It is far too easy to be thankful on Thanksgiving.
Surrounded by my big loud family.
We do turkey of course, but we're also pretty Italian so there's ravioli, lasagna, sauce & meatballs, the works. Soups galore.
First the soups, then the pasta, then the bird.
And then, death by dessert. A parade of pies. Sweet gluttony washed down, from start to finish, with rivers of booze.
Tossing around the football beforehand. The raw, crisp air burning your lungs. And watching football afterwards. The gravitational pull from the full belly stretching eyelids shut.
It's too easy to be Thankful for all that.
It's equally important to be thankful en route to work on a snowy Tuesday morning in mid-February.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
OccuPocalypse
11-7-11
I've danced around the topic of the Occupy movement. Flirted with it.
I didn't want to get hot and heavy. I have the Fear. I don't like to wear my politics on my sleeve, because I'm not well versed in the basic theories or history of politics, economics, government...
However, I do know for certain that I do NOT support the Occupy movement.
Although I do not agree with our government, practically Ever, I maintain that I can create my own business and thrive on my own and pay taxes and help society, without being a pawn in their machine.
I want to someday sell my company to an even bigger company and keep ALL THE MONEY from that transaction, or write a hit song and make LOTS OF MONEY AND KEEP IT ALL and that the Occupy movement somehow represents a group that doesn't want me to do that. And because my personal beliefs don't infringe on theirs, because theirs seem to want to infringe on mine, this situation has created a justification, an almost 'need' for my disapproving rants.
I also understad that I don't know. What Occupy is "really" about.
I figured a back-and-forth discussion with a strong member of the opposition may just create some enlightenment, ideally on both sides.
The most intelligent supporter of the Occupy movement, within my circle, is Inge Berge. Inge is a gentleman, and a scholar, very vocal in support of the Occupy movement. I also know he's visited Dewey Square, which was important for me, within the context of this experiment.
I posed him this question:
What do they want? Whatever it is, in my opinion, they could better serve their own cause in many ways.* How is standing around going to help anything?
*Better Than Occupying:
-organizing bigger profile events (instead of a constant stream of nothing)
-backing a political candidate and volunteering for an election campaign (even the fucking tea partiers could manage this)
-blog, create literature/advertisements to get your word out (instead of The Message swirling around in an infected pool of itself)
---------------------
11-11-11
Joe,
...I will let this link speak for some chunk of my opinions on this subject for now, as they are in fact almost exactly congruent:
I can pretty much guarantee you that the Occupy movement has absolutely no stake in you not having a successful business. Quite the opposite, I would assert.
More later,
-----------------
11-13-11
Mr. Berge,
My problem with that Statement is that it spent about 80% of the time identifying the problem and 0% of the time identifying solutions.
I'm saying the solution is to Work and they're saying the solution is to Assemble.
That's the crux of the dilemma, right?
----------------
11-14-11
Mr. Cardoza,
If you agree that some of the problems stated in the video, or in Mr. Taibbi's piece, or in many of the other countless writings stemming from the OWS movement, are in fact real, I cannot see how you can reach the conclusion that the solution is as easy as "work." If only it were that simple, I strongly doubt we'd be seeing any movement at all. People would just be working.
First of all: for countless Americans, no work is available. Your answer to them is "work?" That makes no sense whatsoever! It is estimated that for every available job, there are 4 people who need one. That math just ain't gonna work...
Further:
Median prices of goods and services have increased steadily for over THIRTY years, while median wages have remained stagnant. Again, with all due respect, your solution is "work?" As in: Never mind that most people get less and less in return for their work, with no turnaround in sight, never mind that you now need two, maybe three jobs to pay for the same stuff you could pay for in the seventies with just one job, never mind that many people simply CANNOT pay their rent, food, health care and other basic needs on the wages they, yes, WORK hard for? All the same, your answer to these folks is "I know it ain't working for you, but just keep doing all the same?" Peculiar.
-Our political system is corrupt and our lawmakers are bought by corporate interests. Solution: "Work." Say what?
-Our natural resources are soon to be depleted. Go to work!
-The dollar for which you work is becoming weaker and weaker, more and more inflated, not to say metaphysical at this point, consisting of little more than digits in computers, backed by no real value beyond debt. Solution: get to work and make some dollars, you bum. Strange!
-Our civil rights have dwindled and we are becoming a police state. Solution: Work.
I could go on and on. I think assembling and discussing the underlying problems of why "work" is no longer a feasible nor satisfactory solution is exactly the right thing to do, instead of pretending that everything is a-ok and just "going to work." We used to have systems in place (political, economical, social) which ensured to a reasonable degree that "going to work" was all you needed to do to make a life, but those systems have rotted from within and are no longer operational. "Work" won't do anymore. You're thinking of the fifties.
------------------
11-14-11
Mr. Berge,
We're still identifying the problems, not the solutions.
The solution is recycling. Being efficient with energy. Using homeopathic remedies for as long as possible and not clogging up the hospitals and doctors offices.
Costs have risen, sure. However luxuries like cell phones, wireless internet and cable television have all somehow found themselves in the 'Necessity' column when the figures are being tallied.
Spread knowledge. Which coorporations offer good benefits? Which don't? Which coorporations abuse animals and hire cheap labor for unfair wages? All this shit is common knowledge by now. Don't support those companies if you feel strongly about it. Spread that knowledge so others don't support them either. I'm so sick of vegans in leather sandals standing around doing nothing.
I agree the dollar is losing value because of corrupt, inept politicians. Stop voting for them. Inform yourself. Vote! Volunteer. Help the right people get elected. Stop fucking standing around.
There are jobs out there. Americans won't do them.
Our natural resources are being depleted. Share a good book, like Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael", with someone you know will read it and pass it on. Use public transportation as much as possible. Inform yourself on how to assist positive change on an invidual, local, regional, national, and global level.
Police budgets are voted on by towns and cities. Go to town meetings. Make them explain themselves. Find out who the Boss is (commissioner, Mayor, city council). Write letters to these people, newspapers and blogs. Spread knowledge and information. I'm not talking about pithy posters and signs.
Yes, things are Bad. This is bad. That is bad. The 70's were Good but it's not the 70's anymore and that's Bad.
I think in the 70's that Rich people were Rich and Poor people were Poor and Rich people hired fancy doctors and got good healthcare and the poor people got sick and died.
and that sucks but visiting the mayan ruins it seemed like it was the same way back then too.
so what I am going to do? I'm going to go to WORK doing what I love so that I'm not a slave to some coorporation and along the way I'll pay my taxes and donate to charity when I can and try to support myself and my family and be Happy Every Day because we only have a finite number of minutes to be Here and all we can do is spread knowledge and information with the rest of the world
and standing around dewey square isn't accomplishing that. it's wasting minutes. like any good Party (which is all it is) once it goes on too long, people get hurt
it's already losing credibility and "talkability" and once the cameras leave, so will the selfish hippies
I've danced around the topic of the Occupy movement. Flirted with it.
I didn't want to get hot and heavy. I have the Fear. I don't like to wear my politics on my sleeve, because I'm not well versed in the basic theories or history of politics, economics, government...
However, I do know for certain that I do NOT support the Occupy movement.
Although I do not agree with our government, practically Ever, I maintain that I can create my own business and thrive on my own and pay taxes and help society, without being a pawn in their machine.
I want to someday sell my company to an even bigger company and keep ALL THE MONEY from that transaction, or write a hit song and make LOTS OF MONEY AND KEEP IT ALL and that the Occupy movement somehow represents a group that doesn't want me to do that. And because my personal beliefs don't infringe on theirs, because theirs seem to want to infringe on mine, this situation has created a justification, an almost 'need' for my disapproving rants.
I also understad that I don't know. What Occupy is "really" about.
I figured a back-and-forth discussion with a strong member of the opposition may just create some enlightenment, ideally on both sides.
The most intelligent supporter of the Occupy movement, within my circle, is Inge Berge. Inge is a gentleman, and a scholar, very vocal in support of the Occupy movement. I also know he's visited Dewey Square, which was important for me, within the context of this experiment.
I posed him this question:
What do they want? Whatever it is, in my opinion, they could better serve their own cause in many ways.* How is standing around going to help anything?
*Better Than Occupying:
-organizing bigger profile events (instead of a constant stream of nothing)
-backing a political candidate and volunteering for an election campaign (even the fucking tea partiers could manage this)
-blog, create literature/advertisements to get your word out (instead of The Message swirling around in an infected pool of itself)
---------------------
11-11-11
Joe,
...I will let this link speak for some chunk of my opinions on this subject for now, as they are in fact almost exactly congruent:
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
*These grievances are not all-inclusive.
I can pretty much guarantee you that the Occupy movement has absolutely no stake in you not having a successful business. Quite the opposite, I would assert.
More later,
-----------------
11-13-11
Mr. Berge,
My problem with that Statement is that it spent about 80% of the time identifying the problem and 0% of the time identifying solutions.
I'm saying the solution is to Work and they're saying the solution is to Assemble.
That's the crux of the dilemma, right?
----------------
11-14-11
Mr. Cardoza,
If you agree that some of the problems stated in the video, or in Mr. Taibbi's piece, or in many of the other countless writings stemming from the OWS movement, are in fact real, I cannot see how you can reach the conclusion that the solution is as easy as "work." If only it were that simple, I strongly doubt we'd be seeing any movement at all. People would just be working.
First of all: for countless Americans, no work is available. Your answer to them is "work?" That makes no sense whatsoever! It is estimated that for every available job, there are 4 people who need one. That math just ain't gonna work...
Further:
Median prices of goods and services have increased steadily for over THIRTY years, while median wages have remained stagnant. Again, with all due respect, your solution is "work?" As in: Never mind that most people get less and less in return for their work, with no turnaround in sight, never mind that you now need two, maybe three jobs to pay for the same stuff you could pay for in the seventies with just one job, never mind that many people simply CANNOT pay their rent, food, health care and other basic needs on the wages they, yes, WORK hard for? All the same, your answer to these folks is "I know it ain't working for you, but just keep doing all the same?" Peculiar.
-Our political system is corrupt and our lawmakers are bought by corporate interests. Solution: "Work." Say what?
-Our natural resources are soon to be depleted. Go to work!
-The dollar for which you work is becoming weaker and weaker, more and more inflated, not to say metaphysical at this point, consisting of little more than digits in computers, backed by no real value beyond debt. Solution: get to work and make some dollars, you bum. Strange!
-Our civil rights have dwindled and we are becoming a police state. Solution: Work.
I could go on and on. I think assembling and discussing the underlying problems of why "work" is no longer a feasible nor satisfactory solution is exactly the right thing to do, instead of pretending that everything is a-ok and just "going to work." We used to have systems in place (political, economical, social) which ensured to a reasonable degree that "going to work" was all you needed to do to make a life, but those systems have rotted from within and are no longer operational. "Work" won't do anymore. You're thinking of the fifties.
------------------
11-14-11
Mr. Berge,
We're still identifying the problems, not the solutions.
The solution is recycling. Being efficient with energy. Using homeopathic remedies for as long as possible and not clogging up the hospitals and doctors offices.
Costs have risen, sure. However luxuries like cell phones, wireless internet and cable television have all somehow found themselves in the 'Necessity' column when the figures are being tallied.
Spread knowledge. Which coorporations offer good benefits? Which don't? Which coorporations abuse animals and hire cheap labor for unfair wages? All this shit is common knowledge by now. Don't support those companies if you feel strongly about it. Spread that knowledge so others don't support them either. I'm so sick of vegans in leather sandals standing around doing nothing.
I agree the dollar is losing value because of corrupt, inept politicians. Stop voting for them. Inform yourself. Vote! Volunteer. Help the right people get elected. Stop fucking standing around.
There are jobs out there. Americans won't do them.
Our natural resources are being depleted. Share a good book, like Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael", with someone you know will read it and pass it on. Use public transportation as much as possible. Inform yourself on how to assist positive change on an invidual, local, regional, national, and global level.
Police budgets are voted on by towns and cities. Go to town meetings. Make them explain themselves. Find out who the Boss is (commissioner, Mayor, city council). Write letters to these people, newspapers and blogs. Spread knowledge and information. I'm not talking about pithy posters and signs.
Yes, things are Bad. This is bad. That is bad. The 70's were Good but it's not the 70's anymore and that's Bad.
I think in the 70's that Rich people were Rich and Poor people were Poor and Rich people hired fancy doctors and got good healthcare and the poor people got sick and died.
and that sucks but visiting the mayan ruins it seemed like it was the same way back then too.
so what I am going to do? I'm going to go to WORK doing what I love so that I'm not a slave to some coorporation and along the way I'll pay my taxes and donate to charity when I can and try to support myself and my family and be Happy Every Day because we only have a finite number of minutes to be Here and all we can do is spread knowledge and information with the rest of the world
and standing around dewey square isn't accomplishing that. it's wasting minutes. like any good Party (which is all it is) once it goes on too long, people get hurt
it's already losing credibility and "talkability" and once the cameras leave, so will the selfish hippies
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Television Method of Practice
I never expected to enjoy teaching, but I do.
Practice is a drag. I used to hate playing music by myself. I didn't understand why we practice:
To make it easier to play.
However, deep philosophy is generally not the best way to connect with young students.
I also try to explain that as little as 5 minutes every day is FAR MORE BENEFICIAL than 5 hours of cramming before our weekly lesson.
I pondered a realistic recommendation that would not strike fear into the hearts of students, and that parents would help to implement...
THE TELEVISON METHOD OF PRACTICE
I figure the average 30 minute television program runs for about 6-7 minutes, then goes to commerical for 3-4.
Once your program begins that break, hit the Mute button, and grab your guitar/bass/keyboard/practice pad & drum sticks.
If you can have your instrument with you during your designated "television time" in the evening, you will find yourself making music for at least 10 minutes a day.
You might even forget to unmute when your show comes back on.
Practice is a drag. I used to hate playing music by myself. I didn't understand why we practice:
To make it easier to play.
However, deep philosophy is generally not the best way to connect with young students.
I also try to explain that as little as 5 minutes every day is FAR MORE BENEFICIAL than 5 hours of cramming before our weekly lesson.
I pondered a realistic recommendation that would not strike fear into the hearts of students, and that parents would help to implement...
THE TELEVISON METHOD OF PRACTICE
I figure the average 30 minute television program runs for about 6-7 minutes, then goes to commerical for 3-4.
Once your program begins that break, hit the Mute button, and grab your guitar/bass/keyboard/practice pad & drum sticks.
If you can have your instrument with you during your designated "television time" in the evening, you will find yourself making music for at least 10 minutes a day.
You might even forget to unmute when your show comes back on.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Honeymoon Thoughts: Part 2
Belize seems two thousand miles away today.
I did well during our week of vacation, a solid job of Blocking.
Blocking out thoughts of bills, work, the ever growing Shitlist...
anything that wasn't related to Happiness, Love, Sunshine or Rum. Total Immersion in Joy.
It's unrealistic, and probably counter-productive in any situation BUT a honeymoon, but I did a great job nonetheless...
until I saw the radar of the predicted snowstorm, the greenblue blanket of death hypothetically covering New England.
Of course, we had already dodged a Hurricane. My cynicism then created a nearly Positive edge: maybe we were once again victims of the Hype Machine.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." Bob Dylan said that, or something similar.
"If you worry the storm is going to hit you, then it will. If you don't worry, she'll blow right past ya mon!" A rasta named 'K' said something very similar to that, on the beach in San Pedro.
-Our flight was not cancelled. We flew from Atlanta, right into the storm in Boston. It was the first flight I'd ever been on where the flight attendent announced in a hurried manner, "If there are any medical personnel on the flight, please alert yourself to the crew, Immediately". That was scary. I'm not sure what happened, but I think someone puked is all.
-My wife explained that on nearly all of the European flights she'd been on, the passengers applauded upon the landing of the aircraft. Considering the circumstances, flying into a snowstorm while a passenger is having a minor medical emergency, upon landing we took it upon ourselves to begin the Slow Clap, and we're glad to report the rest of the plane joined in on an outstanding ovation, one the pilot had well earned.
-I would recommend that Everyone should snorkel along a Barrier Reef before death. Put it on your bucket list. There is no abovewater purple that can challenge the brilliance of the underwater purple we witnessed.
-The Mayan Ruins made me feel comfortable in my ascersion that "class warfare/inequity" has been going on for quite some time.
-Anthony chartered us safely from Logan to Danvers. He had spent the afternoon at our cousin's 5th birthday.
He had received a hint: that young children are most enthralled by the Number of their birthday. Of course, the only card with a 5 on it was meticulously branded by Disney, sang a song from the most recent movie, and was the most expensive card in the lot. Being the gentlemen he is, Anthony bore this additional expense, despite having already purchased a little pink harmonica and a snow tube ("because it was snowing out when I went shopping" he later explained)
Of course the card was her favorite present. Early odds indicate the snow tube may still get some play. I am Maddy's piano teacher, and I certainly plan on working the harmonica into the lessons.
I did well during our week of vacation, a solid job of Blocking.
Blocking out thoughts of bills, work, the ever growing Shitlist...
anything that wasn't related to Happiness, Love, Sunshine or Rum. Total Immersion in Joy.
It's unrealistic, and probably counter-productive in any situation BUT a honeymoon, but I did a great job nonetheless...
until I saw the radar of the predicted snowstorm, the greenblue blanket of death hypothetically covering New England.
Of course, we had already dodged a Hurricane. My cynicism then created a nearly Positive edge: maybe we were once again victims of the Hype Machine.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." Bob Dylan said that, or something similar.
"If you worry the storm is going to hit you, then it will. If you don't worry, she'll blow right past ya mon!" A rasta named 'K' said something very similar to that, on the beach in San Pedro.
-Our flight was not cancelled. We flew from Atlanta, right into the storm in Boston. It was the first flight I'd ever been on where the flight attendent announced in a hurried manner, "If there are any medical personnel on the flight, please alert yourself to the crew, Immediately". That was scary. I'm not sure what happened, but I think someone puked is all.
-My wife explained that on nearly all of the European flights she'd been on, the passengers applauded upon the landing of the aircraft. Considering the circumstances, flying into a snowstorm while a passenger is having a minor medical emergency, upon landing we took it upon ourselves to begin the Slow Clap, and we're glad to report the rest of the plane joined in on an outstanding ovation, one the pilot had well earned.
-I would recommend that Everyone should snorkel along a Barrier Reef before death. Put it on your bucket list. There is no abovewater purple that can challenge the brilliance of the underwater purple we witnessed.
-The Mayan Ruins made me feel comfortable in my ascersion that "class warfare/inequity" has been going on for quite some time.
-Anthony chartered us safely from Logan to Danvers. He had spent the afternoon at our cousin's 5th birthday.
He had received a hint: that young children are most enthralled by the Number of their birthday. Of course, the only card with a 5 on it was meticulously branded by Disney, sang a song from the most recent movie, and was the most expensive card in the lot. Being the gentlemen he is, Anthony bore this additional expense, despite having already purchased a little pink harmonica and a snow tube ("because it was snowing out when I went shopping" he later explained)
Of course the card was her favorite present. Early odds indicate the snow tube may still get some play. I am Maddy's piano teacher, and I certainly plan on working the harmonica into the lessons.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
888
According to minimal internet research, Mr. Robert Owen, by 1817, had developed the idea of the eight hour work day, and the accompanying completion of that idea: eight hours sleep and eight hours "for what we will".
Social reform, utopian socialism, and the rest of Owen's politics aside, I'm beginning to think of this as a Fair way to live each day.
My new venture occassionally calls for a weekend lesson, and often calls for a weekend gig. The seven day workweek is not ideal nor desirable, but it certainly seems less daunting within the 888 plan.
Social reform, utopian socialism, and the rest of Owen's politics aside, I'm beginning to think of this as a Fair way to live each day.
My new venture occassionally calls for a weekend lesson, and often calls for a weekend gig. The seven day workweek is not ideal nor desirable, but it certainly seems less daunting within the 888 plan.
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