enjoy watching my daughter prance throughout the living-room. Love your show,

Derek

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Nothing

Nihilism, to me, is much easier to embrace if you don't have children : the hope for the future. Children have been and will continue to be a constant reality on this planet. Many different events float upon the winds of time, but the hope for something better and different, present in a new-born, will remain. Also, M. Scott Peck surmised that it is difficult to understand the human condition without having children. Pets are no replacement in this aspect, as they do not naturally outlive humans or carry-on any genes or heritage. Children are more selfish than most parents, so they force (condition over time) the parents not to be selfish. These aspects of parenthood typify unselfishness, which also looks forward in time. Nihilism is intrinsically selfish as it concerns the present, specifically the view-holder's own present and ignores both ancestors and the hope for the future.

Something:
When my wife and I visited Taliesin West we were rejuvenated after the tour, contrary to our expectations. All the walking in the heat would have dictated tiredness had it not been for the incredible design of the place. I was puzzled as to what exactly created this energy until I read the following account by Val Cox in vol. 13.4 of the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly:

I realized that just by walking through the buildings at Taliesin and Taliesin West, you’re receiving something all the time. I know everyone feels that. It takes place in the texture and colour and interplay of the forms. It’s almost like a thousand magnetic fields that you’re passing through. And each time you pass through, just walking through the pergola or whatever, you’re absorbing something. And you don’t know what it is and you couldn’t put it into words. But as your life goes on, it starts to flow back out in a way that’s not arbitrary, or as a result of analyzing and coming to conclusions. As Mrs. Wright always said, ‘It’s in the marrow of the bones.’ And it just radiates from you.”

Monday, May 08, 2006

Guest Friendship

The tradition of guest friendship extends far back in time. For instance, read Genesis 18:1-15, Judges 19:16-30 and various instances in the Odyssey, e.g. the famous, Nausikaa passage. I have witnessed this practice in many parts of the world and always feel somewhat unsettled when I am greeted so warmly and favoured so much by people that are truly strangers. I think I do not feel entirely comfortable in these situations because the situation does not make sense in a "typical" North American framework. In most of the urban centres of North America one does not usually welcome and entertain a stranger who is passing through town. This may be due to many things, including distrust and the often used situation in Hollywood movies to set up a murder or similar crime. Also, the culture in North America tends to dictate that you need to deserve something to receive it. While this mentality is a strong basis for a strong work ethic, it doesn't necessarily lead you to be generous or receive unwarranted generousity. Why, in some cultures and communities, am I favoured for being a stranger? I think that this preference is due to survival and is more present in cultures that live in harsh environments. Thus, survival depends on sharing. Who knows when you yourself will be stranded in a desert or tundra without a hope? Fun-loving cultures also have a unique way of welcoming you in celebration. Lastly, in my experience in North America it is the minorities (immigrants and aboriginals) that are most proficient in extending generousity to strangers. This experience is ironic as many attempt to marginalize them or state that they only take; when, in fact, it is they that give.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Biblical Environmentalism?

Given that the Protestant work ethic derived from a specific set of verses from the Bible and that this ethic contributed to a consumer driven economy that, in turn, created large-scale environmental degradation, is a biblical view on environmentalism feasible? Since the main focus of the Bible is the relationship between humankind and God, and the relationship among humans Mark 12:28-31 (Deut. 6:4-5), a view of this kind must be derived from a group of scriptures. The first group of scriptures that I will consider concern God’s relationship to earth.
  • God created the world and it is his (Gen. 1:1, 1Cor. 10:25-26 [Ps. 24:1], Col. 1:15-20).
  • What God created was good (Genesis 1:20, 25; Is. 6:3) and a source of joy (Job 38: 6-7).
  • God controls the earth (Deut. 10:14, Ps. 50:1, Ps. 147:8, Acts 16:26).
  • He uses it to exact judgment (Num. 16:32, 2 Chron. 7:3, Ps. 46:8, Is. 13:13).
  • The earth responds to God (Ps. 98:7-8, Ps. 148, Ps. 97:5, Ps. 77:18, Psalm 46:6).
Clearly, the Bible states that God created the earth, cares for it and interacts with it.

The second part of this analysis concerns what the Bible says about our relationship to the earth.

  • God appointed us as stewards (Gen. 1:26, 28; Gen. 9:1-3).
  • What does it mean to rule or be given everything in your hands? Note that God demands an accounting from the animals as well (Gen. 9:4-5, Ps. 148:13, Prov. 28:3, Is. 32:1, Matt. 5:5, Lk. 1:52).
  • There are warnings and consequences concerning our role (Is. 24:5-7, Hosea 4:1-3, Jer. 51:25, Rev. 11:15-18).
  • Our commission regarding the earth (Matt. 6:19, 2 Pet. 3:13, Is. 45:8, Is. 66:1).

Main questions for thought, given the above analysis:

  • What are our priorities, duties and responsibilities to the earth and the poor?
  • What is our relationship to the earth?

Answers:

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

  • There is a correlation between consumption and pollution. Can the above be true in a polluted city?

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

  • There is a correlation between consumption and poverty (ecological footprint, above).

Hebrews 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

  • God cares for the earth so we should.

What can you do?

  • Recycle.
  • Buy responsibly – buy more local produce and less exotic produce and buy fair-trade to ensure farmers in other nations can make a living.
  • Buy organic to nurture the earth.
  • Drive less.
  • Complete your footprint to see what you need to work on.

If you want a version with the full scriptural references post a comment requesting it with your email and I will get one to you.

The reason that I am passionate about the environment is that when I first moved to B.C., in the 1980’s Acid Rain and the Greenhouse Effect were plastered on the front cover of a majority of publications. As time went on I witnessed logging protests, etc… Like many students at university I explored new ideas and was passionate in the expression of these ideas. It was during this time the 3-R’s became popular and the time that I first recycled, bought bulk items to avoid packaging and visited the Walbran. Today I still recycle, avoid saran-wrap, bike as much as possible, etc... Unfortunately, I have an ecological footprint of 4.6 earths (the amount needed for everyone on the earth to live at the same lifestyle). The NA average is 6.9 earths. I used the MEC one (www.mec.ca/coop/communit/meccomm/ecofoot.htm); my results for myfootprint.org were 3.5 and 4.7 earths respectively. Thus, the future in this area always looks bleak as so many people live “without” to sustain that which I use. There is no equality here, but I realize that the less room I require, the more room there is for others. Thus, choices of consumption in North America are important and a way to bring social justice to the world. The bottom line is not the lowest price, but rather ensuring that others are treated as Jesus would have treated them. I won’t even mention sweat shops.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Living Fiction

How much of our interactions are genuine? Does anyone really express what they feel? There are many ways to live fiction. One can distract truth-seekers by talking about the deeds of others, commonly know as living vicariously. Another option is creating a story by exaggerating, which impresses others so much that they don't ask personal questions. One can also be stand-offish or have no "personality". Or, be aggressive and ask all of the questions so you are never asked. There are many options for the majority who do not live reality (including me) and pure reality may be fiction. A useful self-test is: "If people could read my mind would I be afraid?" or would it roughly represent what I convey to others. Non-fiction can not only be interesting but can also be fun and attractive. Live it!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Beginnings

While living in a community that was, literally, a clearing in dense jungle with ATCO trailers placed in neat rows throughout, I decided to embark on a journey. The easiest trail was the road out of town made for the transmission lines. After heading up the steep pitch, for what seemed like hours, we ran into some local workmen. Here, I was given my first taste of coffee; however, this drink was sweeter than anything I had tasted. I felt guilty and happy that I had sweets so early in the day. We went on from the workers for a while when I spotted it to my left: the low lying caves surrounded by jungle. Somehow I knew these were the "burial caves" and to this day I am unsure of whether the many skeletons and Dutch coin were real or a dream.

New Censorship

Today I went to my local music store to pick up Living with War by Neil Young. Unfortunately the store did not have it, but I couldn't help wondering if the FBI label on the back would read "If you purchase this product you are considered to hold the same view as the artist and will be charged under section 9.11 of the Patriot Act." Then the next time I visited the States with that music in my itunes I could be held without trial for listening to an album that actually seems to make sense.

Onto another topic: I was given an Eddie Bauer back-pack several years ago and have used it often. The result is that the zipper is completely broken. I decided to go into the Eddie Bauer Store to get it fixed. After discussing my problem with several sales staff and the manager, I learned that they would not fix it, as I did not have a receipt. This situation seemed ridiculous to me because there are a number of patches that stipulate that I have a genuine Eddie Bauer bag. I wish they would tell the truth and say, "We get many sales because we advertise a lifetime warranty on the bag, but put many obstacles in the way so we don't have to honour the warranty." My solution was to give the bag away and hope that someone out there can repair the zipper and give the otherwise good bag a new lease on life after writing a complaint to the company to which I received no answer. I would like to point out that my DaKine bag also had zipper problems, but that it was replaced with no hassle.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Defying Nature

The desert in Phoenix does not resemble that of Jordan much; while Phoenix abounds in plant-life, Jordan does not. The blooms that these plants create in mid-to-late April seem to especially contrast the hard-pan found in Jordan. While there, though, I could not escape the parallels brought by my recollection of a large pool in Humayma. At first thought, this pool in the middle of a very dry desert appears to be a cistern. Upon further reflection this supposition seems unlikely because there is no evidence what-so-ever of a roof to minimize evaporation. In addition, all the other cisterns on the site were covered. Nearby Petra has similar remains of a large pool. The most likely theory put forth is that these pools were for recreational purposes alone. A further supposition is that they were built to display the ruler's ability to thwart nature. In Phoenix a similar attitude prevails. There is no visible water conservation. Since I live in a rain-forest and I am limited in how frequently I can water my lawn, I can only suppose that Phoenix does not limit lawn-watering to display man's advantage over nature. Open canals and a number of man-made lakes and rivers seem to strengthen this point. The lack of low-flush toilets and water-saving shower heads also emphasize this point. Conservation in any way was lacking in Phoenix, from recycling to the widespread use of HUMVEEs (the only hybrids are the buses). Although Phoenix may be an oasis in the desert, it cannot be one responsibly for so many people. I hope by my next visit that my hotel won't change the sheets, soap and towels against my wishes (my wife left a note not to do so) and that I find more than two recycle bins in my travels.

Dialogue

Me: "Who does daddy love?"
Evelyn: "Me."
Me: "Who loves daddy?"
Evelyn: "Me."

Evelyn is my daughter, who is just over two years old. We spend much time together and the above is one of our many pointed conversations.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Desert in Bloom

I sensed that familiar spicy-smell, upon getting out of my car at King Tut's. "What a surprise?", I thought, "my wife suggested a Nargila bar." We had just arrived in Phoenix late at night and joined all the trendy youth hanging out at "Tut's". We had a great meal and I was constantly reminded of all those great times I had in Jordan. The next day we hung out at the hotel pool and I almost finished Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Amazing! No children to interrupt me, just me and my book. In the evening we joined the start of the festivities for a good friend of ours that was getting married the next day. This evening was the rehearsal dinner at the Wrigley (yes, that family) Mansion. The night was a complete blessing and conversation flowed easily at our table. The only puzzling fact was the Flemish-style artwork on the walls of a hacienda. These seemed dark and out of place among the bright walls, creosote wood, and terracotta.

I really do love the desert; like putting on familiar clothes, it feels comfortable. Fortunately, the next day we went to Taliesin West and had the most amazing experience. In the desert stands Frank Lloyd Wright's winter residence and school. This place does blend in with the natural environment just as he intended. In addition, just like floor lighting and drive through banks, his innovation of organic architecture was years ahead of his time. One recent building was built from a plan of his that was sixty years old and the structure blends in beautifully with the modern skyline. Highlights were the piano niche, cut glass to accommodate vases on a too-narrow shelf and the canvas roofs. Learning of his mentoring approach also made a deep impact on me. Despite the long journey, my wife and I felt particularly invigorated after this trip.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

What You Said Has Come Over Me

What you said has cut me deep

Straight down unto my feet
It has left me sore and worn
Oh, so like a withered thorn

Those words were pure avarice
They grabbed for the soul within
So empty I’ve become
So unlike the giving sun

My solar wind no more it blows
All their sails have been left without
I am steeped in your bitter heap
No more life may dwell within

I am destined now to not even sin
On the edge of that well known bed
I almost lie, but for the daggers
Embedded in my now bony back

Will respite ever come
Or is this song my destiny
How to rid this awful mess
How to cleanse those blood-stained sheets

What you said has come over me
What you said has come over me
What you said has come over me

High-end Design

I just discovered Design Your Self by Karim Rashid; it is really cool. The publisher's description is accurate: "Rashid's philosophies center on quality over quantity, space over clutter, clarity over complexity, and a marriage of form and function in every design. With each page in vibrant color and packed with his charming artwork and sketches..." Unfortunately, his suggestions tend to be as costly (in time or money) as his Lacoste designs. Often, however, it is worthwhile to spend the necessary time in improving one's life, despite the paradox between the time and effort required to earn money and simplicity. Dematerialism creates difficulty in the context of consumer design because designers still want you to purchase items (viewed by them as making life easier). To escape money and clutter is difficult and requires thoughtful choices in the midst of a busy life, so think and ponder. The marketplace, on the other hand, only encourages one to buy or hire (a designer to help out), but it fuels design at the same time, so some say "it can't be all that bad." The main strength of his book is encouraging others to think, albeit within the confines of his designed life, about one's life. Many tips exist out there to simplify life, but few resources encourage contemplation as he does. I intend to write more on philosophy later (I am reading First Things and The Reasons of Love). Overall, buying the book at a "discount" is best. His book would make a killer blog with each subject (roughly a page) forming a post, though given the world of design he would likely charge for access.

Speaking of money, I recently found out that Starbucks (along with an endless list of companies including Kraft, Toblerone, and Altoids) is owned by Philip Morris. This fact coupled with the ridiculous concept of charging for wi-fi has decreased the frequency of my visits there.

Unfortunately, the entire world of blogs, viral videos, etc.. can at times turn into one large high school with scandals rippling through it that make those affected want to hide for the rest of term.

Parenthood

Today I had one of those moments that parents dread. I was looking out for my two year old while she had a bath. She likes to splash, so the curtain often gets shut. I heard the last of the water get drained, but nothing else. When I pulled the curtain back, I saw the steaming heap between her feet on the tub. The silver lining is that at least it wasn't the carpet.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

The established classics

I regularly browse through bookstores looking at the latest titles. It seems that every year or so, a book is published as a guide to the classics or to what books to read. I used to eagerly flip through these books to determine what was regarded a classic. Now I have read a much greater number of these great works, to my benefit, and when I see these books I hope others are drawn to the eternal books.

Speaking of books, I have been really enjoying a book by Jean Vanier: "Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John." This book literally feeds my soul with its truth and insight. Vanier has obviously not only thought carefully about this topic, but also lived it. He provides a very insightful definition between shame and guilt, which can be applied more widely to the concept of cultures. Although he places shame under a wider umbrella of guilt, he distinguishes between shame and moral guilt. Shame in an extreme sense is feeling guilty for who you are or for existing. Moral guilt, on the other hand, applies when a person does something wrong, so a feeling of guilt accompanies an objective reality lacking in shame. He wisely notes that both are intertwined, as they are when discussing shame or guilt cultures.

The other night I watched that "classic" film The Robe. I thought that it was very tastefully done, though inaccurate in some historical points, e.g. a tribune would most likely have a retinue going to the market. There was a cool quote in the movie: "It is much easier to dream of the truth than to live it." How true that ideals are always hard to live, especially by those that proclaim them.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Men's e-zine

Yesterday, at my son's school, I was surprised to learn that there are professionals in the field of yo-yo'ing. Tim the Yo-Yo Man put on a very funny and polished act for the kids that taught them about N(ever give up), E(ncourage others), D(o your best). NED is what true champions do; I guess Bode Miller never learned this lesson. If he did, he may have actually delivered at the Olympics. Anyway, the reason I was at the school is that I am a stay-at-home-dad for three days a week. I have searched in vain for a magazine that relates to this life. All the parenting mags are glorified Chatelaines and all the men's mags just make you envious. You are not raking in the dough to buy all those gadgets or go on the cool trips and definitely do not have the time to be that in shape. Surprisingly this magazine phenomenon translates into real life. I am one of the few dads to pick-up, drop-off and go to assembly. As a result I am around women all the time, including my wife, and even at the last two meetings I was outnumbered 10 to 2 (the other guy was the chair). So, I have decided to face the issues here on my blog. I am not sexist at all in this, just surprised that people can actually talk about so many things for such a long time. I feel that my five minute contribution stands for nothing in the one-hour world.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Limited Destiny

There are many games that could be said to reflect destiny/life. For me, destiny/life is like playing Spider Solitaire on the difficult level. The cards are dealt, confining rules exist, and one is free to make moves within this framework. What stands out is the rippling effect of one's choices and the fact that despite the undo function the entire game can hinge on one needed card. It sucks to play, come so close and leave saying "if only."

Saturday, March 18, 2006

The Messiah

The fusion of tumbling, breakdancing, martial arts, and East Indian traditional dance moves fed my rapacious hunger for inspired ballet as I watched the Royal Winnipeg Ballet perform The Messiah. From the stark, but powerful opening scene of the dancers lying on their fronts with arms extended under the shadow of blue light to the effortless lifting of two embracing women by the male dancers this production delighted the viewer. Unfortunately the show ended after just 80 minutes, which seemed hardly adequate given inspired interpretation of the music and voices. It was an excellent evening out with my wife.

The Gnome

I do not want to continue much further without talking about the Gnome. He was my Jedi-like master, who trained me in the ancient arts in the desert of Jordan. I was working on an archaeological dig there and was first drawn to him by the confident aura he exuded despite his stature and weathered face. I then watched him for a while and noticed a few things about him. It wasn't that he was anti-social, just that he lived by the old ways, when he made his own tea while others shared theirs. His tea was always made in his own teapot, on his own stove away from the others. I do not know whether others could contaminate his tea, but out of fifty Bedouin workers he was the only one to make and drink his tea alone. The same held when it came to preparing the on-site breakfast, careful and premeditated actions. He lived by the code, in fact he embodied the code of elite warriors that had passed through countless generations of the wisened few to our age. Now those since the last generation have incorporated modern technology with the old ways to create a new way of being. Here is a picture of the Gnome and one of both of us while working on the site (away from our training camp).


Thursday, March 16, 2006

The wonders of UHF

The peaceful music broadcast on CBC2 only seemed to heighten the fact that I was waiting and had been waiting for a long time. I have felt constrained. As I dwelled on this pause of life, two choruses rang in my head by Blowin' in the Wind Dylan and Pacing the Cage by Cockburn. I also re-read a rant I wrote a while back:

It is so difficult to write. I feel like a bomb, which is exploding in a vacuum. How do I make my voice heard, all the passions pent-up in me, all the emotions, how can I possibly express them without being constrained? How to be proper, serious, respectable ease out little of my passion? I want it to envelop the reader. Should I abandon all and just write, with no obligations or responsibilities, something inside me tells me not to, that this is wrong. Where was I programmed and where did I learn these things. Who am I, who made me, and who has influenced me? I am going to be misunderstood anyway so I should let it all hang out and not bother with interpretation, who understands my interpretation? Why should I suffer for a little bliss in pleasing people? There is so much to me and intentionally I will not clarify this statement, I am so eclectic I do not know what is my prominent source. I want to do it my way, not the way CS did it or anyone else. No boundaries. Why are there so many rules? Because we only care for ourselves.

Last night I watched Hidden Land and Bela talked about how long it takes to find your own style, a journey I am still on.

Anyway after the dentist I picked up a copy of UHF and much to my delight found the article "The High Fidelity Digital Jukebox." This article, though not explicitly, confirmed my conclusion that Apple Lossless is the way to go. On the whole it is an awesome magazine that takes much care in testing and in answering correspondence, but I wish there was a version of this magazine that dealt more with new technology. If you know of one let me know. UHF has 3 relatively recent articles on the subject and they talk of doing more so the future looks bright. I am most interested in streaming music from my computer via Wi-Fi or LAN in a Hi-Fi manner. Any help would be appreciated.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Initiation

This is nuts. I have joined into the fray of speeding bytes to, in a way, journal, opine, and argue about both nothing and something. Well here goes my first blog. The other night I checked out this organ recital at a church in town. It turned out that a famous - in organ circles- organist from Austria was playing. I listened with joy and soon I was lifted from my awkward position (seated in a pew, facing away from the organ) to the heavens. No longer did I see that woman's hair in front of me instead only the streams of the melody. After an intermission, in which I found few approachable, I found myself hearing electric guitar licks reminiscent of Eddie in Bach's work. I could not escape this association in the second piece either. Maybe one day I will master Bach for the electric guitar. Until then I will strum away on less abstract pieces, as I try to escape from marching with the ants.

Reverb

Reverb plug-in