There's something conflicting about the way I felt a moment ago.
Not necessarily the new year.
I just remembered that the greatest bass I've had has been sleeping in its gig bag for months, and a moment ago it was in between my arms, strapped willingly over my shoulder, extroverted and forthcoming. It's wonderful to sit at home and play along, alone.
Slowly, it sinks in. This notion, that is both graceful and forgiving.
Graceful in that it reminds me that this place I sink into, with the bass on my shoulders, this is the place where I'd like to let my mind rest, rejuvenate, recharge. Express myself without the responses of deconstruction that I get from spoken words, or even thought out words. I haven't played music in a while...long enough to not need it enough.
It's a forgiving notion in that although it reminds me of an abandoned sacred ground, and although the first feeling I get when it hits me is very much like jumping into a bathtub of ice water, this notion leaves as soon as I ask myself what I should do to return to that place. It isn't looming over my head, tapping its shoe impatiently. It is a specific, yet abstract notion. It isn't centered around action, but around inaction. Like some passive intervention that shrugs as it disappears, leaves you asking why or how did you get here?
Whatever, it's too big for this tiny room anyway.
mmmm......chocolate brownies and milk.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The Sea Shepherd
Hi folks, how's everything?
Still have all your fins attached, I hope?
20 minutes ago, as I was coming out of my New Yorker Lounge, I still had the November 5 2007 issue in my hands. That never happens! Usually I would exit the lounge and leave the paper there for others to enjoy. Also, the type of articles found in The New Yorker are often way too long, and only readable while in the lounge, where you know for a fact that you will be back to finish what you were reading the day before. Besides, I usually just read the cartoons.
Now, as I was sitting there, I flipped across an article titled Neptune's Navy. It is about Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A small group of people fighting the heinous and atrocious murders of marine animals. Whales, sea lions, sharks and dolphins are among the species being systematically hunted by the 1000's. Even more outrageous is the fact that the companies doing the killing are getting money from the governments of Japan, Norway, Canada, Denmark and Iceland, among others.
One example given in the article is the Japanese "government-subsidized Institute for Cetacean Research, in Tokyo...and all the whales that are purported to be under study are also butchered for the purpose of selling whale meat to the Japanese public".
Oh yeah, and "The Japanese say that they are hunting whales off Antartica in order to ascertain when there will be enough to harvest for profit." What the Fuck?!
Captain Paul Watson and his fleet are taking matters into their own hands by literally ramming these fishing boats out of the water. Even and especially in cases where the authorities aren't doing shit to stop these outrageous slaughters. I want to spread the word on this organization. It has been around for a while, and should stay that way.
In any case, if this picture bothers you -
then go to SeaShepherd.org and donate some money, or at least read a little more.
That New Yorker Article can be found here.
Peace.
Still have all your fins attached, I hope?
20 minutes ago, as I was coming out of my New Yorker Lounge, I still had the November 5 2007 issue in my hands. That never happens! Usually I would exit the lounge and leave the paper there for others to enjoy. Also, the type of articles found in The New Yorker are often way too long, and only readable while in the lounge, where you know for a fact that you will be back to finish what you were reading the day before. Besides, I usually just read the cartoons.
Now, as I was sitting there, I flipped across an article titled Neptune's Navy. It is about Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A small group of people fighting the heinous and atrocious murders of marine animals. Whales, sea lions, sharks and dolphins are among the species being systematically hunted by the 1000's. Even more outrageous is the fact that the companies doing the killing are getting money from the governments of Japan, Norway, Canada, Denmark and Iceland, among others.
One example given in the article is the Japanese "government-subsidized Institute for Cetacean Research, in Tokyo...and all the whales that are purported to be under study are also butchered for the purpose of selling whale meat to the Japanese public".
Oh yeah, and "The Japanese say that they are hunting whales off Antartica in order to ascertain when there will be enough to harvest for profit." What the Fuck?!
Captain Paul Watson and his fleet are taking matters into their own hands by literally ramming these fishing boats out of the water. Even and especially in cases where the authorities aren't doing shit to stop these outrageous slaughters. I want to spread the word on this organization. It has been around for a while, and should stay that way.
In any case, if this picture bothers you -
then go to SeaShepherd.org and donate some money, or at least read a little more.
That New Yorker Article can be found here.
Peace.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Celebrate Monk's 90th birthday
Thelonious Monk would have been 90 years young on October 10th this year. I found this out a few days ago when listening to some jazz on the radio. On the same radio show, they announced a documentary show about him that I totally missed. I wanted to record it, but I went to sleep instead.
I felt obligated to do something to celebrate his birthday, and I did.
I just came back from the Great American Music Hall in SF. I went there with my wifey, and our preborn beansky boy (or girl?), Avi, Aaron, and Caren (Avi's date?).
We heard and saw two Jazz ensembles - Monk's Trio who gave an amazing performance...almost like having the great Monk play on stage himself. Then came TS Monk (son of Thelonious) and his Sextet.
Holy shit, they were amazing. Blew me away. I haven't been to a good show in months, and this one made me realize that I have to start hunting for shows again. Anyways, there's no point in trying to describe the mastery of these players in words...I'll just say that I expected them to be really good, and I was still surprised.
By the way - Helen Sung, who played piano for TS Monk's sextet was absolutely mind blowing. I mean oh my freakin' god, and she's probably in her 30's or something, and already at such a level that one wonders how can she get any better. Too bad it's so hard to find these musicians on the mainstream channels. It definitely makes me appreciate the added value of going to jazz shows.
here's to Thelonious Monk - a genius.
I felt obligated to do something to celebrate his birthday, and I did.
I just came back from the Great American Music Hall in SF. I went there with my wifey, and our preborn beansky boy (or girl?), Avi, Aaron, and Caren (Avi's date?).
We heard and saw two Jazz ensembles - Monk's Trio who gave an amazing performance...almost like having the great Monk play on stage himself. Then came TS Monk (son of Thelonious) and his Sextet.
Holy shit, they were amazing. Blew me away. I haven't been to a good show in months, and this one made me realize that I have to start hunting for shows again. Anyways, there's no point in trying to describe the mastery of these players in words...I'll just say that I expected them to be really good, and I was still surprised.
By the way - Helen Sung, who played piano for TS Monk's sextet was absolutely mind blowing. I mean oh my freakin' god, and she's probably in her 30's or something, and already at such a level that one wonders how can she get any better. Too bad it's so hard to find these musicians on the mainstream channels. It definitely makes me appreciate the added value of going to jazz shows.
here's to Thelonious Monk - a genius.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Just before I go to bed...
OK, so...after posting the last one, with the drawing and Jimi and all... I found myself again in the hands of the unforgiving, rabbit hole deep, information abyss known as the internet. I was still bored, and publishing on me blog here has yet to become a proven and worthy remedy to my elusive boredom.
Anyways, as I was surfing away (more like lying on a boogie board and idling away with the tide), I managed to run into some horror movie clips on YouTube (House of a 1000 Corpses was one of them). and that got me thinking about hillbilly towns deep inside the rural US of A.
You know all those stories about those small towns that have no more than 300 folks, all inbred, gun swinging, truck driving, tobacco spittin', so on and so forth? Well, I found me a likin' to them folks.
So anyways, I Googled "scary hillbilly towns" and found this forum post - http://www.city-data.com/forum/general-u-s/125496-scary-hillbilly-towns.html and that
led me to the Ozark County, home of a town called Gainesville, Missouri. I don't know what I was looking for exactly. Maybe I wanted to find some old 1950's news story about some crazy guy killing away in bizarre ways or something (like this guy Ed Gein - http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/texaschainsaw.php). By the way, Blind Melon wrote a song about this deranged murderer called "Skinned" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ySL4VgFdIE
Then, I found an online newspaper, and this paper had some amusing articles about the town (now, I don't know about y'all, but I think they're pretty damn funny). Here's what I found:
1. "Hootin an Hollarin" - I didn't realize this kinda stuff was still around. I'd like to go on one of those traditional festivals and take pictures. Here's the link:
http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/welcome/hootin.html
2. "Fishing and Hunting" - Here's a quote that I think is priceless:
"Ozark County enjoys one of the best hunting success ratios in the states - the odds are on the side of the hunter" --that's funny -- "the odds are on the side of the hunter" --them rabbits ain't even packin' !
check it out: http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/welcome/fishing.html
OK, I'm really just kidding around. Judging by the only actual visit I've had to an old fashioned American town like that, I might even go back to visit. I remember going to a town in California with my brothers and my dad (I think it was on the way to LA, but I can't remember the name) and eating in a real town diner. We were sittin' at a real saloon-type wooden table, there was a bar with whiskey (I can only imagine, since I was probably about 10 years old). I had me some scrambled eggs cooked home style by the lady that owns the place. And these guys walked in and out of the swinging doors wearing boots and cowboy hats, talkin' bout puttin' gasoline in their trucks and lookin' for gold...Seriously. One dude came up and after telling him we're from Israel, said with a smile - "Shalom !". That's what I call a small freakin' world, eh?
Anyways, it's getting late, and I get up too fucking early for work to be staying up late again...
nighty night
Anyways, as I was surfing away (more like lying on a boogie board and idling away with the tide), I managed to run into some horror movie clips on YouTube (House of a 1000 Corpses was one of them). and that got me thinking about hillbilly towns deep inside the rural US of A.
You know all those stories about those small towns that have no more than 300 folks, all inbred, gun swinging, truck driving, tobacco spittin', so on and so forth? Well, I found me a likin' to them folks.
So anyways, I Googled "scary hillbilly towns" and found this forum post - http://www.city-data.com/forum/general-u-s/125496-scary-hillbilly-towns.html and that
led me to the Ozark County, home of a town called Gainesville, Missouri. I don't know what I was looking for exactly. Maybe I wanted to find some old 1950's news story about some crazy guy killing away in bizarre ways or something (like this guy Ed Gein - http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/texaschainsaw.php). By the way, Blind Melon wrote a song about this deranged murderer called "Skinned" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ySL4VgFdIE
Then, I found an online newspaper, and this paper had some amusing articles about the town (now, I don't know about y'all, but I think they're pretty damn funny). Here's what I found:
1. "Hootin an Hollarin" - I didn't realize this kinda stuff was still around. I'd like to go on one of those traditional festivals and take pictures. Here's the link:
http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/welcome/hootin.html
2. "Fishing and Hunting" - Here's a quote that I think is priceless:
"Ozark County enjoys one of the best hunting success ratios in the states - the odds are on the side of the hunter" --that's funny -- "the odds are on the side of the hunter" --them rabbits ain't even packin' !
check it out: http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/welcome/fishing.html
OK, I'm really just kidding around. Judging by the only actual visit I've had to an old fashioned American town like that, I might even go back to visit. I remember going to a town in California with my brothers and my dad (I think it was on the way to LA, but I can't remember the name) and eating in a real town diner. We were sittin' at a real saloon-type wooden table, there was a bar with whiskey (I can only imagine, since I was probably about 10 years old). I had me some scrambled eggs cooked home style by the lady that owns the place. And these guys walked in and out of the swinging doors wearing boots and cowboy hats, talkin' bout puttin' gasoline in their trucks and lookin' for gold...Seriously. One dude came up and after telling him we're from Israel, said with a smile - "Shalom !". That's what I call a small freakin' world, eh?
Anyways, it's getting late, and I get up too fucking early for work to be staying up late again...
nighty night
frustrated and angry
Don't ask me why I was angry, frustrated or whatever you want to call it. Maybe because it is Sunday night and I'm sick of my job by now (Oct 21 2007) and don't like the idea that another week is starting, when I just barely got recharged after the last one. Weekends are short.
It's time to make a change for the better. Or at least a change.
Anyways, here's what came out of my little self-inflicted art therapy session. I was listening to the invincible RHCP "Blood Sugar...." album while trying to draw, paint, or something.
CLICK ON THE PIC
What do you think?
Yes, that's Jimi.
It's time to make a change for the better. Or at least a change.
Anyways, here's what came out of my little self-inflicted art therapy session. I was listening to the invincible RHCP "Blood Sugar...." album while trying to draw, paint, or something.
CLICK ON THE PIC
What do you think?
Yes, that's Jimi.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
excerpt from an email I sent to my brother about the Virginia Tech shooter
Hmm, interesting.
What boggles my can of worms is the fact that when people try to dissect this abnormal and extreme behavior, they are (as it seems to me) relating to it from their own perspective, or from their own society's legitimate perspective. There are societies in the globe today that would not react in such horror and disgust to incidents of innocents being murdered randomly. They might even choose to glorify it and dream of becoming the next ones to commit murder.
We try to understand this from a "all of humanity" point of view, which often is unrealistic, at least in my opinion. Calling him a murderous psycho draws a very clear line between us and the perpetrator. It puts our fears and inability to understand and cope at a safe distance from the humanity of the murderer.
The analysts, psychologists and other professionals who are trying to come up with their best analogies and explanations are using their own perspective towards modern society and, more important in this case, morals as a reference or starting point to whatever they come up with and decide to publish in the papers.
I don't know. I sometimes try to understand such an outrageous event by imagining what went on inside the killer's head, maybe even trying to feel empathy towards his reasons.
It's common to say "oh this guy was nuts" or "this guy had XYZ syndrome" or any other psycho-analytical term, but I always feel that doing so is sometimes counterproductive, in that it shallows the depth of our understanding (nice wording, eh?). It prevents us from reaching new, albeit abstract opinions about what may have caused this, and how it can be prevented in the future.
OR :
Maybe it's all because I've never studied this stuff and want to appear as smart as those who did. In any case, he was nuts, and it sucks that he was able to walk around for like 3 hours shooting up the place, leaving and coming back. That's just crazy. What's more important than why he did it, is what the relevant authorities are going to do to prevent this in the future.
What boggles my can of worms is the fact that when people try to dissect this abnormal and extreme behavior, they are (as it seems to me) relating to it from their own perspective, or from their own society's legitimate perspective. There are societies in the globe today that would not react in such horror and disgust to incidents of innocents being murdered randomly. They might even choose to glorify it and dream of becoming the next ones to commit murder.
We try to understand this from a "all of humanity" point of view, which often is unrealistic, at least in my opinion. Calling him a murderous psycho draws a very clear line between us and the perpetrator. It puts our fears and inability to understand and cope at a safe distance from the humanity of the murderer.
The analysts, psychologists and other professionals who are trying to come up with their best analogies and explanations are using their own perspective towards modern society and, more important in this case, morals as a reference or starting point to whatever they come up with and decide to publish in the papers.
I don't know. I sometimes try to understand such an outrageous event by imagining what went on inside the killer's head, maybe even trying to feel empathy towards his reasons.
It's common to say "oh this guy was nuts" or "this guy had XYZ syndrome" or any other psycho-analytical term, but I always feel that doing so is sometimes counterproductive, in that it shallows the depth of our understanding (nice wording, eh?). It prevents us from reaching new, albeit abstract opinions about what may have caused this, and how it can be prevented in the future.
OR :
Maybe it's all because I've never studied this stuff and want to appear as smart as those who did. In any case, he was nuts, and it sucks that he was able to walk around for like 3 hours shooting up the place, leaving and coming back. That's just crazy. What's more important than why he did it, is what the relevant authorities are going to do to prevent this in the future.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
here's news
I Went to LA last weekend, had a Seder dinner, and got married (!)
Yup. And I'm not even into bondage or anything freaky like that( actually that's not true).
Just wanted to do it for the satisfaction of cheating the Israeli Rabanut (the state's religious authority, unseperated) on August, when I smash a glass cup (aka light bulb) with my right shoe.
Sarah and I are having a woman Rabbi marry us in my kibbutz, and according to the word on the orthodox street there's as much room for a woman in the rabbinical institute as there is room for an orange on a Seder plate.
Guess what we threw in on our Seder plate last weekend.
Not that I need any piece of paper to commit to my love, it's just that marriage is somewhat of a spectator's sport, and our families needed something to talk about (I'm being mischievous).
Actually I really wanted to get married. You get a bunch of gifts, everybody is happy for you and you get to update a bunch of statuses online. Also, you get tax deductions and shit like that.
cool.
Yup. And I'm not even into bondage or anything freaky like that( actually that's not true).
Just wanted to do it for the satisfaction of cheating the Israeli Rabanut (the state's religious authority, unseperated) on August, when I smash a glass cup (aka light bulb) with my right shoe.
Sarah and I are having a woman Rabbi marry us in my kibbutz, and according to the word on the orthodox street there's as much room for a woman in the rabbinical institute as there is room for an orange on a Seder plate.
Guess what we threw in on our Seder plate last weekend.
Not that I need any piece of paper to commit to my love, it's just that marriage is somewhat of a spectator's sport, and our families needed something to talk about (I'm being mischievous).
Actually I really wanted to get married. You get a bunch of gifts, everybody is happy for you and you get to update a bunch of statuses online. Also, you get tax deductions and shit like that.
cool.
Monday, March 19, 2007
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