To Be A Gentleman.

“A gentleman is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn’t”. - Tom Waits This is the only definition for the designation of gentleman that I accept. Also, I am not a gentleman. I can’t play the accordion, but if I could, I would play it constantly and at every opportunity.

Oranges

No matter how bad or weird a mood I’m in, I’m always grateful when someone peels an Orange in my close vacinity. It smells like a deep and calming breath. It smells like life. It’s like God is giving you CPR.

Song: How Could I Have Known?

Song: The Sermon Under The Mount

A Beautiful Sound

There is a sound during the prayer at mosque of all the people kneeling at the same time that sounds like thunder and rattles the walls. It gives me a chill every time I hear it. It is the most beautiful sound.

Song: It is Pleasant

Song: They Will Scream When They See What We Have Done

Song: Come On Over

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