If you should come to Santa Fe in August...

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August 27-29
BIG MIND PROCESS

Genpo Merzel Roshi Genpo Roshi, Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center in Salt Lake City, developed the Big Mind process, drawing from thirty years of Zen teaching experience and Western therapeutic practices. This revolutionary technique unlocks the wisdom of Zen, allowing one to realize that this very mind is the Enlightened Way. Cost: $190 ($100 deposit), plus lodging.

Go here for Genpo Roshi's calendar of events through the end of the year.

Morello Guitar

This guitar was built by Matthew Morello. His girlfriend gave me a mini-CD with photos of this guitar when we performed at the SOhO Club in Santa Barbara last month. I would love to hear what something like this sounds like... I always ask my luthiers to make my guitar look as plain as possible... but isn't that prejudice also - to assume that something this beautiful and intricate can't also sound great?

That reminds me of a Zen story I once read. A woman tried to study at a Zen temple in Kyoto. She was refused, on grounds that she would disrupt the peaceful life at the temple. She took a fire-poker to her face and disfigured it, went back to the temple and was promptly admitted. Well, she should not have had to.

Comment:Reply

How difficult it was then and how difficult it is now to decide what must be uniform throughout the nation for all and how to provide the flexibility that makes our nation great...to allow each state, each community, each individual to be unique in so many ways...even providing for those weird aunts and uncles. - Posted by Carol at July 31, 2004 11:51 AM

Yes, but the elements common to all have to expand, not contract. Two hundred years ago healthcare did not exist. I imagine in those days, pre-batteries , sex toys were pretty limited as well. In those days the Constitution was forward thinking. Today that thinking needs to be expanded. Voting rights had to be expanded in 1920, to give one example:

August 1995 marked the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution. The amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.

What we don't want to see is going backwards, that is limiting our rights. But come-on, this is the 21st Century. Consenting adults in the privacy of four walls, should be allowed to do anything they want to do. Yes, you can have laws that prohibit such actions in public, but not in private.

See, it's the same with thoughts: I will defend your right to call me anything you want - in private. Say it in public and it's a different story. In private you can hate me, you can tell your friends you want to sever my limbs from my body, but try that in public and I would hope a policeman would stop you.

So, no, I disagree with you. The uncle and aunt don't get to make basic rules - that's the realm of federal policy and the Constitution. Local government can refine things, but they don't get to decide that women can't vote, or that slavery is OK, or that you are not allowed to use sex toys in the privacy of your own home. What's next, masturbation becomes illegal?

Hey, I am just visiting from another planet and this is just the opinion of a resident alien...

Sex toys still banned in Alabama, guns okay

A decision issued yesterday by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says Alabama doesn't have to lift its silly, arcane 1998 law banning the sale of sex toys. The Constitution does not include a right to sexual privacy, the panel of three judges ruled. Many Americans would disagree, including this one. To paraphrase Andrew Orlowski's brilliant quip about the INDUCE Act, under this law one could stroll down Alabama's southern streets selling semiautomatic rifles and dildos, and be arrested for the dildos.

BoingBoing

This is a big country. A big country is like a big family and there are always some strange people in a big family, an uncle or an aunt you don't like as much. How do you bring a big family together - or how do Integral Politics reach everyone in the big family, that is the question we have to ask ourselves.

Another thought that comes to mind is: well, of course sexual privacy isn't covered in the Constitution. Sex was an issue they didn't talk about much then. If it was written today it most certainly would be included.

Found on a wall in Germany

Photo by nzz/900

Kenji Williams

“I developed this technique of wiring my violin through the audio interface into Logic, and then using Logic’s live SFX plug-in on my violin to sort of beat-synch it into the music I composed. It works really well, and makes my violin into a whole different instrument. I could get really detailed effects and play with the rhythm of the delays with the music. It’s so liberating.”

Check out Kenji at the Apple Pro site

Discipline:Joy

I think what I forgot to mention in my earlier post is that I would like to somehow explain/express the joy that comes from any discipline. Take a road, any road, and walk as far as you can. Take a craft, any craft, and take it as far as you can. Take meditation, any type of meditation, and take it as far as you can.

You can take a helicopter to the top of the mountain, but walking up there will give you fitness, a sense of worth/accomplishment and the joy at having conquered it. You can buy a program like Apple's "GarageBand" and create a song within minutes, by combining prefab loops and performances - or you can learn how to play an instrument. You can take acid or shrooms and have an amazing experience, or you can meditate and live an amazing experience.

I am not knocking the GarageBand application, in fact it could be an excellent practicing tool for a musician who can play to a virtual band rather than slugging it out with a metronome... and I can't say that I am morally opposed to experiences of the chemical variety, but they do not replace the work.

Discipline is work is joy. I think I am trying to express the joy I get out of the work. I believe discipline changes your brain. Practicing something over and over creates new paths in your brain that become accessible over time. If Paco didn't play guitar for a whole year, he would still play better than anybody who plays guitar casually a few times per week - because Paco would still have access to certain neural pathways, which the occasional guitarist would never develop...

More Rugs

Thanks to Carol for this link. I stand corrected. The first Navajo weaver interviewed for this program said that only the Great Spirit is perfect, and therefore we deliberately make a mistake somewhere, because "We are not better than God." - that sounds pretty similar to Islam, doesn't it?

Discipline

One thing Stuart and I talked about yesterday, is a subject I have given a lot of thought to recently: Discipline

Example #1: Paco de Lucia, who many consider the greatest Flamenco guitarist of all time, talks about being taken out of school by his father at age 9 so he could concentrate on the guitar. His father said: "You know how to read, you know how to add, subtract and multiply. I can't afford to keep you in school any longer." It occurs to me that I can't imagine that school costs any money in Spain because all of my schools were free in Germany, but it could have been different for Paco. Anyway, the father takes him out of school and locks him into a room to practice the guitar for 10-12 hours a day. Paco says he escaped that room any chance he got, but is thankful for the experience because it made him who he is today. OK, now imagine yourself spending 10-12 hours a day with your guitar, from age 9 until you leave your home...that's 70 hours per week, or about 300 hours per month, about 3,000 hours per year, and about 30,000 hours in a decade...

Example #2: Tiger Woods: I don't know his story actually, but come-on - his father must have spent some serious time on teaching his son the game of golf, yes?

Example #3: In Tibet little kids exhibiting certain traits and talents are sent to a special school to become physicians. I hear that they go to these schools, often very far away from home, when they are only five years old. Many people consider the Tibetan doctors to be the finest physicians in the world - more stories about their amazing feats some other time.

Example #4: The Williams sisters in Tennis. I don't know the specifics of this, but you can go to Google and find out....

Example #5: In Germany to this day a child can leave school after the 9th or 10th grade to pursuit a career in a craft, such as baker, plumber, electrician, carpenter etc.
Starting at about 14 years of age, a kid spends 3 years as an apprentice before s/he becomes a journeyman (Geselle in German). At that point you are expected to work for several different masters until you become at last a master yourself...

OK, we are really talking about two issues here: one is discipline and what it gives back to us, whether it is playing guitar or painting, or baking, or meditating... the other issue is how do you teach discipline to a child or an adult? Do you lock them into a room - "for their own good"?

I do think discipline is very important. Excellence begins with discipline. Excellence begins with discipline. There is no doubt in my mind about that.

The only question for me is how much and how early?

In the end, I believe, this is a question that we all will answer differently. I don't doubt that those who did not really have a childhood, because they were locked into a room for 10-12 hours, might have to relive that childhood when they get older - in one form or another... but the value of discipline is very clear to those of us who chose it voluntarily. You don't become a guitar player by picking up a guitar now and then, and you don't get anywhere if you meditate only now and then.

But, listen to Paco and hear the joy of music, hear the depth of emotion, and you will hear that it was all worthwhile...

Song of the Outcasts

LR writes:

Received that flamenco book, "Song of the Outcasts" by Robin Totton... have only read 25 pages, but man, it's great... just blows it wide open... "ole" is from the Moorish "by Allah", he says. Great analysis of the "form" i.e. the solea. I mean, this guy knows whereof he speaks. Comes with a CD [which I haven't had time to check yet].

Off to the book store... I always wondered whether there was a connection between the words Allah and Olé. Especiually since the Gitanos often pronounce it more like Alle...

My ear hurts...

from talking on the telephone for two hours. I should have known a conversation with Stuart Davis would last longer than 30 minutes...

I had a great time talking to Stuart, but in the end we decided the conversation will never see the light of day - it was too personal, too interesting. It would be too hard to follow our jumps and tangents. We figured you would not be interested. Ah, well...great way to spend a couple of hours though... must get a headset for our next conversation. (Why don't they make cordless phones that support Bluetooth so I can walk around the house with the cordless in my hand and the Bluetooth in my ear?)

Yeah, Baby!

Now we are coming up to speed. The 10 points go to Victor, who correctly identified all dishes as not being Italian.

Is the band having Italian food for dinner tonight? Perhaps these are all dishes that are percieved as being Italian but really aren't. - Posted by Victor at July 20, 2004 12:09 PM

Victor now leads the game with 10 points, followed by Carol and Brad with 5 points each, and Vince with 3 points.

Serving bread with oil and vinegar after seating a party is a lovely custom, but new and the idea of an American restauranteur - who started that btw?
Caesar Salad - delightful salad invented by an Italian-Mexican and not served in Italy.
Alfredo sauce - never eaten in Italy!
Lemon rind with Espresso - the lemon rinds have a funny history: the smell and taste of espressi served in the USA before the Eighties was quite bad and some cafes started serving their espressi with lemon to hide the bad scent. Here is what one source says:

The acidity from the lemon rind will in fact disrupt the delicate flavor.  You will find it here in the USA, but never in Italy, but hey, if you enjoy it, drink it like that, just remember that if you ask for lemon in Italy you may not get it, and you be laughed at as an American tourist. The choice is yours.

This might also be of interest to you: go ahead have another espresso - two of them still have less caffeine than a single cup of drip.

One of the biggest myths of espresso is that it is loaded with caffeine because of its strong taste, but the fact of the matter is a cup of espresso made the right way has less than half the caffeine than a typical American cup of coffee.  The reason is because it makes less contact with the beans as steam is forced through the grinds.

A Comment

I'm not a fan of mixing art and politics. But if an artist wants to use their forum to make a statement then what's the big deal? What has happened to Americans that we can't constructively disagree anymore? Go ahead and play a few wrong note Ottmar - apparently that won't insite a riot unless of course you're doing it as a political statement! - Victor • 7/20/04; 8:42:08 AM

I agree, Victor. I feel that this country is built on the premise that not only may everyone have an opinion, but they may also voice that opinion and that it is in fact un-american to prevent a person from voicing their opinion, unless they are advocating hate-crimes. I personally agree with you and find that art + politics are a bad match, but to each his own, and whether you lean this way or that way, you should be able to say your piece.

And the audience has three choices:

1. Disagree with the opinion voiced by the artist, but like the artist's work anyway
2. Disagree with the opinion voiced by the artist, and boycott the artist
3. Agree with the opinion voiced by the artist, and like their work

I suppose the fourth choice would be to agree with the artist and boycott him/her anyway...

Rugs

I think it's fascinating the way groups of people, supposedly isolated from each other, have the same customs. Don't most of the Indians in the western hemisphere have that same belief, to make a slight error in the rug or pottery or whatever?

I've never had to worry about that. I make a bunch of errors without even trying. - Posted by Carol at July 20, 2004 10:01 AM

Similar, yes, but I think the underlying reason is different. A Moslem does not want to create perfection, because perfection is God's realm. A native American will make a "mistake" to "let the viewer enter". A "mistake" in a geometric rug design allows the viewer to grasp the geometry better. It would seem to me that the Moslem's "mistake" is to please God, and the native American's "mistake" is to please the viewer. Am I right, am I wrong?

Acid

Acidic baby. Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid. - Posted by Vince at July 20, 2004 09:50 AM

Try to say that quickly three times in a row! Not what I was looking for, but 3 points for creativity!

Hint: I am looking for how these foods are perceived, not an underlying chemical similarity.

Second Question

For 10 points - if I don't raise that number we will do this forever and I have more interesting things to give away: a poster, for example, and a Nomad mp3 player branded "Lucasfilm":

What do the following foods have in common?

Bread with oil and vinegar
Caesar Salad
Alfredo sauce
Lemon rind with Espresso -

Censored WiFi at hotel in San Francisco

Metafilter Matt is staying at a free WiFi hotel in San Francisco, and he just tried to visit MeFi to post some messages, only to be confronted with a censorware message from the hotel's ISP, primly telling him off for visiting a dodgy "chat site," something that, apparently, the hotel doesn't want its guests doing. Jesus Screaming Christ, what jackass at the hotel decided that filtering its guests' Internet access was a good idea? I wish Matt had published the hotel's name so that the rest of us could avoid the hell out of it.

The Hotel Tropicana on Valencia (around the corner from my old apartment) has free and completely open WiFi (SSID: linksys) was just remodeled, and is pretty cheap, and very central. Link

An anonymous reader writes, "I work at a San Francisco hotel, The Sir Francis Drake, and that censorware message is exactly what I started seeing this week when I tried to access Metafilter and Linkfilter from the work computer (on my lunch break, honest!) ... If the hotel in question isn't the Drake, then it's probably another Kimpton Hotels property. [BoingBoing]

Two thoughts:
1. Sometimes FREE comes with Strings attached, yes?
2. Stay away from the Sir Francis Drake.

Rondstadt fired from Aladdin Casino for praising F911

Linda Rondstadt was yanked of the stage at Vegas's Aladdin Casino for praising Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 911.

Ronstadt "spoiled a wonderful evening for our guests and we had to do something about it", Mr Timmins said.

He said the 58-year-old singer, booked to play the Aladdin for one show only, was not allowed her back in her luxury suite after the show.

[BoingBoing]

This is despicable! I think Linda Ronstadt should sue the casino, because the luxury suite was probably covered in her contract. If we allow promoters to yank artists from the stage for their words or opinions, where does that take us? Maybe yank them for some wrong notes tomorrow?

At least I won't have that problem as I don't speak much at a show, but I will make sure to play some wrong notes!

This brings me to a totally different topic. In Islam one is not allowed to create a likeness, which is why moslems have created so many wonderful geometric designs. In the arts, and of course in music, one is also not supposed to create perfection, because that shows too much pride (please correct me if I have this wrong) and perfection belongs to God alone. Many arabic musicians, and I have heard Flamenco players talk about this as well, add a "wrong note" at the end of a particularly spectacular run of notes for this reason.

First Question

Well I think there would be a connection between the wine and the Spanish Wolf only if the wine had a natural cork, because Spain is a major producer of cork. The cork comes from oak forests which is a habitat for Spanish Wolves I believe. - Posted by Brad at July 18, 2004 04:33 AM

This is more like something you'd care about anyway.....Interesting the way they harvest the cork and help the trees as well as provide a habitat for endangered species. Actually I save corks to replace those horrible plastic plugs in my wine bottles. Am I right ?? Is the lobo also living under those potential wine bottle stopper trees?- Posted by Carol at July 18, 2004 10:29 AM

I am going to give Brad and Carol each 5 points. It's the Butterfly Effect: if a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, it can trigger a storm somewhere else in the world. And yes, the plastic stopper could kill quite a few species. I understand that plastic corks have a lower fail rate, but I believe the consumer should be given a choice by adding a sign on all the labels of bottles that use a plastic stopper.

First Hint

I heard that the Spanish Wolf is not yet completely extinct.
The answer to the question has nothing to do with the name of the wine, and the wine could be from anywhere.

I get the point

I think I get the point Ottmar is attempting to make here. The body is impermanent, and is not the whole of 'who we are'. Coming to know this doesn't mean the body is un-important, but it does mean that we can be more open to the vast changes which will happen to it (when we get sick, grow old, and eventually die). How is altering the body with other forces different? That is the question, and although I admit it is different, the changes will happen whether or not we're ready for them... - Posted by Vince at July 14, 2004 10:19 PM

U got it, Vince.
1. The body is impermanent
2. These changes will happen.

There are so many people who are unhappy, and who believe if they look like ..................... (insert name of celebrity here) they will find happiness at last, that it will be great business to give them what they think they want.

On the other hand Gene manipulation will be used for some great things. I believe manipulating our body and creating a wild living freak show probably won't be as big a deal as manipulating tiny things. Bruce Sterling had a lot of great ideas in his book "Tomorrow Now". Gene manipulation will center around bacteria, and bacteria will be engineered to do amazing things. I will post some of those ideas separately...

First Question

For five points: Is there a connection between this California Wine and the Spanish Wolf, and if you think there is a connection - what is it?

Time to play a game, shall we?

From time to time I will ask a question. The answer will be worth a certain amount of points, depending on the difficulty of the question, and the first person to reach 100 points will receive a copy of the advance CD for our latest and greatest album, "La Semana".

That advance CD contains a song that is not available on the regular "La Semana" CD, neither the version we sell at concerts and from our web site, nor the version that will be in record stores starting August 24th. It can only be found on the Limited Edition CD.....and on this advance. And I will sign the CD for the winner of this little contest. I will decide the winner and there is absolutely no legal recourse against my choice... By entering an answer in the comment section you agree to me having the final say in picking the winner.

Are you ready?

more bones...

People seem to be very attached to their bodies... you'll have to let it go eventually, you know...

I mean, I like my body and am thankful for the sensations and experiences I have because of it, but when the day comes I'll happily strip it off and move on...

It's not like you will be able to escape genetic changes. Today even people who live strict vegan diets of organic foods have all sorts of unsavory chemicals in their blood stream, because those chemicals are all around us. There is no purity. Purity is an illusion. And, of course, purity as an ideal has never worked.

I personally can't wait to ingest genetically manipulated bacteria which will attack and destroy the bacteria that leads to plaque and gum-disease. And that's probably only a few years off, as many companies have been working on this already.

Bag o' Bones

Well we had to know that this was only a matter of time. Liposuction, collagen, botox and plastic surgery were pre-empting this future "beautification" process. Research and technology apparently have deemed it. How far is too far? I feel that for those with physical abnormalities or disfigurements the latter is a viable option. But genetic altering is just wrong and you cannot truly be the same person afterward. Morality, Sprituality, Humanity vs. Vanity - Sandra • 7/13/04; 8:32:35 PM

I have to disagree with you. Your body is just the carrier of atman - why not change it to fit your dreams, desire, your mood, your fancy. It's just a bag of bones. If you like running or biking or going to the gym, you are changing your body. If you do yoga or Pilates you change your body. If you bleach your hair you are changing your body. If you eat at Micky D's every day you are changing your body. No genetic treatment can be worse than daily fastfood, wouldn't you agree?

So, it is just a matter of degrees, isn't it? I think what we are uncomfortable with today, will seem rather natural one or two generation down the line. And why not. Genetic changes can't be any stranger than liposuction, wouldn't you agree?

The killer gene therapy app would be if you could change your haircolor with a pill... every month a different perfect hair color of your choice. No roots! Just natural hair...

Changing the Human Body

Fortwayne.com Genetic technology, which already has altered our food supply, will soon be used to enhance our muscles and bodies, scientists say. Gene therapy can help rehabilitate patients suffering from muscle-wasting disease such as muscular dystrophy and improve muscle function for the elderly. But it also would inevitably be co-opted and abused by opportunistic athletes. Already, eager early adopters are knocking on the door of University of Pennsylvania genetic researcher H. Lee Sweeney, who has found that combining genetic manipulation with weight training can double muscle strength and speed in rats [Source: Bioethics + Human Dignity / Chicago Tribune]... [Genetic Future Weblog]

I imagine where this might lead and here is what I am thinking:

Athletes might be the first at the gate, but then everyone will want to alter their body. Some people might alter their kids so they grow really, really tall - and can become pro basketball players... then we will have children suing their parents for turning them into miserable freaks... but, eventually changing one's appearance and shape will be commonplace.

Imagine a whole world of Kens and Barbies... or a whole new fashion/art centered not around the clothes you wear, but the body you wear underneath... the body as fashion expression... accessorizing means picking the perfect eye-brows with that nose...

But seriously, it just means we are stripping another element away from our mind/soul. If literally everyone can have a beautiful body, a gorgeous face, great hair and an attractive smell just by altering some genes - it means that the physical body is stripped away and what really matters is a person's character, their mind and inner workings.

JG Ballard packs a punch

J.G. Ballard gave an interview with the Guardian a couple of weeks ago. Here are two body punches and one to the head:

It's interesting that this should be the case. I assume it is because our environment today, by and large a media landscape, is oversaturated by aestheticising elements (TV ads, packaging, design and presentation, styling and so on) but impoverished and numbed as far as its psychological depth is concerned.

Nothing is ever terminal, thank God. As we hesitate, the road unrolls itself, dividing and turning. But there is something deeply suffocating about life today in the prosperous west. Bourgeoisification, the suburbanisation of the soul, proceeds at an unnerving pace. Tyranny becomes docile and subservient, and a soft totalitarianism prevails, as obsequious as a wine waiter. Nothing is allowed to distress and unsettle us. The politics of the playgroup rules us all.

The chief role of the universities is to prolong adolescence into middle age, at which point early retirement ensures that we lack the means or the will to enforce significant change.

Olé!

Musizieren

A beautiful German verb, meaning to make music. Musizieren means following the muse. Music is all about trusting and following the muse. Sometimes you end up in a dark dead-end corner and sometimes you get the most beautiful vistas...

Welcome my friends...

...to the show that never ends.

Always thought that was a great opening and have waited decades to use it. Yeah, it's another muso rambling on about music and life. In fact I have been posting for a few weeks already, while I was on tour on the West Coast, and below you will find some of my thoughts. Hope you enjoy them. Namaste.

Boulder Theater

We have been in a few less than happy places on this tour, some pretty depressed even. But Boulder seems like a happy town to me, even the guy picking up garbage this morning was humming to himself happily. Mind you, this opinion is just based on my personal perception, but that is certainly how it feels to me.

After Jon and I raved about Lucille's for days, I think everyone in the band and crew went there for breakfast this morning.

We are looking forward to playing at the Boulder Theater tonight as the place sounds good and the audience is always fantastic.

Care Label

This is the care label of an American company making laptop sleeves for the international market.

Live in Seattle

We recorded all four of our shows at the Triple Door in Seattle on Friday and Saturday. I hope to get around to mixing some of the music in July or August, but I have another project to mix first.

I have no idea what sonic quality to expect, but the room itself sounds very good and my hopes are high. Our playing was at times quite inspired, as we had just done 12 shows in 13 days when we arrived in Seattle, and were comfortable with the material.

Jailwear since 1898

Haeftling. I saw some photos of the clothing and bags made by Haeftling (Inmate or Prisoner in German), and they are pretty cool. I like the German word Knastmode, meaning Jailwear. Hm, what's that guy going to do if we don't buy the clothing?

PS: found some photos here.

Languages spoken in the USA

A Map of Languages in the United States.
via [jenett.radio]

Could be useful when traveling through the States and you don't speak English...

Etherwave

Bob Moog has designed the next step in the evolution of the original electronic instrument, the Theremin. The Etherwave Pro features professional quality response and sound in a package designed both for beauty and portability. Whether you're a seasoned thereminist or someone drawn to it's unusual sound and looks, you'll appreciate the quality of response and control this product offers.

This actually looks very tempting... Just the kind of thing Robby should excel at, since he has near perfect pitch - and he is a drummer! Yes, indeed, hold your drummer jokes, because Robby does not fit the mold. Together with his brother he recorded a CD recently on which they play (almost) all of the instruments and sing beautifully. I should ask him to let me place one of their songs in our Listening Lounge. Robby might add a couple of instruments to his setup for the fall tour.

Moog theremins are real attention getters on stage - whether it's a Nine Inch Nails concert or Simon and Garfunkel (Etherwaves have been seen and heard on both tours) - the audience will be captivated by the instrument that allows the musician to "pull music out of air".

There you go! If it works for NIN, it should work for our show. Now we need some Pyro!

Here is a link to a Theramin blog...

via Wired

Transitional Challenge

The old term was “Mid-life Crisis”... but I like Transitional Challenge better. It used to happen in people’s middle age, either after the kids had left the house or around retirement age, but now I think it happens more frequently as we cope with changes. Many of us do not work for the same corporation for 25 years, like my father did and often we have to change direction, which can throw us for a loop. Get ready for multiple Transitional Challenges per lifetime!

PDAs at the Symphony

In an attempt to draw patrons and enhance the concertgoers' experience, several symphony orchestras - including the venerable New York Philharmonic - are testing a PDA-based program called the Concert Companion which provides real-time commentary about the piece being performed.

I still believe that looking at a PDA during a concert would take a person outside the music, although it would be tempting to try one's hand at writing poetic instructions for the concert-goers, like:

- close you eyes and count to 33
- take the hand of the person sitting to your right and hold it gently
- turn to the person sitting directly behind you and smile a luminescent smile

Eyes rule over ears when given a chance, which means I still prefer to close my eyes to listen.

Here is an interesting little bit of information: did you know that one can hear a little better with one's mouth open! Next time you see me stare into space with my mouth open while tuning you'll know why...

Mike Hale reported that at a recent New York Philharmonic concert his Concert Companion froze three times, while his wife "hacked her way to the device's operating system and was happily playing solitaire."

Zero Emissions Bus

AC Transit's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Zero Emission Demonstration Bus emits only water vapor in the form of steam from its tail pipe. The drive system is electric, so the bus is as quiet as an electric golf cart.

Great step towards cleaner cities...but, as a former bike messenger (three years for Marathon Messengers in Boston) I would also have to say: lookout messengers, you won't hear this one coming! I never wore a helmet and relied on my ears to warn me of traffic....

The Big Swindle

I think the US Constitution is probably the greatest con job of that century. I love the Constitution, and I think it’s a great document. I also think it was way ahead of its time. Here is why I feel it was a con-job:

What was the literacy rate in the United States in the 18th century? 50% maybe, but more likely a lot less. So what did those clever intellectuals, we call the Founding Fathers, do? They threw in a bunch of great catch phrases:

- Freedom (this is a guaranteed winner - every guy wants freedom!)
- The right to practice any religion
- Independence: No more paying taxes to Great Britain

- and everybody’s favorite:

- The right to carry arms

Everything else was added under the radar......

Clever, wasn’t it....and you know what? It needs to be done again. The very nature of a Democracy is AVERAGE and the average is always fairly low. The cruel reality of Democracy is that average rules. The average is the ankle-weight that has to be carried. The average guy had to be convinced if we want him to vote for a good guy instead of a bad guy.

That means one has to do what the Founding Fathers did - add the right catchwords, become a great salesman, convince the masses that this or that is in their best interest...but for some reason a lot of good people have a problem with conning the public - they think that conning people is low and beneath them.

Well, I believe humanity has been conned into doing the wrong thing thousands of times and only rarely been conned into doing the right thing - the Constitution being one of those times. It is time it happened again.