Unintended Instrumental

Sometimes, you can just be going along, doing something you've done hundreds of times before, and suddenly you are not around anymore. It can happen. It happens many times every day. It could even happen when you are reading something on the internet, for example. Granted, it's more likely to occur, if that thing that you've done so many times before is sitting alone in a motel room shooting heroin, but it can happen any time.

Suppose that you have lived the equivalent of many peoples' lifetimes in a relatively short time. You have accomplished much and overcome even more, yet you feel that you are only just reaching your potential.

One day, you complete a day of work in the recording studio. You sing an a cappella song called Mercedes Benz. It is the ninth in a set of excellent tracks you've already completed. You have finally found the right group of musicians, a producer you like and respect, and one who reciprocates those feelings. Everything is falling into place. Soon, maybe tomorrow, you plan to revisit the studio to lay down the vocals for a tenth song called, "Buried Alive In The Blues." You really like the instrumental track that's already been recorded.

"Buried Alive In The Blues" will become a part of your most successful release ever. A set of songs that is destined to echo in the world of music far into the future. It may be timeless. Many will consider it your finest work; although, who knows what the future may bring? You are in the middle of something great, something that you will never see come to full fruition, although your absence will not impede its ascension.

There are two big lessons to take from this. They are both nearly impossible yet vital missions.

1) Don't be like Janis Joplin.

2) Be like Janis Joplin.

Book Review

I reviewed another book. Eric Sipple, who contributed a short story to the last book I reviewed has written a novel called Broken Magic. Check it out!

The Highs and Lows of Human Potential

When a person makes the decision to take so many lives - as happened in Aurora Colorado early Friday morning - it can lead to many questions that no amount of evidence collection, witness interviews, or the inevitable and seemingly unending media attention can answer.

Of course, there have been many devastating examples of senseless violence in recent US history. The 9/11 attacks, acts of arson, and bombings such as occurred in Oklahoma City are just a few examples. The effect of these events is difficult to overstate. No discussion of other tragedies can or should be allowed to diminish the horror of these events in anyone’s mind.

Finding recent examples of murder on a grand scale is made easier by the fact that three-quarters of the deadliest mass murders in the United States have occurred since 1980. And while mass murder comes in many forms, most of these deadliest acts involved firearms as the exclusive or primary weapon.

Book Review

I haven't reviewed any books on this site, but I could start. Read my review of Hot Mess: speculative fiction about climate change by clicking on the title. Leave a comment below to tell me how I did and I will be grateful and maybe even try this again.

Read This, for Yourself

My twitter-friend, Eric Sipple's post "Fragments of Where I Am" really spoke to me, today. I always get something out of his blog. Even though I don't always understand some of the programming challenges and technical glitches he faces, those are only a small part of his writings and there's always something I can relate to in his posts. He writes conversationally, but deeply and I am very partial to his movie reviews.

"Fragments" is special. Here, Eric takes an extremely personal experience and shares it in a way that is completely affecting and, for me, eerily familiar in the same way that some of his aunt's revelations were to him. His journey toward understanding himself and as a consequence, understanding that he needs help is every bit as inspiring and engaging as his willingness to share this evolution with the reader.

Eric is a writer. It's incredible when his passion for writing becomes a tool for healing. What person that loves to write will not be moved when he shares, "...writing gives me a power over it that speech does not." I feel I know exactly what he means. There is a freedom that the written word affords, a compact between the writer and the reader that's lost with mere utterance. It's one of the reasons I avoid the telephone when I can.

Go now, read a post that contains the sentence, "The truth of it is that I’m only beyond help because that’s where I’ve been holding myself." You just might be better for it.

"Tweet" of the Day

Don't hate me for this. It's not you, it's me. etc. "Howl" for the pseudocommunication age. "Tweet" (McSweeney's)

Boxed In

This really happened today represented here, in real time:

@OnOneCondition Oh noes. Audio ads on Pandora. What sort of pestilential evil will come out next? #It'sAllGreekToMe twitter

@OnOneCondition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora twitter

@OnOneCondition Apparently, Pandora heard that rhetorical question, and gave a totally non-rhetorical answer, "Debbie Gibson" twitter

Grand Canyon

Thanks to Ken Burns' The National Parks, Americas Best Idea I heard this great quote that I wanted to share.

If I were an American, I should make my remembrance of it the final test of men, art and policies. I should ask myself: Is this good enough to exist in the same country as the Canyon? How would I feel about this man, this kind of art, these political measures, if I were near the Rim? Every member of the Federal Government should remind himself with triumphant pride, that he is on the staff of the Grand Canyon.

J.B Priestly, Midnight on the Desert, 1937

Revising Theatrical History

I remember it vividly. I was standing on the edge of my toilet hanging a clock, the porcelain was wet, so I slipped, fell, hit my head on the sink, and when I came to... I had a vision! A revelation! A picture in my head! A picture of this... The Y-Chromosome night-light!