Did some work in Cambridge this morning and then made an executive decision and took the rest of the day off. I just wasn't feeling it today and it'd been a while since I took some personal time, so, at the end of the day, literally so, I stand by my decision.
Back at home, I practiced yoga and Ella came home midway through. She was collecting the remainder of her things. I helped her move her bureau to her new place, which is only a couple of blocks away, and then finished with the yoga. I watched Home, a French film with one of my favorite actors, Isabelle Huppert. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's about a family that lives right up against an unused highway. Everything is peaceful and harmonious until the highway becomes operational again. And then, well, you can imagine the type of stuff that transpires.
Fred is just about moved in. Hopefully, he'll stay a bit longer than Ella did. Not that interviewing a bunch of strangers wasn't a whole heap of fun, but you've got to space it out, know what I'm sayin'? Every two or three months is too much.
Still plugging away at the Aleister Crowley documentary. Good, but not as engrossing as it should be. Maybe I'll adjust my assessment once I've taken it all in. An enigmatic man, to be sure.
The C's are on tonight and I'll probably watch some of it. Will focus more on music, I think. I've got some songs that are shaping up and need to be completed.
Ok, I'm out.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Go on, take the money and run
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Bigfoot phenomena, and one that adds to the validity of their existence is what has become known as "habituation". The setting for habituation is generally as follows: 1. A household, usually in a fairly remote, wooded, location becomes aware of "others" making their presence known on and around their property 2. Said household learns, much to their disbelief, that these "others" are more ape than human 3. Dealing with this reality causes an upheaval in the household as they learn to adapt to this high strangeness. 4. Interactions with the visitors is hardly ever conducted in the open.
This is happening all across the country. Most of the people who come forward, do so more out of a desire to find a solution to or ways to cope with their unique situation than out of a need to garner publicity. Almost all remain anonymous to protect themselves and the creatures they're coexisting with. Despite the foreign and often stressful nature of their experience, most habituators feel a symbiotic relationship with these beings.
The author, Christoper Noel, has documented a few of these cases in his wonderful book, Impossible Visits. It is evident throughout the book that the people involved are normal indivuduals who are just trying to make sense of their situation. Many have arrived at acceptance, especially when it became clear their safety wasn't at risk. And through this acceptance coexistence emerges.
What I find enthralling about this widespread habituation is the commonality of experience. All across the board, the behavior of the Bigfoot is reported more or less the same way.
1. They are extremely cautious in their movements
2. They use tree knocking as a communication device
3. They leave gifts
4. They are more comfortable around children
5. They are generally attracted to properties with livestock and poach frequently.
6. They throw rocks (One humorous account from the book involves a man getting into a rock fight with a Bigfoot. It happened at night and he suspected it was his daughter, though he couldn't see her. When he went back inside and told his wife, she explained that their daughter was upstairs studying and hadn't left her room all night. The man, covered in welts, but otherwise undamaged, went from being livid to dumbstruck. He was the only one in the family who refused to believe what had been happening to the family.)
7. They are excellent mimics. There are reports of Bigfoot imitating the sounds and voices of pets and family members. One woman was outside gardening when she heard, from the edge of the woods, the distinct sound of her cat. What ruled out that it was indeed her cat was the fact that it had passed away the day before.
There have been attempts by habituators to capture these creatures on film, but to little avail. Still, there have been some intriguing bits that have emerged and, if reports are true, there is a documentary soon to be released from one location that allegedly has clear, indisputable, footage of Bigfoot. Christopher Noel obtained some incredible footage of his own while visiting one of the locations in Texas.
There is a support group online that is exclusive to the people having these experiences. I would love to be a fly on a wall in one of those chat rooms.
-
Just watched The Life And Death of Colonel Blimp. A long movie, but so well done I can't believe it's taken me this long to see it. A great, great film. Later, I will finish watching the Aleister Crowley documentary.
Been trying to get together with Mara this weekend, but it hasn't happened. I think I've only spoken to her once all winter. She just started seeing someone, which explains why we haven't connected this weekend. Is she fading from my life. Maybe. It's happened before, with other friends, so it won't be a shock if it happens with her. Such is life.
A show coming up in a few weeks with Shane in Manchester. Will be broadcast on the radio. Should be fun. Must get practicing.
This is happening all across the country. Most of the people who come forward, do so more out of a desire to find a solution to or ways to cope with their unique situation than out of a need to garner publicity. Almost all remain anonymous to protect themselves and the creatures they're coexisting with. Despite the foreign and often stressful nature of their experience, most habituators feel a symbiotic relationship with these beings.
The author, Christoper Noel, has documented a few of these cases in his wonderful book, Impossible Visits. It is evident throughout the book that the people involved are normal indivuduals who are just trying to make sense of their situation. Many have arrived at acceptance, especially when it became clear their safety wasn't at risk. And through this acceptance coexistence emerges.
What I find enthralling about this widespread habituation is the commonality of experience. All across the board, the behavior of the Bigfoot is reported more or less the same way.
1. They are extremely cautious in their movements
2. They use tree knocking as a communication device
3. They leave gifts
4. They are more comfortable around children
5. They are generally attracted to properties with livestock and poach frequently.
6. They throw rocks (One humorous account from the book involves a man getting into a rock fight with a Bigfoot. It happened at night and he suspected it was his daughter, though he couldn't see her. When he went back inside and told his wife, she explained that their daughter was upstairs studying and hadn't left her room all night. The man, covered in welts, but otherwise undamaged, went from being livid to dumbstruck. He was the only one in the family who refused to believe what had been happening to the family.)
7. They are excellent mimics. There are reports of Bigfoot imitating the sounds and voices of pets and family members. One woman was outside gardening when she heard, from the edge of the woods, the distinct sound of her cat. What ruled out that it was indeed her cat was the fact that it had passed away the day before.
There have been attempts by habituators to capture these creatures on film, but to little avail. Still, there have been some intriguing bits that have emerged and, if reports are true, there is a documentary soon to be released from one location that allegedly has clear, indisputable, footage of Bigfoot. Christopher Noel obtained some incredible footage of his own while visiting one of the locations in Texas.
There is a support group online that is exclusive to the people having these experiences. I would love to be a fly on a wall in one of those chat rooms.
-
Just watched The Life And Death of Colonel Blimp. A long movie, but so well done I can't believe it's taken me this long to see it. A great, great film. Later, I will finish watching the Aleister Crowley documentary.
Been trying to get together with Mara this weekend, but it hasn't happened. I think I've only spoken to her once all winter. She just started seeing someone, which explains why we haven't connected this weekend. Is she fading from my life. Maybe. It's happened before, with other friends, so it won't be a shock if it happens with her. Such is life.
A show coming up in a few weeks with Shane in Manchester. Will be broadcast on the radio. Should be fun. Must get practicing.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
You say yes, and I say no, you say stop, and I say go, go,go
The Celtics traded Perk today. And Nate and Semeh and Luke and Marquis. Those in the know figured it would be a quiet day for the C's at the trade deadline. Guess they didn't know too much. Anyway, we get Jeff Green and Kristic and three open roster spot, which indicates the C's aren't done wheeling and dealing yet. Will miss Perk, he was a great defender, but I have to hand it to Danny Ainge for being gutsy. Now, I just have to get my head around all of this.
Our roommate search has come to an end. We conducted our last interview on Tuesday and decided, after sleeping on it, to go with Fred, who we feel will be the best fit. There were some good candidates, but we could only pick one.
Robin, our last interviewee, was also looking at Foley's place, which was kind of funny to find out. There could have been a bidding war if we didn't go with Fred. I think, from what I could decipher from a text from Foley, she ended up choosing another place.
One thing I've learned from interviewing people is that almost everyone likes the place, particularly its location, and maybe to a slightly lesser degree, Janelle and me. This time around, I think only one person we interviewed might not have accepted if we offered the place. That's ok, we wouldn't have offered him the place, anyway.
Baby Boy Z saw the spate of interviews as playtime. Everyone who walked in the door was an instant playmate. This, as you might you imagine, garnered some humorous results. Look, he's the Baby Boy Z and he's very social. He loves everyone. He even made it a point to stick his face into each candidate's crotch. I can't say the same for Janelle and me.
So, the days of Ella are at an end. Really, it's as if she's never lived here. We never, ever saw her. She hardly left any kind of sign that indicated she lived here. I wish her well. I had a dream last night that instead of Fred moving in, Rich filled the spot. As I was trying to reason out why we decided to allow him to move back into the house, he was setting up the living room as a temporary bedroom for a few of his sketchy friends. I was aghast and was thrust out of the dream, thank heavens, before I had a stroke.
Been a busy week and a busy month. Almost hard to believe Spring is soon to arrive.
Our roommate search has come to an end. We conducted our last interview on Tuesday and decided, after sleeping on it, to go with Fred, who we feel will be the best fit. There were some good candidates, but we could only pick one.
Robin, our last interviewee, was also looking at Foley's place, which was kind of funny to find out. There could have been a bidding war if we didn't go with Fred. I think, from what I could decipher from a text from Foley, she ended up choosing another place.
One thing I've learned from interviewing people is that almost everyone likes the place, particularly its location, and maybe to a slightly lesser degree, Janelle and me. This time around, I think only one person we interviewed might not have accepted if we offered the place. That's ok, we wouldn't have offered him the place, anyway.
Baby Boy Z saw the spate of interviews as playtime. Everyone who walked in the door was an instant playmate. This, as you might you imagine, garnered some humorous results. Look, he's the Baby Boy Z and he's very social. He loves everyone. He even made it a point to stick his face into each candidate's crotch. I can't say the same for Janelle and me.
So, the days of Ella are at an end. Really, it's as if she's never lived here. We never, ever saw her. She hardly left any kind of sign that indicated she lived here. I wish her well. I had a dream last night that instead of Fred moving in, Rich filled the spot. As I was trying to reason out why we decided to allow him to move back into the house, he was setting up the living room as a temporary bedroom for a few of his sketchy friends. I was aghast and was thrust out of the dream, thank heavens, before I had a stroke.
Been a busy week and a busy month. Almost hard to believe Spring is soon to arrive.
Monday, February 21, 2011
If you still want me, please forgive me
Ella is moving out. We found out late last week, which leaves us little time to find someone for March. She's only lived here a few months and I think I've only seen her maybe three times. Too bad, she's well liked around here. So far, we've interviewed three people. One more tomorrow and then we'll decide.
Went to Craig's this weekend for a guy-cation. It was me, Heath, Andy, Mike, and Craig. We played and listened to music, watched the ultra cheesy Megaforce, ate Chinese food, and discussed the works of Joyce. Well, maybe not that last bit, it was guy-cation after all, but it was a fun time all the same.
Finished reading A Maggot the other day. Intriguing read, and as much as I enjoyed reading it, I found myself rushing through the last couple of chapters. I know why, but I'm not going to tell you. Next, I'll finish the DMT book and Vallee's Confrontations. And then? Well, it's up in the air. I'm thinking of finally getting around to Bill Simmon's Big Book of Basketball. But then there's the Wheel of Time re-read. We'll see.
The Bigfoot Facebook page has been posting some suspect videos lately. This last one they posted was placed at #2 of their list, right behind the Patterson-Gimlin film. Not even close. What they claim to be a family of Bigfoot hiding near some trees, looks to me like leaves and branches. Try again, guys.
Off to play some music, watch The Wire, read, who knows what else.
Went to Craig's this weekend for a guy-cation. It was me, Heath, Andy, Mike, and Craig. We played and listened to music, watched the ultra cheesy Megaforce, ate Chinese food, and discussed the works of Joyce. Well, maybe not that last bit, it was guy-cation after all, but it was a fun time all the same.
Finished reading A Maggot the other day. Intriguing read, and as much as I enjoyed reading it, I found myself rushing through the last couple of chapters. I know why, but I'm not going to tell you. Next, I'll finish the DMT book and Vallee's Confrontations. And then? Well, it's up in the air. I'm thinking of finally getting around to Bill Simmon's Big Book of Basketball. But then there's the Wheel of Time re-read. We'll see.
The Bigfoot Facebook page has been posting some suspect videos lately. This last one they posted was placed at #2 of their list, right behind the Patterson-Gimlin film. Not even close. What they claim to be a family of Bigfoot hiding near some trees, looks to me like leaves and branches. Try again, guys.
Off to play some music, watch The Wire, read, who knows what else.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Incense and peppermints, the color of time
Today, just like any other day of late, I felt the noose tightening. I use the word noose in a broad way; it encompasses every problem I have in my life, most of them financial. I practiced yoga after work to find my center. I feel better now, but I still have no idea how I'm going to make some positive changes in my life. I'll go inward and seek guidance.
Been watching Steve Coogan's Saxondale series. Very funny and layered. Will hold up with repeat viewings, I'm sure. Also I've been watching The Wire. This is my third time through the series, but because of the show's depth, it feels like the first time. It feels like the very first time. Sing it with me.
Going to try and finish reading A Maggot tonight. I've got a few chapters to go. My only regret is that I knew ahead of time the big reveal in the book. While it hasn't diminished my enjoyment that much, it would have been a jaw-dropping type of situation if I had gone in cold. There is still time to be blown away, however; I do have those few chapters to read.
A bit discouraged today. And lonely. The further I get into this life, the more alone I feel. I want that to change. Not such a tall order, it can be accomplished. And yet, I still need some convincing. C'mon life, help a brother out! I'm not so bad.
Been watching Steve Coogan's Saxondale series. Very funny and layered. Will hold up with repeat viewings, I'm sure. Also I've been watching The Wire. This is my third time through the series, but because of the show's depth, it feels like the first time. It feels like the very first time. Sing it with me.
Going to try and finish reading A Maggot tonight. I've got a few chapters to go. My only regret is that I knew ahead of time the big reveal in the book. While it hasn't diminished my enjoyment that much, it would have been a jaw-dropping type of situation if I had gone in cold. There is still time to be blown away, however; I do have those few chapters to read.
A bit discouraged today. And lonely. The further I get into this life, the more alone I feel. I want that to change. Not such a tall order, it can be accomplished. And yet, I still need some convincing. C'mon life, help a brother out! I'm not so bad.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
Synchronicity. I've been reading the DMT book and the last section I read referenced The Tibetan Book of The Dead numerous times. Death has been on my mind lately and my curiosity was piqued; I wanted to read the book, something I'd been meaning to for years. A day later, my friend Doug posts something about a movie called Enter The Void on his Facebook page. I respect his taste and checked to see if it was available on Netflix. It was, and on the Watch Instantly feature, so I set about watching it, knowing virtually nothing about what I was getting myself into.
The experience was fairly intense from the get go. A creepy feeling came over me when I realized this was a movie about death. We see through the eyes, quite literally, of a young American drug dealer living in Tokyo. The screen goes black every time he blinks. You are inside his head. Strange sensation, that. At first it was a little disorienting, but I got used to it as much as I could. He smokes DMT early on in the film and you get to see the visuals he sees. And when he dies later on, that is when the ride really begins. The Tibetan Book of The Dead is prominent throughout. The synchronicity made me wonder if this virtual trip through the process of death was preparation for my own pending demise. I resisted the idea out of fear, but then figured if this was indeed some kind of preparation, well, then why would that be so terrible? Sure, it would be a sign of something I'd hoped to put off for a while longer, but it's going to happen, my dying, no matter what I have to say about the matter, so if I'm afforded a primer to help familiarize myself with the transition, then I suppose I should be thankful. So, we'll see what happens. I'm hoping if I'm about to die, it'll be a metaphoric death and not the Big Sleep.
I recommend you see Enter The Void. It's really well made and I can assure you, you haven't seen anything like it. It's still affecting me.
The experience was fairly intense from the get go. A creepy feeling came over me when I realized this was a movie about death. We see through the eyes, quite literally, of a young American drug dealer living in Tokyo. The screen goes black every time he blinks. You are inside his head. Strange sensation, that. At first it was a little disorienting, but I got used to it as much as I could. He smokes DMT early on in the film and you get to see the visuals he sees. And when he dies later on, that is when the ride really begins. The Tibetan Book of The Dead is prominent throughout. The synchronicity made me wonder if this virtual trip through the process of death was preparation for my own pending demise. I resisted the idea out of fear, but then figured if this was indeed some kind of preparation, well, then why would that be so terrible? Sure, it would be a sign of something I'd hoped to put off for a while longer, but it's going to happen, my dying, no matter what I have to say about the matter, so if I'm afforded a primer to help familiarize myself with the transition, then I suppose I should be thankful. So, we'll see what happens. I'm hoping if I'm about to die, it'll be a metaphoric death and not the Big Sleep.
I recommend you see Enter The Void. It's really well made and I can assure you, you haven't seen anything like it. It's still affecting me.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
It's quite peculiar in a funny sort of way
Took me near a half hour to find a parking spot when I came home from Spira's last night. Mind you, the entire time wasn't spent searching - some of it was attempting in vain to squeeze into dubious spots laden with ice and book-ended by monolithic snowbanks - but still, a little more work than I was expecting.
At Spira's, we watched The Piano Teacher upon my recommendation. Both Spira and Allie found the experience to be disturbing, among other things. I'm not sure if either of them enjoyed it very much, but the film did provoke some discussion, something that can't be said for many, many movies that come out. You know, because they're so lame.
Sometimes I can't figure out my feelings about a thing. For example, I've gone back and forth over the years about how I feel about Elton John. Sometimes I find his music nauseating and sometimes I dig it, sometimes both at once. The radio station we listen to at work loves Elton John - they must feature him ten times a day - and every time Benny and The Jets comes on I realize that I find it equally enjoyable and appalling. Some parts of the song, the driving, marching verse sections, in particular, I really dig, and others, like the part of the song where he screeches in that annoying falsetto, "Benn-ayyy, Benn-ayyy, Ben-ayyy......"over and over and over and over, well, that's fucking annoying. And also, quite frankly, a violent assault upon the ears.
But the guy put out Tiny Dancer, you know? That's a heavy weight. Madman Across The Water? Great, great song. He's got some killer songs, to be sure. Maybe I should just go buy a greatest hits record and be done with it. In an early episode of I'm Alan Partridge, Alan's having a discussion about music with a much hipper younger guy and when asked what his favorite Beatles album was, Alan replies...well, just watch it and find out. Plus you'll get to see laughing guy, who's hilaaaariioouuuussss.
The other day, I thought it was Wednesday when it was Thursday. I was so convinced that when a coworker told me the following day was Friday, it took me several minutes to believe she wasn't playing a joke, even though she's never, not once, ever come in the general vicinity of playing a joke on me or any one else in the office. It could very well be that I'm losing my mind. It's caused me a lot of grief over the years , so if it wants to bail, I'll won't cause a fuss.
At Spira's, we watched The Piano Teacher upon my recommendation. Both Spira and Allie found the experience to be disturbing, among other things. I'm not sure if either of them enjoyed it very much, but the film did provoke some discussion, something that can't be said for many, many movies that come out. You know, because they're so lame.
Sometimes I can't figure out my feelings about a thing. For example, I've gone back and forth over the years about how I feel about Elton John. Sometimes I find his music nauseating and sometimes I dig it, sometimes both at once. The radio station we listen to at work loves Elton John - they must feature him ten times a day - and every time Benny and The Jets comes on I realize that I find it equally enjoyable and appalling. Some parts of the song, the driving, marching verse sections, in particular, I really dig, and others, like the part of the song where he screeches in that annoying falsetto, "Benn-ayyy, Benn-ayyy, Ben-ayyy......"over and over and over and over, well, that's fucking annoying. And also, quite frankly, a violent assault upon the ears.
But the guy put out Tiny Dancer, you know? That's a heavy weight. Madman Across The Water? Great, great song. He's got some killer songs, to be sure. Maybe I should just go buy a greatest hits record and be done with it. In an early episode of I'm Alan Partridge, Alan's having a discussion about music with a much hipper younger guy and when asked what his favorite Beatles album was, Alan replies...well, just watch it and find out. Plus you'll get to see laughing guy, who's hilaaaariioouuuussss.
The other day, I thought it was Wednesday when it was Thursday. I was so convinced that when a coworker told me the following day was Friday, it took me several minutes to believe she wasn't playing a joke, even though she's never, not once, ever come in the general vicinity of playing a joke on me or any one else in the office. It could very well be that I'm losing my mind. It's caused me a lot of grief over the years , so if it wants to bail, I'll won't cause a fuss.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun was in your eyes
We're past 20,000 hits and, because I'm no seeker of accolades, I request that you resist the impulse to shower me with testimonials about how much this blog means to you. If you must, then I suggest you keep your praise to within 500 words. As much as I'd appreciate anything longer, I am a busy man with many important things to do, and don't have the time for anything longer, however well-intended.
I recently read a lengthy critique of the Sopranos final episode, the premise of which was that Tony Soprano did in fact die at the end of the final episode. The author makes a convincing case, breaking the scene down as well as previous episodes that he felt served as foreshadowing to to the show's climax. He also quotes from several interviews with David Chase, the show's creator, and it is clear that, without explicitly saying so, Chase meant for Tony to meet his end at that diner.
It was a great read and very well thought out. Some of the author's theories seem a little thin, but for the most part, as I stated above, he makes a convincing case. I was glad he included quotes from Chase to bolster his theories, mostly because it showed me how layered and nuanced the show was. The Sopranos is one of my favorite shows for that very reason, although I never went as deep into it as the author of this essay and many of the people who left comments at the bottom of the post have. It's a slippery slope when you find meaning in every little thing. For example, a reader left a comment that put forth the idea that an older couple leaving the diner in the final scene represented the future Tony and Carmella wouldn't have, because, you know, Tony was just about to be shot and killed. You may as well state that the young, happy, couple sitting in a booth near Tony represented the unfettered, uncomplicated youth he and Carmella never experienced. Hmmm.... wait a minute now. Let me think this over.
Anyway, here's the final scene. Make up your own mind.
It's clear to me that Tony was murdered. When I first saw the episode, I wasn't sure. I thought it was equally possible that Chase was conveying that life goes on beyond the show for the Sopranos and, as in life, there are no tidy endings where all the loose ends are tied up, etc. The flaw in that line of thinking, however, is that if Chase wanted to convey that, he could have just had the show end, with the camera panning out and the credits rolling. To have everything dramatically cut to black suggests Tony was murdered.
Ah, I wish I still owned the series on DVD.
--
Almost through reading A Maggot. It'll be bittersweet when I reach the end. What a compelling read! I hesitate to divulge any particulars, in case any of you are thinking of reading it. Read this if you don't mind particulars (I skimmed the article and didn't see any spoilers, but note that I skimmed, so read at your peril).
The sun is out today and I'm thinking of warmer weather. I mustn't , though - we are still enshrouded by winter and have a ways to go before spring arrives. Hurry up, I say!
I recently read a lengthy critique of the Sopranos final episode, the premise of which was that Tony Soprano did in fact die at the end of the final episode. The author makes a convincing case, breaking the scene down as well as previous episodes that he felt served as foreshadowing to to the show's climax. He also quotes from several interviews with David Chase, the show's creator, and it is clear that, without explicitly saying so, Chase meant for Tony to meet his end at that diner.
It was a great read and very well thought out. Some of the author's theories seem a little thin, but for the most part, as I stated above, he makes a convincing case. I was glad he included quotes from Chase to bolster his theories, mostly because it showed me how layered and nuanced the show was. The Sopranos is one of my favorite shows for that very reason, although I never went as deep into it as the author of this essay and many of the people who left comments at the bottom of the post have. It's a slippery slope when you find meaning in every little thing. For example, a reader left a comment that put forth the idea that an older couple leaving the diner in the final scene represented the future Tony and Carmella wouldn't have, because, you know, Tony was just about to be shot and killed. You may as well state that the young, happy, couple sitting in a booth near Tony represented the unfettered, uncomplicated youth he and Carmella never experienced. Hmmm.... wait a minute now. Let me think this over.
Anyway, here's the final scene. Make up your own mind.
It's clear to me that Tony was murdered. When I first saw the episode, I wasn't sure. I thought it was equally possible that Chase was conveying that life goes on beyond the show for the Sopranos and, as in life, there are no tidy endings where all the loose ends are tied up, etc. The flaw in that line of thinking, however, is that if Chase wanted to convey that, he could have just had the show end, with the camera panning out and the credits rolling. To have everything dramatically cut to black suggests Tony was murdered.
Ah, I wish I still owned the series on DVD.
--
Almost through reading A Maggot. It'll be bittersweet when I reach the end. What a compelling read! I hesitate to divulge any particulars, in case any of you are thinking of reading it. Read this if you don't mind particulars (I skimmed the article and didn't see any spoilers, but note that I skimmed, so read at your peril).
The sun is out today and I'm thinking of warmer weather. I mustn't , though - we are still enshrouded by winter and have a ways to go before spring arrives. Hurry up, I say!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The snows, they melt the soonest, when the wind begins to sing
On my way home from work today, my car started shaking when I went passed 60 mph. I kept it just at 60 for the remainder of the trip, whilst fretting over what might be wrong . I hoped it was just my tires needing to be balanced or something equally inexpensive, but I won't know for sure until I take it to the garage, which won't be until Saturday. When I came home, I checked online for possible diagnoses. Most of them were along my initial line of thinking, that it's probably a tire balance issue or bent rim. It could be something entirely more expensive. I am living by the skin of my teeth as it is. I pray that it's something I can afford. Well, the roads have been absolutely atrocious as far as bumps and ice and stuff, so maybe it's just my tires. My drive to work tomorrow should be interesting.
Just missed two days of work because of the snow. And more is expected on Saturday. And Tuesday. It's been brutal for a lot of people this winter. But you knew that. I've come to terms with it and earlier than I figured I would. Still, I await Spring like a dog with a full bladder awaits a walk. I have a feeling the onslaught will continue until one day, sometime in late March or early April, it will cease, and we'll awake suddenly, as if by smelling salts, from our long, dark slumber, and realize Spring has arrived and Winter's awful teeth have no more bite. However it pans out, the warmer weather can't arrive soon enough.
-
Last night I had a flying dream. I can't recall ever having one, but it must be that I have. In this one, I was walking along the street with a couple of friends and came upon a swimming pool the size of a parking lot. Despite the fact that even in my dream it was still winter, I dove in. I swam under water, not once needing or wanting to come up for air. It occurred to me that swimming under water was akin to flying, albeit in a more sluggish and wet manner. I swam upward and upward and flew right out of the pool, water changing to air under the radar of my perception. I flew over the surrounding roof tops. I dive bombed to the ground, pulling up just before impact. It was entirely transcendent, my flight, and, as I swam the sky, I felt newly born.
I spotted Janelle and a couple of other women walking my way. I landed next to her and encouraged her to fly. I had the knowledge in me that women were better apt to fly than men and it was a shame that they lost interest. Janelle needed some convincing. It was as if I was trying to convince her to do a cartwheel in the presence of her peers. She finally ceased feeling inhibited and took flight. I tried to join her but somehow, in the intervening minutes, I lost the ability. I was able to ascend about ten feet or so and then I'd come down hard. The development didn't bother me too much because Janelle was having enough fun for the both of us.
I'm sure some of the dream was the result of reading from the DMT book before bed last night. I had read the chapter that covered the test subjects otherworldly journeys under the influence of the drug. Not hallucinations, complete out of body journeys. Subjects reported contact with strange beings, visits to strange places, strange hieroglyphic-like shapes taking up their entire field of vision. Some subjects found themselves in a full blown alien abduction scenario. That's just scratching the surface, but I digress. What was I talking about? Ah, the flying dream. Wish I had more of them. It was a lovely experience. Interesting the swimming/flying connection. The womb/tomb (tomb being the afterlife in this instance)? I'll have to consult a dream dictionary.
I've been interested in the UFO over Jerusalem videos that have been going around. The fact that there are at least four different points of view shot on video gives the sighting some credibility it might otherwise been lacking. Still, it's very possible this is a hoax. The thing with UFO videos these days is they're so easy to fake that it's nigh impossible to discern what is authentic and what is not. That is why it's good to have multiple witnesses and physical evidence.
When people learn of my interest in the unknown, namely Cryptozoology and UFOs, I get the impression that they think I'm a "believer", that is to say someone who is gullible and will believe anything you tell him. There are plenty of "believers" traversing the paths I tread, but I'm not one of them. I was listening to an interview with Dr. Jeff Meldrum recently and he was referred to as a believer in Bigfoot by the interviewer. He politely responded to the claim by stating that belief is more faith based - people believe in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, God - and doesn't depend on evidence. His certainty that Bigfoot exists, he said, was born only after he was shown convincing evidence.
I've seen plenty of so-called evidence, whether Bigfoot or UFO related, that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The Find Bigfoot Facebook page I frequent analyzes numerous videos and has lately begun claiming almost every bit of footage they post as being 100 % authentic. As compelling as some of these videos are, it is irresponsible of them as ostensibly serious researchers to make so bold a claim, especially when a couple of recent videos they confirmed as being 100% authentic were proven to be hoaxes. Yet they still hold strong to their original assessments. I still enjoy visiting the site, particularly because they seem well meaning and their hard work, even when misguided, is commendable. They are not, however, helping to sway public opinion towards accepting Cryptozoology as a legitimate field of study.
Critical thinking is a dying art form. I just read that a school had some of its students research and write about the tree octopus. They constructed a phony website about the tree octopus and the students in their searching discovered it. Because there is no such thing as a tree octopus, this was their only source of information on the subject. Some of the students, even after being informed there is no such creature as the tree octopus, held fast to their belief that it was real. If we lose the ability to think critically, we are in trouble.
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My friends, I sometimes despair that we live in an indifferent universe, one that cares not if we blow ourselves to shit or enact a peaceful existence. We hold to the belief that we're being looked after, protected by something greater than ourselves, ever present, parental. In this belief, there is justice, and good will come to those that conduct themselves rightly. We cling to this idea because if we do not, we are left with indifference at best, and malevolence at worst,that is if we still entertain the notion that there is a higher power. Do we tell ourselves fanciful stories so that we can live our lives with some semblance of ease? Of course we do, but there is something to it, I think, something ineffable, yes, but not indifferent or malevolent, that informs our beliefs, our collective imagination. Something well beyond my ken in its ecstatic joy.
Yes, sometimes I despair, but I feel, not so much believe, that I am loved, that, indeed, love is all there is, that we just need to open ourselves to it in order to know it better. I know that if my focus rests on despair, that is what I'll get. But if I change my focus....well, then I'll get what I focus on. If you go to a party and only take pictures of the people having a bad time, then it will seem as if it was a bad party. Hell, maybe it was a bad party. In that case, I suggest you not attend another one at that venue ever again.
Alright, it's getting late, and I'm starting to lose focus. Did I ever have it? We got a little deep tonight, but you can handle it. Can I handle it, is the question. I'm not so sure. I can handle watching a new episode of The Office tonight. That's a start.
Just missed two days of work because of the snow. And more is expected on Saturday. And Tuesday. It's been brutal for a lot of people this winter. But you knew that. I've come to terms with it and earlier than I figured I would. Still, I await Spring like a dog with a full bladder awaits a walk. I have a feeling the onslaught will continue until one day, sometime in late March or early April, it will cease, and we'll awake suddenly, as if by smelling salts, from our long, dark slumber, and realize Spring has arrived and Winter's awful teeth have no more bite. However it pans out, the warmer weather can't arrive soon enough.
-
Last night I had a flying dream. I can't recall ever having one, but it must be that I have. In this one, I was walking along the street with a couple of friends and came upon a swimming pool the size of a parking lot. Despite the fact that even in my dream it was still winter, I dove in. I swam under water, not once needing or wanting to come up for air. It occurred to me that swimming under water was akin to flying, albeit in a more sluggish and wet manner. I swam upward and upward and flew right out of the pool, water changing to air under the radar of my perception. I flew over the surrounding roof tops. I dive bombed to the ground, pulling up just before impact. It was entirely transcendent, my flight, and, as I swam the sky, I felt newly born.
I spotted Janelle and a couple of other women walking my way. I landed next to her and encouraged her to fly. I had the knowledge in me that women were better apt to fly than men and it was a shame that they lost interest. Janelle needed some convincing. It was as if I was trying to convince her to do a cartwheel in the presence of her peers. She finally ceased feeling inhibited and took flight. I tried to join her but somehow, in the intervening minutes, I lost the ability. I was able to ascend about ten feet or so and then I'd come down hard. The development didn't bother me too much because Janelle was having enough fun for the both of us.
I'm sure some of the dream was the result of reading from the DMT book before bed last night. I had read the chapter that covered the test subjects otherworldly journeys under the influence of the drug. Not hallucinations, complete out of body journeys. Subjects reported contact with strange beings, visits to strange places, strange hieroglyphic-like shapes taking up their entire field of vision. Some subjects found themselves in a full blown alien abduction scenario. That's just scratching the surface, but I digress. What was I talking about? Ah, the flying dream. Wish I had more of them. It was a lovely experience. Interesting the swimming/flying connection. The womb/tomb (tomb being the afterlife in this instance)? I'll have to consult a dream dictionary.
I've been interested in the UFO over Jerusalem videos that have been going around. The fact that there are at least four different points of view shot on video gives the sighting some credibility it might otherwise been lacking. Still, it's very possible this is a hoax. The thing with UFO videos these days is they're so easy to fake that it's nigh impossible to discern what is authentic and what is not. That is why it's good to have multiple witnesses and physical evidence.
When people learn of my interest in the unknown, namely Cryptozoology and UFOs, I get the impression that they think I'm a "believer", that is to say someone who is gullible and will believe anything you tell him. There are plenty of "believers" traversing the paths I tread, but I'm not one of them. I was listening to an interview with Dr. Jeff Meldrum recently and he was referred to as a believer in Bigfoot by the interviewer. He politely responded to the claim by stating that belief is more faith based - people believe in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, God - and doesn't depend on evidence. His certainty that Bigfoot exists, he said, was born only after he was shown convincing evidence.
I've seen plenty of so-called evidence, whether Bigfoot or UFO related, that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The Find Bigfoot Facebook page I frequent analyzes numerous videos and has lately begun claiming almost every bit of footage they post as being 100 % authentic. As compelling as some of these videos are, it is irresponsible of them as ostensibly serious researchers to make so bold a claim, especially when a couple of recent videos they confirmed as being 100% authentic were proven to be hoaxes. Yet they still hold strong to their original assessments. I still enjoy visiting the site, particularly because they seem well meaning and their hard work, even when misguided, is commendable. They are not, however, helping to sway public opinion towards accepting Cryptozoology as a legitimate field of study.
Critical thinking is a dying art form. I just read that a school had some of its students research and write about the tree octopus. They constructed a phony website about the tree octopus and the students in their searching discovered it. Because there is no such thing as a tree octopus, this was their only source of information on the subject. Some of the students, even after being informed there is no such creature as the tree octopus, held fast to their belief that it was real. If we lose the ability to think critically, we are in trouble.
-
My friends, I sometimes despair that we live in an indifferent universe, one that cares not if we blow ourselves to shit or enact a peaceful existence. We hold to the belief that we're being looked after, protected by something greater than ourselves, ever present, parental. In this belief, there is justice, and good will come to those that conduct themselves rightly. We cling to this idea because if we do not, we are left with indifference at best, and malevolence at worst,that is if we still entertain the notion that there is a higher power. Do we tell ourselves fanciful stories so that we can live our lives with some semblance of ease? Of course we do, but there is something to it, I think, something ineffable, yes, but not indifferent or malevolent, that informs our beliefs, our collective imagination. Something well beyond my ken in its ecstatic joy.
Yes, sometimes I despair, but I feel, not so much believe, that I am loved, that, indeed, love is all there is, that we just need to open ourselves to it in order to know it better. I know that if my focus rests on despair, that is what I'll get. But if I change my focus....well, then I'll get what I focus on. If you go to a party and only take pictures of the people having a bad time, then it will seem as if it was a bad party. Hell, maybe it was a bad party. In that case, I suggest you not attend another one at that venue ever again.
Alright, it's getting late, and I'm starting to lose focus. Did I ever have it? We got a little deep tonight, but you can handle it. Can I handle it, is the question. I'm not so sure. I can handle watching a new episode of The Office tonight. That's a start.
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