Journals: 2001
(A Sparse Odyssey)
by Ric Carter
Journals: 2001
by Ric Carter
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Journal Entries: A Very Mixed Year |
(( INDEX )) >> NEXT >> CONTENTSACCOUNTSon 26_03_2001 to 14_02_2001 to 22_02_2001 to 28_02_2001 to 08_03_2001 to 23_03_2001 to 15_11_2001 |
13 January 2001, Forestville California"The secret," Julie Stein said, "The secret to writing popular music is to have a song that is melodically simple and harmonically attractive." Notice that he didn't say that it should be harmonically complex, or simple, or even harmonically interesting -- just harmonically attractive. Hmmm...Bumper stickers, er uh, plate frames actually: ALWAYS LATE BUT WORTH THE WAIT, and SPOILED TO PERFECTION. "There's faces in my memory, there's faces in my future, there's faces in my nightmares I'm twitchin' and I'm squirmin', like some terrestrial vermin, I might as well be German"See AS GOOD AS IT COULD POSSIBLY GET: Optimizing Your Existence, dictated on 13 February 2001. See Hellography: New Geographies of Hell, developed from notes dictated on 14 February 2001. See If Political Correctness Is A Game Then Here Are The Rules, dictated on 21 February 2001 4 March 2001 -- a hard-rain day, Forestville CAGames that can be played in big cities.
[from my email] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al Christians" [achrist@easystreet.com] Date: 4 March, 2001 > > On March 3, 1931, ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' officially > > became the national anthem of the United States. > > There was no official US National Anthem before that. Which leads to anthems in general. They seem to be of European origin. Non-euro states didn't bother with anthems until after they'd been colonized/subjugated by the West. Now every nation and state has an anthem, mostly dreadful, something to keep the brass bands busy at receptions and official athletic events. Here in the U.S., the nation has an anthem; states have official songs (I could hum I LOVE YOU CALIFORNIA but don't expect any of the words out of me); some cities have more-or-less recognized tunes (eg NEW YORK, NEW YORK or I'M PROUD TO BE A DAGO FROM SAN DIEGO); high schools have their 'alma maters', some orchestral/ band piece with cruddy lyrics attached (I sang HAIL POMONA HAIL to the tune of FINLANDIA, but only under duress); ad infinitum. Corporate anthems seem to be big in Japan. Will the spread of global corporations result in redefining citizenship, from birth/ residence in a physical state, to employment by a corporate state, with anthems, flags, uniforms, rituals etc to instill spirit?? But let's go the other way, expanding beyond circumscribed pride. Continental, hemispheric anthems. Racial anthems. Species/genus/ order anthems. Planetary anthems. Solar-system anthems. Galactic anthems. Dimensional anthems. (Meta-)Universal anthems. Anthems for every reality/probability, subspace, timetrack, whatever. And don't molecules, atoms, particles, quarks all deserve anthems too? Hey, this sounds like a good songwriting/composition project. It won't be simple: writing a corporate anthem with a catchy tune that has a rhyme for 'AOL-TimeWarner' will be a bitch-kitty, as will writing a racial anthem for White Aryan Pinheads; but some planetary anthems will be easy, like UP URANUS! or ZETA RETICULI WANTS YOU! And of course the wee methanol molecule has already inspired many anthems, including the tune of STAR-SPANGLED BANNER. Am I the only songwriter here? How about some contributions, folks? *** SkeptiChat 1.00.06.27 *** http://www.sonic.net/~ric/vsub.htm > It won't be simple: writing a corporate anthem with a catchy tune > that has a rhyme for 'AOL-TimeWarner' will be a bitch-kitty... Upon further consideration, I don't think it'll be so hard after all. Sure, infusing the piece with spirit will be tricky, but the structure is easy: a trip-hop beat under the words 'A-O-L Time- Warner' repeated endlessly, with noise effects layered on top. It could be played by any marching band with trained drummers and a few seagulls to be tortured -- it's their agonized squawks that'll add just the right top-notes, eh? Evocative of customers receiving increased monthly bills... *** SkeptiChat 1.00.06.27 *** http://www.sonic.net/~ric/vsub.htm So there's the theme of the next song-cycle: anthems, some with familiar tunes, some with originals, all meant to inspire whatever. |
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Journal Entries: Spring Briefs7 March 2001 -- online confessionI was once a werewolf at Los Angeles Int'l, but that was a long time ago. I avoid punching out Hare Krishnas. I try to stay away from airports now. It doesn't always work.March-April: Amalfi-Pompeii, Italy -- click hereIt was a most splendid journey, I can't wait to go back, we can afford to stay around Southern Europe because it costs the same as staying 'home', stay tuned for further developments.Friday the 18th of May, year 2001President-designate George W. Bush, speaking about retaliations in Palestine and Israel, between the Palestinians and Israelis, killings and more killings, said "Violence does not lead to peace." I should put that quote up underneath all pictures of police brutality, troops shooting at folks, etc etc. Oh yeah, and under pictures of executions.Meanwhile: Build a stone megalith circle in the meadow at the new place... Look for: STONE CIRCLES - A Modern Builder's Guide To The Megalithic Revival, Rob Roy, published by Chelsea Green Publishing. Afterthought: Sometime late spring 2001Sonoma County was a fine place to live (except for allergens) while working but too expensive for post-employment. We'd been looking all over the western US for a 'retirement' homesite; the best deal was a little 1.3 acre plot just 2 miles from Maureen's mother's house. The price was a steal, the cost of the installed infrastructure. We bought; thus selling the Forestville house became necessary. Gargantuan efforts ensued. Sheesh. | |
Journal Entries: Autumn Briefs16 Aug 2001, Forestville CaliforniaA day elsewhere may be an excursion, an expedition, at least an adventure. A day at home is usually just a day at home. The usual happens. The routines occur routinely. If it's quiet, there's time for reading, writing, surfing, reflecting, producing, inducing. if unquiet, there's just disruption, labor, bother. It's difficult to generalize the usual -- much better to swing thru uncertain climes and record them.So leave it all behind. Live in a different country, a different world, the future. Or the past. Or the present. Or whatever. Live somewhere else. Record the events there. Don't bother with inventing history, for reality is so much more unreal.
I had a cigar. It was good. 17 Aug 2001.The sky is a devouring maw, closed in daytime, open at night showing its starry teeth, swallowing or regurgitating in the twilights. We are sucked up by the universe and spat out again like small frogs at a county fair. The ticket-takers don't even blink.Is it just me, or what? When I'm drunk, in my bedroom, I roll over and look at the ceiling. The rest of the time I care nothing about the ceiling. Wasted enough, and I'm looking up. There it is, lousy light fixture in the middle. Sometimes, if I haven't used a broom or vacuum lately, there's spiderwebs, cobwebs, casting shadows across the sagging ceiling. So I have another drink or three and don't worry 'bout that anymore. Til next time. 18 Aug 2001The search for beauty, for stability, for utility, is tiring. Very tiring. The search consumes many miles. The miles consume many hours. The hours devour life, love, strength. I want a hamburger.Walk thru many trailers, searching for the ideal residential machine. Tour the factory, see how they're made. Watch the others to learn why. Talk to many hawkers, of greaer or lesser proficiency, knowledge, humanity, sanity. Why are they all like this? 19 Aug 2001Plans are made, plans fall apart. Promises are made & broken. Substitutions fade in and out. Eventually something happens, a simulation of the intention. Alternate plans are made. None of these plans are necessarily executed.My room becomes barer, dominated by the Escher print suite and a large wooden lizard. Those should dominate the next room too. And fewer books. Or maybe just instruments, music literature and equipment, a composition venue overlooked by modernism. 20 Aug 2001Some days, nothing happens. Some days, everything does. What day is this? How can I tell? If something happens and I don't notice it, has it really happened? If I think something happened but I'm hallucinating, is the perception as valid as the illusion?Maybe sometimes it's better if nothing happens. Many things happen, or seem to happen, that I would prefer hadn't. Experiencing such happenings can be very tiring. Awaiting happenings that don't eventuate is also tiring. Everything is tiring. I am so tired. 1 Sept 2001This attempt to sell the house could turn into a long siege. Meanwhile, my reference archives are packed away, new electronic tools aren't fully functional, communications are scattered, deadlines are pending but ultimately irrelevant, and few songs come to mind. Neither murder nor exercise are committed. Yet. Just restraint. Lots of restraint. And I need more ropes.[2-5 Sept 2001]Keep plugging away. Whatever.6-7 Sept 2001Many miles. Many trials. No vials. Bother. Forestville - Sacramento - Auburn - Volcano & back -- checking out the modular house dealers, still not committed. Somebody is going to be very disappointed. Fock'em. Most of these dealers are scum, thieves, psychos, and/or dolts. Even the best of'em are just marginally competent. Such a problem. Why does the industry attract such marginal characters? Why can't they go back to selling used cars, or telemarketing, or televangelism?8-9 Sept 2001Something happened, but I don't remember what. Something around Forestville & Santa Rosa & Sebastopol & maybe Bodega Bay. Something other than just sunrise, noontide, sunset, etc. But hunched over the keyboard, or making familiar rounds, it's hard to keep track of external events. They seem to flow by in a colorless blur, like a noisy TV screen..Mon 10 Sept 2001 - St. Nicola da T.Trying to put the finishing touches on the 50Megs archives. Finished with the Xians subset of the liturature, programmed a framework for the rest. Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, etc. So many faiths, so many sacred texts, so little consistency. Explore the modularity of these texts, work on mechanisms for morphing them, interbreeding them, synthesizing them, evolving them. Make them healthier, eh?Tues 11 Sept 2001 - S. GervasioContinuing as yesterday. Midmorning, Mom calls: "Barbi and Bill and Gus are OK!" I ask, "Why shouldn't they be?" She sez, "Didn't you watch TV?" and that's when I learnt about the WTC & Pentagon attacks. The rest of the day is spent online & tubed & benumbed.Later, it seems that this day is a turning point, a transition from dream to nightmare, from ordinary life to fear & loathing. At the time it was just a numbness. That is all. Wed 12 Sept 2001 - S. GuidoToday I'm supposed to be prepping the RV for vacation but somehow that isn't happening. More online & TV, more diddling with archives, more tending to petty shit. A war just started? To what effect?Thurs 13 Sept 2001 - S. Giovanni C.Still very little in the way of vacation readiness. Are we going, or too sick, or what? Everything seems indeterminate. Bother. | |
Post 9-11 'Vacation' Or Whatever
Very late, we leave. Drive hard & fast, but traffic is light. Fueled & foolish we leave the state, arrive at the stink of Mom's, the drink of Harry's.
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Dragging Onwards
The usual grind, plus electronics and house-hopes and dog-decay and war. Focking war. Or non-war, at least not constitutional. Focking warhounds, chickenhawks, opportunistic militaristic assholes.
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Two Months And Onwards
Have researched the Hans Bol prints a bit -- drawings are VERY valuable, prints may be of some worth, they should be appraised. We inventoried the Indian pottery & they're valuable (bought a bunch more last weekend). Jewelry next. I'm becoming increasingly testy on CTRL, may quit soon. The house sale looks like it may actually happen. I may have to burst into activity soon.
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Fri 14 Sept 2001 - Esalt. S. Croce
24-28 Sept - Forestville
Thursday 8 November 2001, Forestville CA