whodathunk

http://www.thebeatles.com/

It's actually a pretty good site. Pretty, anyway. And lots of good photos.

the thunderstorm rages

The thunder struck as I approached the house returning home from a walk with the dogs. The skies didn't open until just after I had retreated inside. The dogs escaped to their doghouse and I'm in a nest at my desk. It's 12 noon, but the sky is so dark outside that I need to turn on the lights inside.

The light in the forest just now was lush, dark. At a confluence of two paths, there was sufficient foliage that a full green ceiling of leaves closed the arch over our heads. It created a unique ambience of being inside at the same time as being outside.

Jerry Katz just hooked me up with this blog, which seems to come from a Ken Wilber kind of place yet also involves hip-hop music. (?)

Hip-Hop music represents all three modes of experiencing the All. An MC’s lyrical arrangement is largely based on analogy, metaphor, and simile where the content of the song is relayed as a connection to other things, events, places, people, or modes of thought. This helps a listener associate with the MC through things that take place in their life, but in a way that is relevant enough to see the association in their own lives.

from this post, authored by Justin Miles

Jerry has asked me if there's a connection between hip-hop's "diunital awareness" as described in this article and the spiritual aspects of jazz music. In other words, he has asked for my opinion on the convergence of three vital forces in my life: jazz, hip-hop, and spirituality.

Heh - it shall be my pleasure to open up this topic with him. Would be a most worthy entry into the discussion, imho.

Oh man, this is really outside

From this post in _thefarside.

http://askquestions.org/

Excellent website that writes up articles concerning media and public-interest issues of interest to the largest number of people. This article about the end of oil is a very good read. A quote:

Best case: we've got about 45 years until the oil runs out. But be warned: our troubles will start when global demand exceeds readily available supplies. And many people say that we're already there.

even flow / letting go

there's a tenacity with which
we hold on to our ideals

as soon as we've formed an opinion about something,
we hold fast to that idea and then we start checking
if the people and events in our lives are measuring up

when things inevitably don't measure up,
what happens to us emotionally?
how do we respond to attacks
on our expectations?

coming from the middle path,
avoiding opinions based heavily in one direction or another,
all impart a certain evenhandedness to life that puts us in good stead

staying inwardly focused,
concentrated on what role you are playing in life
as opposed to the role that others are playing,
this cuts through the drama like a razor
and makes the day go much more smoothly