Ray of Light

I know Ray Levier personally and he is one awesome dude, in both spirit and sound. If you're into Jazz, check out the kudos bestowed on him in the article below, then head over to his web site for a preview of the tracks.

Ray's Way

Available on iTunes so you can minimize your environmental impact in purchasing this music. :)

I would also like to wish A Very Merry! to all those celebrating Bealtaine today/tonight. :)

Do Not Bet An Expert

My friend John made the mistake of betting me about a Jason Mraz song just now. Those of you who know me, or who are true Mraz fans, will immediately see the folly in this and are already laughing.

Because "geek" does not begin to cover us (a pun for my fellow fans :), John has my entire iTunes library to listen to. The songs were on shuffle and to tease me, he sends me an IM saying Mraz came up and how lame the song was. I asked what song. He says, “America.” I said there is no Mraz song called America.

“WANNA BET? WANNA BET?” I can practically see him dancing around the other side of the Web.

Oh foolish boy.

“Ok, fine. I bet you there is no Mraz song called America.”

What he wants if he wins is ridiculous, but I agree to it because I know he doesn't have a prayer. I admit he usually wins our bets, often on technicalities, but not this time PAL.

He says it is listed in my iTunes under Live @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 2-16-2004.

I launch Apple's God-like Database for Music and filter Mraz Shepherd’s Bush. There is a track called America. I play it.

First of all, I know right away it is not Jason’s voice that starts the singing (although hearing anything over the crowd is a challenge). So I look up the show on archive.org. It is Gary Jules, who played the venue with Jason that night. Jason does eventually throw in a verse and harmony on the chorus, so technically he is singing the song, but this does not make it HIS song, which is what John was claiming.

Second, I look up what lyrics I can make out (thank GOD for Google!) and find the song was originally written and performed by Paul Simon.

HA. Victory is sweet.

John never made me define what I wanted if I won because he was so sure I was wrong. So now… hmmm… what do I want? Mraz will be playing Vegas in May... am I that cruel? :D

Love Wins

I'm about as non-Christian as they come so I'm always surprised when I find a song I really like that's done by a Christian group. Some music just transcends categories and labels. The Robbie Seay Band is definitely transcendant. Sure, they have their share of "come to Jesus" tunes that I avoid, but there are several others I really enjoy that leave the interpretation of faith up to the listener.

If there was ever a theme song for Barack Obama's victory speech last night, I'd have to say Love Wins from their new CD Give Yourself Away would be it. The lyrics are below so you can decide for yourself. I embedded the song above so you can listen.

Other awesome tunes by RSB are Better Days (from a prior CD), Rise, New Day, and Stay (from the new CD). You can purchase the individual tracks on iTunes or directly from the band on their MySpace page.

For those of you here in San Diego, they happen to be playing locally for FREE this Sunday. Check their web site tour page or their MySpace for details.

LOVE WINS

It’s a big world, we are hoping
For a big change, we are broken
In the fading light of a dying sun
We cry for redemption

There is hope, there is hope, there is hope
But everyone who’s lost will be coming home
And everything that hurts will be whole again
And love will be the last thing standing

Can’t stop, you can’t stop the seasons
Don’t stop, don’t stop believing
Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you’re waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins

If it hurts you, just breathe in
When it pains you, just believe in
The radiant light of the morning sun
We can find our redemption

Love is strong, love is strong, love is strong
It's been there holding you all along
Everything thrown away will be new again
And love will be the last thing standing

There is hope, there is hope for my lonely soul
There is hope, there is hope to be made whole
There is life, there is life to be set free
There is life, there is life surrounding me

There is hope, there is hope for my broken heart
There is hope, there is hope for a brand new start
There is life, there is life give me eyes to see
There is life, there is life you have captured me

Music to my Ears

I admit I’ve gotten completely distracted and off track from work today listening to new music on MySpace. One click leads to another… and another… and another… and all these people ROCK and suddenly it’s two hours later and I've done nothing but fill my head with awesomeness. Which would be great if I could get my electric and internet connection for a song. Who knew there was so much hidden music talent in San Diego? Why aren’t these people all selling out arenas yet (well, besides Jason Mraz)?

This started because I’ve been really diggin’ Dawn Mitschele’s voice these past several days. I first checked her out after seeing Bushwalla’s new music video for Mayhem is Beautiful. I knew Bushwalla from listening to Mraz of course. Funny how it's all connected, yeah?

From Dawn’s MySpace page, I clicked on Jason Ford’s profile by happy accident and found a song called Mi Lelolai A Mi Yaweh. Go ahead and try that out loud.

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Somehow they actually sing it – fast! – in the song and it’s very melodic. Those 13 plays recorded on MySpace for it today? Half was probably me. :D

I noticed Ford’s page says his record label is StepsTone, and I thought that was a pretty clever name. They have a MySpace page too, and from there I found the link to their web site, and a list of the people who have recorded with them (“Clients” on the bottom menu – no direct link, sorry!), complete with song samples. How awesome! This is how the two hours starts slipping away.

Seems StepsTone has a knack for picking people I’d like to hear more of. Perhaps they just never agree to record with a crappy artist? I dunno. They certainly seem to have the Midas touch when it comes to talent. Or perhaps they just pick the best to showcase on their site. My friend, Jason Demetri, has a recording studio in Austin, TX called Music Lane and I know just from a business perspective you don’t turn away anyone offering you money to use your studio unless you have a bigger better offer (like Sheryl Crow – woohoo! Go Jason!). So surely they’ve had their share of "ehhh" artists? Well anyway…

Your ears deserve to be graced by the following:

Kyle Phelan:
http://www.stepstonestudio.com/kyle.htm

Cameron Russell:
http://www.stepstonestudio.com/cam.htm

John Hull:
http://www.stepstonestudio.com/John.htm

Martin Storrow (if you lean towards a more country persuasion):
http://www.stepstonestudio.com/martin.htm

Just to bring things full circle, when I was looking up the link to Music Lane's client list, who do I find but BOB SCHNEIDER. Holy cow it's a small world. I'm surprised Bob's not holding it up to the camera.

Some Enchanted Evening

Just about two weeks ago I drove 3 1/2 hours to Worcester, MA (pronounced Wuss-ter, which I cannot imagine spelled any other way now thanks to Jenn at Random Lunacy - check her out) to see Jason Mraz play one of his last gigs on the Music, Magic & Make-Peace mini-tour promoting his new CD, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. coming Tuesday to an iTunes near you. So much of my trip was spent in the Present Moment it felt like living a fantasy, and I'm not trying to be dramatic.

This is going to be long, so make some tea and get comfortable if you’re interested in getting to the bottom of this.

Now let's see...

As some of you know, and others may have guessed, Mraz has been at the top of my Favorite Musician list for almost three years. Not just because he writes great songs with lyrical prowess and memorable melodies; if you read his blogs and listen to his interviews you will find a genuine, True person. He is not a fabrication of the music industry, a marketing department, or your imagination (although he will definitely engage it!).

Wuss-ter is 3 1/2 hours from where I live so originally I had not planned to go to this concert, but the temptation of seeing the show one last time proved too much. Once you're a Mraz fan, just plan on spending all your extra cash to go to his concerts because they're like Lay's potato chips - you can't stop at just one.

Yes people, he is all that and a bag of chips. (C'mon, how could I not go there? :)

I left work early so I could reach the venue in time. The weather didn't look good, it had been raining all day and driving long distances in rain makes me nervous. The Universe smiled shortly before I left though, and the roads were dry. What a blessing.

The drive proved to be just as charming as the concert. I discovered that CT-15 North is a beautiful route and very much resembles driving through a Disneyfied woodland forest. The highway is lined with trees and wooden fences, and I passed under several arched stone bridges with iron scrollwork along the top. Being that it's Spring, everything was bright green, pink, yellow - gorgeous colors everywhere I looked. If a cartoon princess had come skipping across the road, woodland friends in tow, I would not have thought twice about it.

As I was driving along admiring the view, I happened upon an exit for New Canaan, CT. Once upon a time, I lived in New Canaan with my mother in an apartment above a huge empty house that still holds the record in my mind for the Best. Kitchen. Ever. (Mom says I'm mixing up my memories, and it's possible I drempt the kitchen, but seems real enough in my head.) It was around the corner and down a few streets from a house Robert Redford owned (for real), and I remember we would joke about rubbing elbows with all the snotty rich people when we did our grocery shopping at Food Emporium. Now that I shop mostly at Whole Foods in Ridgewood (a very similar store in a similar neighborhood), I think about those trips and suspect I may have become one of the snobs. Hmmm.

We only lived there two months, but I have a surprising number of good memories from that place for such a brief period of inhabitance, so even though I didn't have time to use the exit, it was very cool to pass the signs and flip through happy thoughts like a photo album.

Further along the trail, there appeared an entrance to a tunnel through a mountain. Have you ever unexpectedly smelled something that reminded you of kindergarten? When I saw the tunnel, it must've released some mad rush of serotonin in my brain because I felt that same sense of wonder and excitement one rarely experiences after growing up. It was weird and awesome all at once. Amazing how something so simple can give you a thrill.

Mom and I traveled a lot when I was little, and I remember vividly going through tunnels in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and the Smokies in Tennessee. They were long and dark and I'd make up stories in my head about mythical creatures that could pop out ahead and whisk us away to another time and place. (Have I mentioned what a large part of my childhood good ol' Walt influenced?)

Looking back I'm not sure why tunnels thrilled me so much (I avoid the Lincoln Tunnel like the plague) but it was way cool to feel that same anticipation and I literally laughed out loud at myself.

And this was all BEFORE I got to the concert!

The rest of the drive was actually uneventful, except at one point I found Benny & The Jets by Elton John stuck in my head. I tried to think how that could've possibly happened since I'd been listening to Jason the whole way, and decided it must be an association with Mraz singing Rocket Man, along with a realization that I hadn't heard him play Rocket Man at all during this tour and that I missed hearing it. ::cue foreshadowing music::

I arrived at Holy Cross College just before the doors opened. Jenn and Matt had been standing in line with a new friend, Bridgete, for over an hour so they were right up by the door. I felt COMPLETELY GUILTY walking past all those people to go stand with my friends at the front, especially when I saw how cold they all were and I'd just stepped out of a nice warm car. Thank you SO MUCH to my friends for their generosity! And thank you to everyone in line that probably thought I was an ass, but didn't say anything.

We were let in shortly thereafter and found our way to a place near the front of the mob at the stage. There was a bit of confusion about people who had tickets in hand vs. those forced to pick them up at will call, so we were about 4 people deep in the crowd despite the awesome line position. Oh well. I have no complaints. Standing there waiting for the first band, I thought it was kind of funny that I seem to always end up in the same spot relative to the stage.

Everclear opened the show for a reason no one is able to figure out. They're an odd pairing with Mraz, but fortunately I like their music so it was fun to see them live. I couldn't remember too many of the lyrics, but I recognized the songs, and they definitely rocked the house. I thought surely due to time they must be replacing part of the Music, Magic, & Make-Peace circus that has been this tour, but no. It was a 4 1/2 hour marathon of fun with no one left out.

Since my reviews of the first two concerts I attended (PA & NYC) went by the wayside, this will kind of be a combination of all three.

I have to say, the PA & NYC shows were great, but they were almost identical in every way - right down to the jokes between songs - and I find that odd for a Mraz production. In the past, his concerts have been less staged: the setlist was more of a crapshoot (in a good way) and the banter was less predictable, which is what makes it so worth buying tickets to multiple shows on the same tour. Don't get me wrong, both PA & NY went by at 100 SPH (Smiles Per Hour) and I enjoyed every minute. I was just surprised these two were SO similar and it makes me wonder if it had to do with record label control or if Jason decided it's easier to work that way, or you just can't be that spontaneous with that many people on stage or what. I've always had too many questions in my head, the most persistent being "Why?"

The Wuss-ter show appeared to have more spontaneity to it but later, when I looked up the set lists from the Canadian shows the two nights previous, I saw it wasn't quite as spontaneous as I thought. Either way it made me happy and that's really all that matters.

The Ring Master for this event was Justin Kredible, and he is exactly that. His bowling ball trick is my favorite for the "how the fuck did he do that" factor, and I still laugh when I think about his "learning a new trick" with the banana. It's a very a-peel-ing bit. :D

At Wuss-ter, as he was cleaning up from the banana trick, he flung some of the mashed fruit into the audience and a little landed on me. The next morning I tried to brush my hair and found it was still sticky from Justin's banana. ::snicker giggle::

I never did get a chance to ask Justin about his girlfriend's name either. Someone told me he's fucking Amazing, so I figured that's what they call her. Amazing is an odd thing to name a girl, but cool nonetheless. I'll bet her middle name is Grace. :D

Ok, enough with the bad jokes. (Justin started it.)

The Makepeace Brothers, hailing from Ithaca, NY, are awesome. I've never been such an instant fan of an opening band. I downloaded the songs available from SnoCap on their MySpace page and I already want more. You should too.

They use an unusual blend of instruments - bass, cajon, and uke or guitar, depending on the song - which makes them sound like much more than the three-piece they normally are. Actually, according to their MySpace page, there are four brothers and the bass player (a brother from another mother) in the band officially, but somehow I mostly saw three of them on stage. Dunno why the other two seemed hidden most of the time.

Things Gonna Wait, the last song in their set, is definitely potential hit material with the catchy hook and simple, happy lyrics that quickly become a sing-along. They bring all the musicians in the tour onstage to perform this one and it's a party atmosphere every time.

The only thing that bugged me a little about Jason shakin' his tambourine (and other things) during this song was the obvious shift in the tide of adoration anytime he moves around the stage. I love Jason dearly and he can't help the attention his presence draws, but I felt like it took away a little from the Makepeace Brothers' most shining moment. Mraz tries to stay in the background, but the crowd never buys it. MPB are so worth ALL your love every minute they play, it made me sad that people were so easily distracted.

Back on the up side, you gotta love that they wore Blend Apparel shirts at every show. F & A. (Censored for the sensitive. :)

William-Billy-Bushwalla-Galewood hits the stage with so much energy you can't help but be swept up by it. He starts out slow like he's moving in for a chaste kiss, then licks you head to toe with his funky eclectic groove and you're left thinking, "Hey, that was pretty sexy! Can we do it again?"

I've listened to his music before, even seen him perform at The Mint in LA, but I can't say I knew his tunes intimately before attending these three shows. I think Brown is my favorite. It makes me giggle every time because it's a sing-along with a lot of "don't sing heres" and "shhhhs" interjected as Billy conducts the audience, and of course no one gets it right. Creatures in the Yard is a close second (mostly because it mentions dragonflies, and how can I not love that?). And I have to agree that it's hard to be a gangsta with a basket on your bike, but Tittybangin' courtesy of Bushwallian Cruise Lines (giggle)... Vitamin Me (LMAO)... that was definitely a fav performance at the Wuss-ter show. As I've said before, polar bears envy Billy's coolness, and his wardrobe.

Bush's backup band is actually Mraz and his troop, but for most shows they took to wearing black electrical tape to "disguise" themselves for that set. By the time they reached Wuss-ter, they ditched the tape, but who can blame them? They probably had no facial hair (or skin) left from ripping it off each night.

Billy is so commanding on stage it was easier for the crowd to focus on him when they should. The couple songs that featured "Johnny Wishbone" aka "Sloppy Joe" (Jason's character) still elicited a higher pitch of hoots and hollers, but it seemed the love was spread a little more evenly.

By the time Mraz actually popped outta Justin's tent (snicker) as himself, I almost forgot it was him I was there to see. It was good tho, because I felt like, "Damn, all that AND I get to hear Jason? Too much rock for one hand!"

As I said, Mraz's sets in PA & NYC were almost identical, the difference being Sleep All Day in PA, and Plane in NY. At least both times he sang all the songs the way I love them best. Growling out words (yeah baby); Beautiful Mess had different chords at the end; extra verse and Wonderwall and Ian's bass solo added to Remedy (which saved it from monotony); Live High had "singing" instead of "selling" gratitude in the lyrics (selling just doesn't fit the vibe of the song), and in I'm Yours "god-intended" sounds much nicer than "god-forsaken." I know, details details, but to me the details are like a spice that sends it over the top. Banter in NY was more interesting than PA too, although I had to go back and listen to the taped version to understand a few things he said.

And by the way, can I have a "Hell YEAH" for tapers?!

The Wuss-ter show was in a different class. The crowd was worse, but the set list was better. He started his set with the middle verse of Rocket Man (so freaky - I thought maybe it was a telepathic moment in the car until I read later that he played it in Canada the last two nights as well), then he chose Bella Luna, complete with a request for the sea of cellphone stars (which always looks amazing).

Unfortunately a group of very loud drunk kids chose that moment to shove their way in behind us and I couldn't hear over their talking and shouting through most of the song. After several quick fantasies about death to the idiots behind us, I decided it was instead an opportunity to practice rising above my ego (not what I WANTED to do). Situations like that remind me I still have things to learn about maintaining Peace on the inside. I was hoping someone would put a video of the song on YouTube, but no such luck.

Older Lover was louder than the Rude People, which was way cool, and in the break he started singing "Can you read my mind?" I was thinking, "You must be reading mine because it's like you're taking my requests!" After that he played Life is Wonderful, and even added some opera in the encore (his range is incredible).

And speaking of the encore... No Stopping Us was an awesome choice (in my opinion) because he had the brass with him, and that song is just 10 times better with horns. I wasn't yet a fan when he released his Tonight, Not Again live CD so these dates were the first time I'd seen him with the extended band.

I love that the Grooveline Horns are from Austin because I have ties there. They were incredible, especially when they show up in the balcony (if there is one) or on the front barriers (if there isn't) and play in. your. face. during Live High. I dunno who had that idea, but it rocked. There was a nice distribution of solos among the horns on various nights as well, and each one held me transfixed.

Fall Through Glass was a brilliant choice for the second encore song because it is so upbeat, everyone is on stage again dancing and jumping, and the audience is just rockin' out on their own at that point, and I love that Jason is the kind of guy that will choose his best friend's song instead of another of his own. About halfway through they freeze in place while Justin comes out to name everyone (think: roll credits). He snaps some pics, thanks the audience, then they start up again and finish the song. You think to yourself, "that is the PERFECT show ending..." you're leaving on such a high note... but wait...

Everyone bows like the best Broadway musical and they leave the stage, but Jason hangs back, grabs his axe (my favorite one with the pink Om symbol in the middle), and offers a very intimate, personal performance of You and I Both. He asks everyone to sing along, and most do, but it's more like a bedtime story or a lullaby that leaves you all warm and mushy inside. In the middle he takes time to impress upon all who are paying attention his thoughts on gratitude, the Golden Rule, and environmental consciousness. These are the values I identify with that make him one of my favorite performers - the thread of Truth that runs through everything he does and weaves his success. He walks his talk, and that impresses the shit outta me. I'd say normally leaving an audience on a mellow note like that might not be ideal, but this worked like pixie dust.

So that was the end of the concert, but not the end of my story. Sorry. If you need a pee break, you know, it's the Internet - it'll still be here when you get back.

We drifted to the lobby and hung out for a few minutes, tried to take a couple pictures outside but we were all freezing, so after hugs and goodbyes we went our own ways.

I drove home in silence (yes, 3+ hours), not wanting to hear anything but the thoughts in my head. It was like a collage: pieces of the concert... thinking... musing. Driving can be like a meditation for me if I'm alone in the car, although I don't recommend 80 MPH on the Mass Pike as a habitual place of transcendence.

Before I knew it, I was back on CT-15, headed South this time. What had been an Enchanted Forest in the daylight looked a little creepier at night with the trees hanging over the road and no lamps above to light the way. I decided to go with it though since I was already in such an imaginative state. I wasn't really tired, but to ensure that I stayed awake I pretended the forest had been overcome by an evil villain, which threw it into darkness. I couldn't stop the car even for a minute or the spell would put me to sleep forever. As I was thinking this, almost on cue, a huge white owl swooped out of a tree and flew across my path, close enough to cause me to jam the brakes in reaction, but too far away to actually be in danger of being hit. He sailed in front of me and was gone in a blink. I broke my silence with "What the fuck?!" Then I laughed. For real. Out loud. Not only did I recently read in Tolle's New Earth book something about "One With Life" which I realized OWL is an acronym for, but if you look in the Medicine Cards owls symbolize magic, wisdom, clairvoyance, and an ability to see the Truth, even if it's covered up. Owls are awesome.

A little while later, while I'm still thinking how Disney-gone-evil the road looks, I pass a hotel in the middle of nowhere, and the neon sign claims it is the "Hi Ho." I laughed again, right out loud. Do you think dwarves are behind the front desk and maybe Snow White cleans the rooms? That was too funny.

I finally emerged from the woods onto the NY Thruway, and I swear it was like coming out of a fantasy and back to reality in every way. My mindset changed to one of "I just want to get home now" and the road was brightly lit and much busier even at 3am. I pulled over shortly after the ramp though to open the roof and gaze up at the stars. You can see so many more of them out away from NYC. I said a heartfelt thank you for such an amazing evening, but they just winked at me until I pulled back onto the road.

Not to ruin the mood, but I was almost on empty when I got stuck on the Tappan Zee due to overnight construction. Thanks to Jenn, all I could think about was her story of some kind of worm eating through the iron that holds the bridge up under the water (which is probably what they are doing construction for). The whole bridge shook every time a semi would pass on the other side. Thanks, Jenn! :P Fortunately we only had to wait about 10 minutes, then they let us through.

The last sparkle of wizardry I saw that night was after I pulled out of the 24 hour gas station. I looked to my left and there was a beautiful, HUGE, orange crescent moon hanging over the city. It was like the heavens conjured up a picture of Bella Luna for me since I couldn't hear it too well earlier. I would've played the song if I had it in the car, but I didn't, so I finally broke the silence with A Beautiful Mess instead. I pulled into the driveway as the final note faded.

It was 4am when I finally hit the sheets and I had to get up at 7:30 to go to work. I napped in the car at lunch to stay awake, and I ended up getting sick a few days later from the girl behind me at the concert sneezing and coughing into my hair all night, but...

It. Was. So. Worth. It.

Hey look, here comes the sun. Guess I'd better go to bed. Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers out there! :D And a special Happy Mother's Day to Mother Earth because She deserves it. Make sure you remember Her today too.

Artwork by Jenness Cortez Perlmutter used without permission from American Meditation Institute, but I'm hoping a link will suffice. :)

Ain't Nothin Pointless About This Gig

When I was little - knee-high to a grasshopper as they say - Mom had a vinyl record that I loved to listen to over and over, by an artist named Harry Nilsson. This record was not your typical record. It had music on it for sure, but it also had a story - a very pointed story - and that story was appropriately called, The Point.

So far in my lifetime, I haven't met anyone who remembers this story when I ask if they've heard of it, which I find a little strange (and sad since it was an excellent piece of entertainment), but I did find some movie captures from the DVD on YouTube so I know I'm not the only one that finds it enchanting.

If you read the Wikipedia information on Nilsson, he's had his hand in everything from The Muppet Show to My Name is Earl, but not many people seem to recall who he was offhand. His career seemed a bit jinxed. The two songs you would probably recognize are "Coconut" (...you put the lime in the coconut and drank 'em both up...) and Everybody's Talkin' (yes, that one: everybody's talkin at me/I can't hear a word they're saying/only the echoes of my mind...), but I'll bet you wouldn't have been able to recall it was him that sang those. I was also surprised to learn from Wikipedia how connected to the The Monkees he was. I loved everything about The Monkees when I was a kid! And although I knew Ringo Starr did the narration on the DVD of The Point, I didn't realize how connected he was to the Beatles as well. But I digress...

In hindsight, I can see how this story may have influenced my thinking in a very positive way for the rest of my life. I can't tell you how many times a line or song would come to mind long after the LP disappeared. It's probably been a good 20+ years since I've owned a copy of it, so I went looking for it online the other night.

I know the record has been out there the whole time, and is out there still, available this very moment on Amazon in fact. I just don't understand why, in this recent age of apparent awakening of the Collective Conscious, it hasn't taken off like a shot. Maybe Oprah hasn't heard of it yet.

I'm here to tell you though, if you enjoy wordplay and double entendre, the message behind the message, and an enlightened kind of thinking, you should buy this story because you will love listening to it over and over, no matter how old you are. If nothing else, buy it for your kids (or nieces, nephews, etc.) because they will be better people for listening to it and being influenced by the ideas.

The story starts:

Years ago there was a place called The Land of Point, and that was because everything in The Land of Point had one. The barns, the houses, the carts, everything. Even the people. Everyone in The Land of Point had a point on the top of his head. Everyone, that is, with the exception of Oblio.

Now, although Oblio was born to a set of normally pointed parents, and although he was born physically perfect in every other respect, he was born without a point. He was round-headed. And as time passed, Oblio became increasingly aware of his uniqueness, and so did everyone else. Which made life in The Land of Point rather uncomfortable for him, and his parents.

You see, Oblio became sort of an involuntary celebrity and he was subject to the sometimes cruel and unusual harassment from his schoolmates. It wasn't easy being the only pointless person in the whole Land of Point. And in an effort to make life easier, his mother knitted a pointed cap for him to wear. It was to conceal his pointless condition, but it didn't do much good because everyone knew he didn't have a point, so it only managed to make Oblio a little lonelier. In fact, the only real friend he had was his dog, Arrow.

Nilsson's song Me and My Arrow comes in here on the audio recording. After that the narration goes on to describe how Oblio and Arrow win a game against the villain of the story, are put on trial, and are consequently banished to the Pointless Forest (which turns out to be not so pointless after all). In their travels, they meet many interesting characters, but my favorite is The Rock Man.

After a journey through The Pointless Forest, Oblio and Arrow return to the Land of Point with a new point of view, which they share with the villagers. Something very interesting happens then, but I don't want to spoil the end, so you'll just have to find out what The Point is for yourself. :)

The original audio recording is so much better than the DVD in my opinion (except for the wisdom of The Rock Man, which was expanded in the animated version). I've always thought plain audio (or books for that matter) are better because they allow your imagination the freedom to create its own scenes and characters. Don't get me wrong, I love movies too and I see a lot of them, but you can't always allow Hollywood to do all the work for you.

Anyway, I'm sure you get The Point. :D

Wrapping Up 2007

Random thoughts (that went long):

I had to put Earl down a couple days ago. It sucked balls, as expected, and I cried so hard I have another headache just thinking about it. It was better than looking at him suffering though, which he started to do the night before. I wish I could’ve taken him in right then because watching his ragged breathing was awful, but Oradell Animal Hospital’s Emergency service is the most ridiculous bunch of BS I’ve ever regretfully dealt with in the past. They won’t let you be with the animal when it’s put down, the doctors are condescending, and for all that they charge you out the ass. No. I won't have it. It’s selfish that I made Earl wait 6 hours until my regular vet opened, but I just couldn’t let him die alone from a hand that didn’t give a shit, and then be in debt for it. NO. NO. NO.

As it was, Dr. Welch wasn’t at Franklin Lakes A.H. when I went in and Dr. Kozak was the one to play Grim Reaper. Fitting, since she’s the one who broke my dog when we took Jazz in for X-Rays (Jazz came home with cold tail, which is caused by overworking a dog's muscles). I wasn’t thrilled, especially since she charged me for an office visit simply because I wanted to be with Earl when she put him under (that would’ve never happened with Dr. Welch), but I figured she can’t possibly fuck up killing an animal.

He’s at peace now though, whole and perfect again, and not in any pain. I hope Zeus was kind enough to meet him at the bridge and help him get acquainted with the new existence.

Edwyn, his cagemate, seems unaffected for the most part, except that he’s taken to scaring the shit out of me by sleeping entirely on his side with his big ol’ feet sticking straight out like he’s dead. I wonder if he thinks it’s a joke. Wilbur did the same thing to me, but only once. Edwyn's been doing it daily. I tried pushing Edwyn’s and Wilbur’s cages closer together, hoping maybe the two wimps (I say that affectionately) of my chinchilla herd would get along and live together, but they spent a good 30 minutes posturing and biting the bars between them, erping threats across the divide. There’s nothing funnier than pissed off fuzzy rats. How can something that cute get so mad?

~*~

Everywhen is my new favorite word. I found it today in a Wikipedia description of “Dreaming” as defined by Australian Aborigines. What can I say? One click leads to another. I’m not even sure how I got there, but it’s been an interesting read.

Credit for coining the term goes to Emeritus Professor W.E.H. “Bill” Stanner (1905-1981), an anthropologist I fully intend to check out further.

“He coined the terms the "Great Australian Silence" and "everywhen" in the 1968 Boyer Lectures titled "After the Dreaming", reflecting on the silence on Indigenous Australians in Australian history after white settlement.”

Go Bill!

As I read more about this exclusion of the Aborigines' story from Australia’s historical accounts, I see the root of the problem is that the Aborigines were basically ignored as if they weren’t even there when the British were writing the history books - and the legal books - for Australia. Sound familiar Native Americans? How ‘bout you Maoris? WTF? Was I sleeping during this lecture in high school or are we so narcissistic in America that it was deemed too unimportant to include in the curriculum of basic education? Why were/are Anglo-Saxons so afraid of indigenous people, or anyone not of A-S descent for that matter? What put this insane fear into us white people?

My gut tells me it’s because somewhere deep in the subconscious we recognize that these are the people that can debunk the bullshit of organized religions and patriarchal hierarchies. These are the keepers of the Truth that remember how and why we are here, and if enough of us acknowledge that primordial Truth (because the memory will never completely leave our genes), there is fear that the Few will no longer control the Many. Oh, calamity. :rolls eyes:

Fear is such a twisted, ugly thing. Just look how it’s changed the tone of this entry already. I started out fine, now I’m pissed and upset. I don’t even want to be – this started out with a cool new word that I love the concept of. I gotta let it run its course now tho cuz I don’t want it sticking around.

Have you looked at any given politician or national religious figure lately and noticed their twisted visage compared to someone truly considered “good people?” Go look. Pay attention. The longer they’ve been at the game, and the more corrupt they are, the more twitches, the more immobility of their mouth, the more lines (aka lies) are written on their face. PR people can only hide so much with makeup and hair color and carefully chosen wardrobe. Read between the lines and on most accounts, you’ll find a shriveled, starving soul. It just makes me sad that there are so many like this. And it takes being outside that groupthink to see it. And if you’re outside, you’re spending so much time defending your position, how can you expect to live and discover and create? But that’s what they want – robots, not creators. :sigh:

My thoughts are that the solution lies in respect and acceptance among all levels of living beings. Yeah, this isn’t new info, even to me, but I’m just riding this train of thought to get it down in a communicable media because obviously there are still people out there that don’t get it and someday I hope to wake those people up.

Of course the key to respect and acceptance is an absence of fear, e.g., Love. We all have a place in the world, but our place is not all the same, and thank goodness for that! What a boring existence it would be if everyone was on exactly the same level. Peace can only come when all levels of beings respect all other levels of beings, and accept their Here-and-Now Place on Earth. That doesn’t mean they can’t move betwixt and between levels, just that whatever level they may currently be on, they still must respect the creativity of all the other levels. Guess I'm not respecting the level of the fear-mongering politicians, but it would be nice to just not have fear at all.

Humans. It’s no wonder the Gods weep sometimes. :shakes head:

Ok, I’m done with that.

~*~

I completed my 39th year on the planet yesterday, and with a gentle breath over sugar-laden candles officially celebrated my existence through another turn around the Sun. 39 doesn’t feel as old as it looks. Sometimes I wonder if because I can’t seem to sync up with the clock everyone else abides by, maybe time is counted differently for me. My hair disagrees, but there are means of persuasion for that and I’ve been considering them more seriously lately despite my vow never to go there. (Yeah, let’s pour toxic chemicals on our largest organ at the closest point to the brain! That sounds like a good idea! Take up smoking and go on a fast food diet too, why doncha? Meanwhile, Vanity whispers in my ear, “Red-gold is so much sexier than grey. No one’s gettin’ out of here alive anyway. C’mon, you know you want to.”)

The word “never” is always the kiss of death for my vows.

[Note to self: If I ever do acquiesce to marriage, make sure “never” is banned from the script!]

~*~

My Father’s Good Name is a brilliant UK duo working on their success story. The following is a reply I posted to Mike’s blog about his ex-girlfriend becoming engaged to the person she was cheating on him with. He’s hurt and angry, as anyone in that situation would be, and asks for opinions from the readers. I’m posting my reply here for archival purposes because these words reflect part of who I am and what I think about romantic relationships:

One of my most favorite sayings comes to mind here - When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Relationships are so unique, each with its own set of trials and justifications, but personally I think they are what helps us evolve most here in this Everywhen, and so they are ALL worthwhile in some way. If you can come to see them as learning opportunities, for better or worse, then you will find yourself better able to enjoy the ups, and deal with the downs more constructively.

My own view is that each person in a relationship must be a Whole unto themselves, walking along a shared path. It's more of a "you compliment me" thing than a "you complete me" thing. I'm not sure sacrifice should be part of love; compromise yes. Sacrifice implies something you don't really want to do and normally ends up in resentment. Compromise is something you're willing to do; it may be uncomfortable, but it won't violate your boundaries. It's understandable why so many people don't know where to draw their line, and no doubt the line is blurry to boot.

I cheated once in high school and it didn't involve any sex, just a date with a guy that I'd been interested in for years, but we'd only been friends up to that point. I was found out by my boyfriend, in person, and the pain it caused me to see how much I'd hurt them both made me never want to burn the candle at both ends again.

On the other hand, I seem to attract cheating men like bees to honey and I haven't yet figured out why. Perhaps it's just the lot of those born with (natural) red hair and absentee fathers? :chuckle: It's taught me that you must absolutely be honest with yourself, know your own boundaries, and accept others for who they are. And I'm still learning.

Honor your anger, but don't let it eat you up. Put a limit on how long you're willing to feel it, then do what's necessary to move on, and be firm with yourself because the temptation will be there to slip into self pity. If your relationship with this girl didn't work out, that must mean it was only meant for a short while, not forever. Forever is a very long time, and outgrowing a relationship is not a crime.

In every situation, there is much to be grateful for. Imagine what it will be like to look behind you and see this relationship from the light of something more in tune with your boundaries and beliefs. Be thankful for the songs that will come of it (just maybe a #1 hit!), and the wisdom you'll now have for application in the next relationship.

Remember you can only control YOU, and you can't go wrong if love is your true intent behind your actions. Picture holding onto the lesson while the emotions sift through your soul and back into the universe. If you retain the knowledge gained in the lesson, chances are you won't have to repeat the course. :)

~*~

My 2007 Highlight Reel:

~ Traveled to San Jose in January to visit Mom (she was there for a work project) and discovered I LOVE Santa Cruz (but San Diego would still be first choice). Successfully completed my goal of sticking my feet in both oceans in this lifetime, communed with the redwoods (which was awesome), and updated my memory of San Fran from 6th grade. Also saw (from the highway) Apple Headquarters - the Mother Ship. ::cue celestial angel choir::

~ Went to Joe’s house in SC for a weekend of solitude in February and discovered how amazing it is to get lost in the stars while sipping chai on the deck, wrapped in blankets, even when it’s only 32 degrees out.

~ Mark and I went to Tempe in March and I got to see “the old place.” Confirmed that I don’t miss it that much, although it’s great to visit while the NE is still frozen!

~ Katy turned 18 in May so she’s officially an adult (just wish she’d act more like one!).

~ Katy graduated in June (thank God!) and my goal of making sure my kid at least has a high school diploma was met.

~ Tried to go to Marie’s first anniversary party in June, but the plane got grounded because of weather and since I was on a free ticket they couldn't reroute me. This started a trend of planes being grounded when I’m on them. If you have trouble getting out of the airport, check the roster and see if I'm on your plane. I will try to break this curse in 2008.

~ Took my second trip to SC in September for a Mraz concert at Converse College. Survived heart skipping several beats. I hung around early and watched them set up hoping to run into him, but no luck. My only regret is not staying after to see if I could untie my tongue this time. We would have so much to talk about, but I feel so guilty doing that knowing he’s tired after a show and not into meeting fans at that point, then there's that chronic shyness thing. Still absolutely an AWESOME time.

~ Mark and I had a rad Halloween party and I realized how many friends I’ve made at Pearson (very cool).

~ First class trip to Dallas in November to visit Marie & Scott and attend TRF with them. Plane was only grounded for a couple hours. Met Bud “the Commander” (former Hell’s Angel) and discovered another badass biker that turned his life into something awesome (and legal). I am duly impressed. Shit, I still have to get him a Rutgers tshirt and hat as promised.

~ Awesome New Year’s Eve party with many of the same friends from Halloween, plus some that didn't make it last time. Included the shouted countdown at midnight while the ball in NYC dropped on our TV. (Not literally.) Ending the year in a Kodak moment always rules.

My new mantra for 2008: More travel, less stuff.

I’m out! Thank you New York! Goodnight!