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Friday June 6th, 2008
“Well May We Say . . . . .
“Well may we say 'Thaaaaaaaat’s All Folks!' because not even Bugs Bunny can save the Prime Minister.”
Geppetto, carver of Pinocchio
Hi folks,
I just got back to Melbourne and sort of picked up bits and pieces of the ongoing Henson art scandal here, and while I haven’t seen any of the controversial images myself, I think I did manage to find a few of the more offensive ones on the internet, like the one above.
Most of us were influenced by Henson’s work from watching shows like The Muppets and Sesame Street when we were younger, and I find it ‘revolting’ that our newly elected Prime Minister is showing his latent artistic frustration, probably at his failure to be selected as an Australian Idol judge in a previous life, towards this world reknown and celebrated puppeteer. In the spirit of Alison Groggy and other artists who have signed an ‘Open Letter’ in support of Mr Henson: (http://www.abc.net.au/news/opinion/documents/files/20080528_hensonletter.pdf), I would like to contribute my own ‘Closed Letter’ to Prime Minister Rudd further down below.
Accusing someone of being a child pornographer or pedophile today is the Sin Qua Non Tarbrush of Our Times. Whether a person is guilty or innocent doesn’t matter. Just get their name in print next to the word pedophile and the damage to their reputation and career is done. J. Edgar Hoover understood this in the 50s. So did L Ron Hubbard during the dark days of Scientology. I strongly advise all of you to think four or five times before you start painting somebody up like this. Get your facts straight first. You could find yourself on the other end of this witch hunt in tomorrow’s newspapers.
Moral ambiguity is an extremely sensitive area in Art. It always has been: from Michelangelo's naked cherubs, to Nabokov’s Lolita.
(I will look closer at moral ambiguity in one of Steve Goodman’s more controversial songs, ‘Danger,’ in the Songwriting Workshop 21 section below.)
Speaking of ambiguity, you might recall some time ago, I mentioned that ‘Shaddap You Face’ made the Best Songs About Heroin list. (Who am I to tell others how to interpret my music . . . but I do know that snorting parmesan cheese definitely leads to the harder cheeses.)
Now, a list in the Sydney Morning Herald has ranked it as one of the Best Wedding Songs. (So if you’re an Italian junky about to be married to your skanky junky ho, I’m your Wedding Singer.)
Oh yea. I also made one other list: Bands That Never Should Have Gotten Together in the First Place:
”Don't forget Joe Dolce...maybe not a band as such, but he should've been banned! B. Hyman (Hey, fool, at least I still have my original Member. Boom boom!)
AMERICAN POLITICS
If some of you are still labouring under the illusion that the American Republican candidate for president, John McCain, might be a preferable choice to Obama/Clinton, have a look at this video of some excerpts from some of McCain interviews. I think he studied under the same public speaking tutor as Bush:
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/325.html
(thanks to Bill Lempke)
I certainly hope that Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton agree to sort out their squabbles and join forces now that Obama is the Democratic candidate. Early on in the race, I mentioned that I didn’t care which of them was President as long as they ran together as a team. Because together, you get three for the price of two. I’m talking about the added value of Bill Clinton’s expertise. Remember (if you can think pass the Blue Dress) that President Clinton had the US economy in the BLACK. Remember those days?
FAVOURITE LETTERS OF THE WEEK
Closed Letter to Prime Minister Rudd
Regarding the Charges Against Mr Henson
June 6th, 2008
We invite the Prime Minister, Mr. Rudd to once again say ‘Sorry’ with regard to his ill-placed comments about the artistic merit of Mr Henson’s work. (Last time I looked, I don’t believe I voted for Mr. Rudd to be an art critic, did you?)
The tar and feathering of one of our most respected children’s artists does untold damage to our internationally recognized Cultural Cringe. The public stosh prompted by the Henson exhibition is welcome and important. That is one of the things art is for: it is valuable because it raises difficult, sometimes unanswerable, questions about who we are, as individuals, and the auction value of certain items.
Mr Henson’s work has nothing to do with pornography and, according to the judgment of some of the most respected television programmers in the world, it is certainly marketable.
We ask for the following points to be fairly considered:
1. Mr. Henson is a highly distinguished children’s artist. His work has been exhibited on all the major television networks in the world.
2. The intention of the art is not to titillate or to gratify perverse sexual desires, but rather to make the viewer consider the fragility, beauty, mystery and inviolability of the puppet.
3. Mr. Henson was the creator of The Muppets and the leading force behind their long creative run in the television series Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.
4. Mr. Henson is widely acknowledged for the ongoing vision of faith, friendship, magic, and love which infused nearly all of his work.
In his work, he began experimenting with techniques that would change the way puppetry was used on television. Henson believed that television puppets needed to have "life and sensitivity," allowing them to express a wider array of emotions, in contrast to a marionette, or Australian political candidate, whose arms are manipulated by strings.
Henson later explained, "Till then, advertising agencies believed that the hard sell was the only way to get their message over on television. We took a very different approach. We tried to sell things by making people laugh." (Rather than making people laugh, like politicians do, when they try to judge art.)
Saturday Night Live writers never got comfortable writing for Henson's characters, and frequently disparaged his creations; one, memorably quipped, "I won't write for felt." (Those were also his exact words when John Howard expressed interest in hosting the show. Let this be a warning shot to you, Mr Rudd.)
In contrast, the Defining Essence of Pornography is that it endorses, condones or encourages abusive sexual practice. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Many of us have carved puppets of our own. The sexual abuse and exploitation of puppets fills us all with abhorrence. But it is equally damaging to deny the obvious fact that puppets can be sexual beings when you are really lonely. This very denial contributes to abusive behaviour, because it is part of the denial of the personhood of the puppet.
In my opinion, Mr Henson’s work shows the delicacy of the transition from two dimensional cartoonery to three dimensional puppetography, its troubledness and its beauty, in ways which do not violate the essential innocence of his subjects, but can make them look exceedingly stupid. It can be confronting, but that does not mean that it is pornography. (In this context, wood has an entirely different meaning, as it were. Splinters and what not.)
Legal opinion is that if charges were laid against Mr Henson, he would be unlikely to be found guilty - due to the fact that most of the elected officials and members of the Bar and Courts themselves are puppets operated by hidden strings and they would consider it Contempt of Court.
It is notable that the attacks on Mr Henson’s work have, almost without exception, come from those who are unfamiliar with the Muppets. If an example is made of Mr Henson, one of the world’s most prominent children’s artists, it is hard to believe that those who have sought to bring these charges will stop with him. Rather, this action will encourage a repressive climate of hysterical condemnation, backed by the threat of prosecution, of such great figures as Walt Disney, Hannah Barbara, Looney Tunes, the leaders of the Liberal and Republican Parties, and many others.
We urge our political leaders to follow the example of Italian Prime Minister, Josephus Dolce III Melanzana, when in 1542 a similar outcry greeted a life sized sex puppet exhibit, ’The Pope’s Your Uncle,’ created by Giuseppe di Finoche . At that time, Mr di Finoche said: “I do not believe that this puppet has anything to do with the Pope, per say.”
With Prime Minister Melanzana, we believe the proper place for debate is outside the courts of law – in the hallways - with an exchange of sufficient Lira between the parties.
Joe Dolce
Composer and Puppet Whisperer
Signatories: Sir Mickey Mouse, Sir Mighty Mouse, Sir Donald Duck, Sir Daffy Duck, Sir Goofy, Dame Mrs Goofy, Sir Heckle and Sir Jeckle, Dame Dorothy, Sir Tin Man, Sir Lion, Sir Scarecrow, Sir Wizard of Oz, Dame Good Witch, Dame Wicked Witch, Dame Snow White, The Honourable Seven Dwarfs, John Howard, Esq. (Retired), and Sir Dumbo.
Additional Signatories and Comments: The following support the appeal contained in this letter without necessarily endorsing the detailed argument:
“I gave up on books when 'To Kill A Mockingbird' gave me no useful advice on how to kill a mockingbird.” Wiley Coyote, cartoon actor
“I think pictures of gorillas having sex with Michael Jackson should be deemed artistic. But hey. What do I know.” Gore Illa, model maker, King Kong.
"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." Dame Tweety Bird
THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION . . . .
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
What disease did cured ham actually have?
Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?
If you have sex with a professional prostitute against her will, is it considered rape . . . or shoplifting?
Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
They're going to see you naked anyway.
Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?
Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
Do the Alphabet Song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Why did you just try singing the two songs above?
(thanks to Bill Lempke)
British PM Warns of Global Oil "Shock" as Fuel Price Protests Spread
Agence France-Presse
London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Wednesday that the world faced an era-defining oil "shock" that required urgent action, as European leaders argued how best to contain protests over soaring fuel prices. "It is now understood that a global shock on this scale requires global solutions," Brown wrote in The Guardian newspaper.
Record oil prices of around 135 dollars a barrel have contributed to protests worldwide over the rise in fuel and food costs, with fishermen and truck drivers taking the lead in Europe, blocking ports and road access to oil depots. (article)
http://www.truthout.org/article/oil-crisis-rage-spreads
Australiana
These were results for an Ozwords comp where entrants were asked to take an Australian word, alter it by only one letter, and supply a new and witty
definition. You'll need to be an Aussie to understand!!!???
* billabonk: to make passionate love beside a waterhole
* bludgie: a partner who doesn't work but is kept as a pet.
(this one's gotta be the winner!)
* dodgeridoo: a fake indigenous artefact.
* fair drinkum: good quality Aussie wine.
* flatypus: a cat which has been run over by a vehicle.
* shagman: an unemployed male roaming the Australian bush in search of sexual activity.
* yabble: the unintelligible language of Australian freshwater crustaceans.
* bushwanker: a pretentious drongo who reckons he's above average when it comes to handling himself in the scrub.
* shornbag: a particularly attractive naked sheep
* technicolour lawn: the front yard after a rave party
(thanks to Terry Dwyer)
Pelosi Says Women Won't Suffer a 'Step Back' if Clinton Loses
Laura Litvan, Bloomberg
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said women won't suffer a "step back" if Democrat Hillary Clinton loses her presidential bid, and rejected the idea of sexism in the presidential campaign. Clinton, 60, a New York senator, is "bigger than all of it" and has shown "courage," Pelosi, a California Democrat, said in an interview with Judy Woodruff broadcast on the PBS NewsHour last night. "A woman is down to the wire in contention for the presidential nominee," Pelosi said. "You know she still may win this - but whatever the outcome, new ground has been broken, and it won't be left broken. It will be built upon." (article)
http://www.truthout.org/article/pelosi-says-women-wont-suffer-a-step-back-if-clinton-loses
Hearing loss takes toll on relationships
Hearing loss can have a significant impact on the quality of relationships later in life, causing frustration, isolation and a sense of weariness, speech therapists say.
Australian speech pathology lecturer Nerina Scarinci presented her research at the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists Association (NZSTA) and Speech Pathology Australia conference in Auckland on Monday.
In a study of more than 100 older Australian couples, Ms Scarinci found 94 per cent of spouses suffered the adverse effects of hearing loss.
"The study found hearing impairment can impact on issues such as the way couples communicate, their physical intimacy and social activities, and can lead to feelings of frustration," she said.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080526/2/170by.html
More Australian Perspectives
- WOMAN'S DIARY
Saturday 12th April 2008
“ Saw him in the evening and he was acting really strangely.
I'd been shopping in the afternoon with the girls and was a bit late meeting him, thought it might be that.
The bar was really crowded and loud, so I suggested we go somewhere quieter to talk.
He was still very subdued and distracted so I suggested we went somewhere nice to eat.
All through dinner he just didn't seem himself - he hardly laughed and didn't seem to be paying any attention to me or to what I was saying. I just knew that something was wrong.
He dropped me back home and I wondered if he was going to come in.
He hesitated but followed.
I asked him what was wrong, but he just half shook his head and turned the television on.
After about ten ! minutes of silence I said that I was going upstairs to bed, I put my arms around him and told him that I loved him deeply.
He just gave a sigh and a sad sort of smile.
He didn't follow me up immediately but came up later and, to my surprise, we made love - but he still seemed distant and a bit cold.
I cried myself to sleep - I think he's planning to leave me - maybe he's found someone else. “
- MAN'S DIARY
Saturday 12th April 2008
“Collingwood lost.
Gutted.
Got a root though.”
(thanks to Joe Creighton)
Food Security Requires New Approach to Water
by Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (IPS) - The ongoing food crisis, characterized by growing shortages and rising prices of staple commodities, has far reaching implications for the world’s scarce water resources, says a new study released here.
“More food is likely to come at a cost of more water use in agriculture,” according to the report titled “Saving Water: From Field to Fork“.
The emerging challenges facing the food sector include growing water scarcity; unacceptably high levels of under-nourishment; the proliferation of people who are overweight or obese; and of food that is lost or wasted in society.
“All these challenges mean that a narrow perspective on food security in terms of production and supply is no longer sufficient,” the study notes.
It’s time to take a broader perspective incorporating the steps from growing crops in the field to consuming a meal at home: “A field to fork perspective.”
Jointly authored by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the 26-page study points out that water will be a key constraint to food production — “unless we change the way we think and act about water resources.”
Anders Berntell of SIWI points out that food production and agriculture were the biggest global users of water. On average, about 70 percent of all water extracted was going into agriculture.
“As people’s incomes rise in developing nations, they are changing to more meat-intensive diets,” Berntell told IPS.
In many cases, he argued, this is good, up to a certain level, because they need proteins in their diet. But beyond that, it creates a problem.
According to Berntell, every calorie of food you take in translates into one litre of water. He pointed out that red meat from cattle is more water-intensive because it takes up to 15 cubic metres of water to produce one kilogramme of beef — if the cattle are grain-fed. (article)
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/24/9176/
FAMOUS DOLCES IN HISTORY
Ludovico Dolce
LUDOVICO DOLCE, or Luigi (1508-1568 or 1569), Italian writer, was a native of Venice, and belonged to a family of honourable tradition but decadent fortune. He received a good education, and early undertook the task of maintaining himself by his pen. Translations from Greek and Latin epics, satires, histories, plays and treatises on language and art followed each other in rapid succession, till the whole number amounted to upwards of seventy works. But he is now mainly memorable as the author of Marianna, a tragedy from the life of Herod, which was recast in French by Tristan and by Voltaire, and still keeps a place on the stage. Four licentious comedies, Il Ragazzo (1541), Il Capitano (1545), Il Marito (1560), Il Rufano (1560), and seven of Seneca's tragedies complete the list of his dramatic efforts. In one epic - to translate the title-page - "he has marvellously reduced into ottava rim y and united into one narrative the stories of the Iliad and the Aeneid"; in another he devotes thirty-nine cantos to a certain Primaleone, son of Palmerius; in a third he celebrates the first exploits of Count Orlando; and in a fourth he sings of the Paladin Sacripante. A life of the emperor Charles V. and a similar account of Ferdinand I., published respectively in 1560 and 1566, are his chief historical productions; and among his minor treatises it is enough to mention the Osservazioni sulla lingua volgare (1550); the Dialogo della pittura (1557); and the Dialogo nel quale si ragiona del modo di accrescar la memoria (1552).
Nader Calls for Bush-Cheney Impeachment
by Yunji de Nies
Independent presidential hopeful Ralph Nader spoke outside the White House Friday, calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Nader said the President has, “dishonored the White House and brought a pattern of waste.” (article)
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/24/9180/
SONGWRITING WORKSHOP 21
Moral Ambiguity
Most people know of the singer-songwriter, Steve Goodman, from his classic, ‘The City of New Orleans.’ He has an impeccable reputation as a performer, writer and guitarist. My good mate, Dai Woosnam, sent me this uTube clip of Goodman improvising his way through a broken string which I suggest you watch to give you some idea of his charm. (This is an hour-long compendium of the 1980 Telluride Bluegrass Festival so move the Google marker at the bottom of the frame to around the 42 –46 minute section to see his bit:)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7298847911422706933&q=source:009335455440018555607&hl=en
I was impressed by the impromptu string change patter but the subject matter of the song he was attempting to sing when the string broke, Danger, stuck in my mind more and has led to this workshop.
Danger, has three different writers credited: Steve Goodman, Mike Smith and additional lyric by Sean Kelly. You'd think at least one of them would have questioned the content and context in the way that I am about to. I have scoured the net looking for someone else who has remarked on this song but I couldn’t find one instance. I am consciously refusing to romanticize this subject matter. When a lyric like this is combined with the charisma of a charismatic performer, like Steve Goodman, you get a very dangerous cocktail of seduction and confusion. So let's look at this touchy area from some different perspectives.
DANGER
She was fourteen years old
He was five years older
Old enough to know about danger
Underneath the moon.
Danger ... will they find it?
Orphans of the open road
Chips on their shoulders
Just a little colder than danger
Underneath the moon
Danger ... and he asked her
Baby are you lookin' for love?
Are you lookin' for danger?
Sittin' on a keg of dynamite everynight
She knew that they couldn't last
Out beyond the edge of; fingers on
The ledge above danger
Underneath the moon
Danger ... will they find it?
At night they ride the open road
Phantoms of disaster: just a little faster
Than danger underneath the moon
Danger ... and he asked her
Baby are you livin' for love?
Are you dyin' for danger?
Sittin' on a keg of dynamite everynight
©1980 Big Ears Music, Inc./Red Pajamas Music, Inc. ASCAP
and Pierce Arrow Music Publishers BMI
SO, WHAT IS THIS SONG ABOUT?
A relationship between a fourteen year old girl and a nineteen year old boy that is hovering between the platonic and the sexual.
The song is also about the relationship between a legal minor and a legal adult.
It brings to mind the infamous marriage between Jerry Lee Lewis (23) and his cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown, (13.) Lewis told the press that it was no big deal – in his part of the country, people got married as young as ten years old, if they could find a husband.
http://oldies.about.com/od/rockabill1/f/jerryleemyra.htm
Most people don’t know this shocking fact, but the Age of Consent, for heterosexual sex, in Mexico, is 12 years old. In some countries of the world, it is as low as 9 years old! That’s insane, folks. Criminal. Here’s a world map that shows the breakdown, country by country.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Age_of_Consent.png
For purposes of this workshop, I am assuming the lyrics to the song, Danger, concern the customs and laws of countries of the songwriters.
Lyrical Synopsis:
She was fourteen years old
He was five years older
Old enough to know about danger
Underneath the moon.
(She was an underage girl. He was an adult boy - old enough to vote, old enough to enlist in the army and old enough to kill for his country - old enough to know about the danger of this kind of relationship. Legally, - and therefore, morally - she wasn't. So what I am looking for here is some kind of leadership direction from the adult boy.)
Danger ... will they find it?
Orphans of the open road
Chips on their shoulders
Just a little colder than danger
Underneath the moon
(The lyric now begins to infer that they are on a somewhat equal ground ie. 'orphans of the open road with chips on their shoulders.' Further blurring the line between them. This verse begins to cloud up the morality of the lyric by inferring that the girl might have the ability to CHOOSE what is dangerous and what is not for herself in this matter - like an adult. The Law - and common sense - says that she does not.)
Danger ... and he asked her
‘Baby, are you lookin' for love?
Are you lookin' for danger?’
Sittin' on a keg of dynamite everynight
(The adult boy is now sweet talking the underaged girl with terms of affection like 'baby' and seductive questions like 'are you looking for love? Are you looking for danger?' This is the language of adults and is inappropriate behaviour between an adult and a minor and it is the adult's RESPONSIBILITY to know this - not the minor's.)
The remaining verses pretty much follow along these lines, without sufficient intelligent development of the controversial issues and problems to give any kind of clear moral compass to the narrative. It keeps the subject matter opaque intentionally, but probably unconsciously.
In my view, it is IRRESPONSIBLE for an adult artist to keep this area cloudy regarding interactions with legal minors. Children need a CLEAR LINE drawn in the sand on these matters.
As a writing experiment, let's change the ages of the two characters, in the lyric, to make the subtext more black and white.
First, let's make the older person 45 years old, and the younger person 10 years old. The first two verses would then read:
She was ten years old
He was thirty-five years older
Old enough to know about danger
Underneath the moon.
Danger ... will they find it?
Orphans of the open road
Chips on their shoulders
Just a little colder than danger.
It is obvious in this example that this lyric is inappropriate on every level.
Now let's shift the morality in the opposite direction by making both the parties underage. The older person will be 15 and the younger person 14. Lets also change one word in the third line for continuity:
She was fourteen years old
He was one year older
Barely old enough to know about danger
Underneath the moon.
Danger ... will they find it?
Orphans of the open road
Chips on their shoulders
Just a little colder than danger.
In the above example, both parties are children. Maybe street kids. Some jurisdictions make allowances for minors engaged in sexual acts with each other. In that case, there may be nothing illegal or even immoral about the relationship. Just a case of kids exploring each other. Many of us have had a variation of this experience before we were of the legal age of consent. However, an ADULT writing this might be suspect of still having the emotional maturity of a fifteen year old - or having inappropriate fantasies, if he doesn't take the subject matter somewhere worth taking, which doesn't happen in this particular song.
But what would happen if we make the storyteller; the songwriter - fifteen years old as well - and a boy.
How's does that read? Quite innocently, I think.
She was fourteen years old
He was one year older
Barely old enough to know about danger
Underneath the moon.
What happens if we make the songwriter a girl?
Does the lyric read any differently? A little, but not much.
It's clear that the observer-storyteller (the songwriter) has an important part to play in the overall message of the song lyric. There is no purely objective point of view. Each one of these examples creates a totally different moral context.
Note to Readers: If anyone wants to contribute insights, argue with me or disagree with my views enough to email me, then I will print them next week - with your name. If you don’t want it printed, or want to stay anonymous, don’t send me your comments. On issues like this, I subscribe to Daniel Berrigan’s philosophy: ‘Know where you stand, and stand there.’
RECIPE
JOE'S WHITE BEAN CHILI
375 g white beans, soaked overnight
500 g ground beef
1 can chopped tomatoes (or equiv fresh)
handful fresh basil
2 in chunk of fatty pancetta, cut into large chunks
1 in chunk of guanciale (pig's cheek), chopped into slivers
olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped finely
1 stick of celery, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped coarsely
two cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
3 tbles Franks Hot Sauce (or any Louisiana Style Hot Sauce)
2 teasp red chili flakes
salt and black pepper
Method:
Drain the beans. Put a couple of tbles olive oil in a large pot and briefly fry the pancetta, add the beans and enough water to cover by two inches. Add some fresh thyme and a bay leaf and cook until beans are slightly al dente but still ready to eat.
In a separate fry pan, put some olive oil and fry the onions, celery and guanciale until soft. Add the garlic, the bell pepper and the red chili flakes. Cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and brown. Add the Hot Sauce, chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Add some black pepper and salt and stir-fry for about ten minutes.
Strain the beans, reserving the liquid which should have reduced somewhat. Season the liquid with a little salt.
Place the tomato mixture into the large bean pot, add the beans and pancetta back in, and enough of the liquid to keep everything moist. Cook for a few minutes. Use your own judgment here, but you can add more, or all, of the reserved liquid if you want the beans to stay ever moist - or you can keep them fairly dry. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve with chopped parsley or coriander and extra hot sauce on the side.
“What name shall we give it which hath no name,
the common eternal matter of the mind?
If we were to call it essence,
some might think it meant perfume, or gold, or honey.
It is not even mind.
It is not even discussible,
groupable into words;
it is not even endless,
in fact it is not even mysterious
or inscrutably inexplicable;
it is what is;
it is that; it is this.
We could easily call the golden eternity "This."
But "what's in a name?" asked Shakespeare.
The golden eternity by another name would be as sweet.
A Tathagata, a God,
a Buddha by another name,
an Allah, a Sri Krishna,
a Coyote, a Brahma,
a Mazda, a Messiah,
an Amida, an Aremedeia,
a Maitreya, a Palalakonuh,
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 would be as sweet.
The golden eternity is X,
the golden eternity is A,
the golden eternity is /\,
the golden eternity is O,
the golden eternity is [ ],
the golden eternity is t-h-e-g-o-l-d-e-n-e-t-e-r- n-i-t-y.
In the beginning was the word;
before the beginning,
in the beginningless infinite neverendingness,
was the essence.
Both the word "god" and the essence of the word,
are emptiness.
The form of emptiness which is emptiness
having taken the form of form,
is what you see and hear and feel right now,
and what you taste and smell and think as you read this.
Wait awhile, close your eyes,
let your breathing stop three seconds or so,
listen to the inside silence
in the womb of the world,
let your hands and nerve ends drop,
re-recognize the bliss you forgot,
the emptiness and essence and ecstasy
of ever having been and ever to be the golden eternity.
This is the lesson you forgot.”
Jack Kerouac
(thanks to Stefan Abeysekera)
THE FINAL HURRAH
ID TEN T ERROR
I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Eric, the 11 year old next door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control and asked him to come over. Eric clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong? He replied, "It was an ID ten T error."
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, "An, ID ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again."
Eric grinned.... "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?"
"No," I replied.
"Write it down," he said, "and I think you'll figure it out."
So I wrote down: I D 1 0 T
I used to like Eric.............
(thanks to Bill Lempke)