Song: Whatisit4?

Happy New Year!

I am standing in a very long line at Meijer checkout. The guy in front of me literally only has 2 bananas and the couple of carts in front of him are loaded up. About 3 minutes ago I could see him assessing the other lanes and realizing his current position is the most optimal. He started to pace a little bit, and then he looked at me and held up the bananas, laughed and said, ’I’m beginning to think the bananas aren’t worth it’. I half smiled and shrugged. As I post this, he is still right in front of me. As we move into this new year, it might be worth considering: Maybe the bananas ARE actually worth it.

Song: This Could Be Any Holiday Song

Moral Heroes!

If only we would look into our own lives with the same level of scrutiny we liberally apply to other people's lives. It's so easy to be critical of foreign bodies. It's much more difficult--though more rewarding--to put our own body to the test. We're all philosopher kings when it comes to other people's business. Where does that philosophy go when we look in the mirror? It is reduced to sterile rationalizations. We're naturally charitable when we face the mirror, but we take out the aggression born of our own well deserved insecurities when we evaluate others. This is why I hate humanity. This is why it was a sin for Eve and Adam to eat fruit from the tree of knowledge. It gave man an insight that he couldn't wield. It gave him the tools of divine intelligence with no idea how to use them.

Song: Don’t Be Trifling

Song: The Old Salt

3 Observations

1. Anyone who insists on being referred to by their honorifics, or fosters a community that does it for them (Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. Ron Paul, General Flynn), is definitely a fruitcake, and very probably evil. 2. If something scares you, demystify it. Understanding the how and why of disturbing things in the world (and especially in yourself) allows you to overcome them. John Berryman said 'we must move in the direction of our fear'. Scooby and the Gang always end the episode removing the mask from the monster. Everyday Jihad. 3. It is always better to seek a correct understanding of things than to win an argument or reinforce an opinion. It is also easier once you dismantle that part of your ego. the flexible reed isnt snapped in the current. Not doggedly pursuing internal and external validation will also allow you to be healthier and kinder, which is way better than winning anyway.

Instrumental: Recently (Extended by God Remix featuring Langston Troxell

Instrumental: Car Chase

Song: Preach

Tom Waits

People go to school and practice different vocal exercises and learn music theory to sing professionally. One of my favorite things about Tom Waits is that you don’t need any of that to sound like him. You just need to have smoked a certain number of cigarettes, drank a certain amount of whiskey, and had your heart broken a certain amount of times over about a 20 year period to get to his standard sound.

Song: You Can’t Unshit Your Pants

Songs: ‘Light Stabbing’ and ‘Maybe Give In?’

Che

“I believe (Che Guevara) was not only an intellectual but also the most complete human being of our age.” — Jean-Paul Sartre. “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” - Che Guevara

Song: A Song For Froggy

Time Travel

On June 28th, 2009, Stephen Hawking through a party for time travelers. No one showed up. I have heard people say this is evidence that time travel isn’t real. I disagree. I think it’s evidence that time travel is real, because who would want to hang out with Stephen Hawking? I have great hope for the future.

Song: Morning Routine

“God Damn America”

As time moves on, I realize no one has more clearly and concisely diagnosed the foundational sickness of The United States as Jeremiah Wright. Like all visionaries and truth tellers, he was demonized in the media and abandoned by his alleged friends for political expediency, but listen to what he says here. It is undeniably true, and powerful in its righteousness. I go back to this a handful of times a year, and it always gives me chills. Until the original sins Reverend Wright lays out here are addressed, there will be no moving forward.

Song: We Will Have Plenty of Time to Cry In Hell

My Top 5 Favorite Films Of All Time

1. The Life Aquatic 2. In Bruges 3. The Departed 4. No Country For Old Men 5. The Big Chill