I was the mother of a forest tribe. We were a fun little crowd of primitives, lots of laughing, sex and setting fire to things. Then, one day, one of my scouts told me that someone was waiting on the beaches beyond the forest.  It was a place I had been to before in my dreams - miles of  grey wet sand that was bordered by distant black mountains. ( Read more... )

Apparently, my subconscious is listening. I have been going through another bout of self-examination regarding my beliefs. I suspect I'll be doing this for the rest of my life, which is appropriate.  But it did occur to me lately that Atheism is (in some senses) a lonely route. I think that much of the draw of organized religion is in its sense of ( Read more... )

I thought I'd actually give this the bloggy treatment instead of stuffing it into 200 characters ( Read more... )

Watching a documentary on Hunter Thompson: "Gonzo". It's almost a given that genius comes at a huge price. People who are perceptive enough to understand the simultaneous nuances of  the beauty and violence of life are tortured by it.  Some respond with the creation of separate selves. A warrior who can carry a banner  into their battle with the ( Read more... )

i suppose I used to have this private silly dream of seeing some sort of cultural flowering, some unified presence that produced a towering rejection of all that is evil in the world.  Obviously, nothing works like that. There is no real good and evil, just corruptible actions and reactions.. But I would take anything. I took Obama's election, and ( Read more... )

I wonder whether it's a question of genetics or upbringing that makes a person identify with their ethnicity. I wasn't raised in any particular way, with any particular traditions, but I definitely feel one dominant cultural contact. I've only been once, but the sights and sounds of Scotland and its culture sets me on fire. Always have. Bagpipes? ( Read more... )

Another weird dream ( Read more... )

One of the more vivid dreams I've ever had. I was training in the marines to go to Iraq. Blood, sweat, tears. Finally, after boot camp, I and my platoon was dropped in Fallujah. Bombs, more blood sweat and tears. We became incredibly close (obviously). Lost a few, and after a few years, we were discharged. I came back home - but it wasn't home ( Read more... )

I'll say it again. Cadillac Records is a hell of a movie. If you like Led Zeppelin, The Stones,  Eric Clapton, hell, ANYONE. They covered, rocked out to and occasionally stole from bluesmen.

Exhibit 1) "The Beach Boys' hit song "Surfin' U.S.A." is set to the melody of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," but Chuck Berry had never given the Beach ( Read more... )

Have you ever had a moment in which, for some unknown reason, your thinking crosses the line from the abstract and disperses into the ether? Suddenly, for one maddeningly short moment, your consciousness expands to include awareness of something beyond your own.  A door has cracked open, and you are pulled facefirst into an experience that you ( Read more... )