The term "spacey" is a funny one. It calls to mind the hypnotic, glazed stare of eyes that are attached to a brain in stasis. But having the ability to quiet the brain can be a very good thing. It's nice to shut off everything but life-support now and then and just drift through space. It takes some practice to get used to calming the brain. That organ is always firing off messages, which is habit forming. Taking the time to observe those messages and decide if they are useful or necessary can help with quieting: achieving spacey-ness.
What direction are we headed with this? Floating through space is sort of a directionless thing. It feels that way, anyhow. The distances are so vast. But does "spacey" require you to be unmoored? A celestial hobo? Even comets have paths determined by grave forces. No one thing is entirely unaffected by any other thing in the matrices of the uni- or multi-verse. Whatever THIS is. Matter is a matter of relationships, seen and unseen.
Celestial hoboes. I hope that the first non-Earthling visitors are these guys and gals. It would beat the pantaloons off any invading forces of imperialist swash-bucklers. The celestial hoboes are in the holy texts of many Earth religions. They are always shunned, misunderstood. The beings who visit Lot in the Old Testicle have a terrifying mystery about them. Certainly they stood seven feet tall hunched over, had beautiful, smooth slightly metallic-green skin and spacey ultra-violet eyes. And they must have sung in strange and beautiful harmonies of the wonder of a mind and spirit open to emptiness. Read "God's messengers" as "messengers from the heavens". They bring you peace, and love. Let them rest a bit in your hay-loft. Don't tell the authorities: the authorities do not enjoy chaos as a philosophy, only as a means to further their power. Celestial hoboes are only concerned with... the truth.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
"joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea..."
Deadlimits, no, time-lines, no, wait, time limits. Yes. Life is one great big arbitrary time limit composed of a near infinite number of smaller arbitrary time limits for a huge variety of things we might do or have done.
There is a very limited period of time in which to write this post, but the end could come at any moment. So much depends on a great many factors that are entirely beyond control. We wait.
Wait? No, we write. We're up for the challenge. Why not? It's good practice for living. There may be no tomorrow; or there may be a tomorrow but "there will never be another tonight". Thank you to Canadian "Rock icon" Bryan Adams for the quote. Although the perpetually be-pimpled and pubescent songster is not the first place one would ordinarily turn for wisdom, sometimes how you look at a thing makes worlds of difference. Today we focused on the idea that today is the only one of its kind, never to be repeated, completely original. There may be days that are similar, but... well, you know. Time flows in the one direction for us, as far as we know. So, good or bad, there is hope in this thought. If today is absolutely miserable, it is only one day. If it is fantabulous, it becomes even more incredible when the realization of its unique wonderfantabulousness gets the consideration it deserves. "...Joy to you and me". Goodbye.
There is a very limited period of time in which to write this post, but the end could come at any moment. So much depends on a great many factors that are entirely beyond control. We wait.
Wait? No, we write. We're up for the challenge. Why not? It's good practice for living. There may be no tomorrow; or there may be a tomorrow but "there will never be another tonight". Thank you to Canadian "Rock icon" Bryan Adams for the quote. Although the perpetually be-pimpled and pubescent songster is not the first place one would ordinarily turn for wisdom, sometimes how you look at a thing makes worlds of difference. Today we focused on the idea that today is the only one of its kind, never to be repeated, completely original. There may be days that are similar, but... well, you know. Time flows in the one direction for us, as far as we know. So, good or bad, there is hope in this thought. If today is absolutely miserable, it is only one day. If it is fantabulous, it becomes even more incredible when the realization of its unique wonderfantabulousness gets the consideration it deserves. "...Joy to you and me". Goodbye.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
music of the spheres
Just a quick note before entering the chamber for rejuvenation. The tube was on and showing a programme about planets and the earthling occupation of searching for hospitable climes on other worlds. The soundtrack was stirring, strange, orchestral, ambient, and a whole lot of other great things. Where do we find music like this? The answer came from the tube as well. A documentary about Scott Walker and his music. Wild stuff. And the thing was produced by a guy named David Bowie. Neat-o.
Zmz
Zmz
Monday, February 13, 2012
100
Happy belated cent-notary, the martian hop!
I am making you a mixed album of songs about outer space, rockets and celestial bodies in celebration of a long and storied existence. Most, if not all of these songs will be written and performed by others. But they'll mean something special, being compiled by the martian hop staff. Doubtless, there will be something from the Flaming Lips' soundtrack "Christmas on Mars". David Bowie will probably sing about the spiders, but there's a chance the Space Oddity will make the cut too. That wacky old Sun Ra may appear as well. Any suggestions from "Shane" (read: "humanity at large") are more than welcome.
In other news, our writer has withdrawn its two-weeks notice. There will be sovereigns in the coffers for the little Dickens yet. The family will eat.
Time to go spacey.
Zmz
I am making you a mixed album of songs about outer space, rockets and celestial bodies in celebration of a long and storied existence. Most, if not all of these songs will be written and performed by others. But they'll mean something special, being compiled by the martian hop staff. Doubtless, there will be something from the Flaming Lips' soundtrack "Christmas on Mars". David Bowie will probably sing about the spiders, but there's a chance the Space Oddity will make the cut too. That wacky old Sun Ra may appear as well. Any suggestions from "Shane" (read: "humanity at large") are more than welcome.
In other news, our writer has withdrawn its two-weeks notice. There will be sovereigns in the coffers for the little Dickens yet. The family will eat.
Time to go spacey.
Zmz
Saturday, February 11, 2012
on a personal note
The martian hop has never been too concerned with the prospect of attracting a large audience. It would be content with a few lurkers producing a discussion here or there, or perhaps sharing an Earth recipe now and then. As it stands though, the numbers suggest we have a readership of two: our writer/editor and a being we will call "Shane" to respect his/her anonymity.
What this means, Shane, is that nobody cares but you. Were you a character in the Pentateuch, your lot would be you're Lot. Don't look back in anger. Onward, to the promised land: the future! But it would be nice if a fornicator, tax-evader, or uncle-fucker joined you in the task of muddling through. There is so much of humanity and its cultures to understand. Variety is the spice and Earth has pillars of the stuff.
Our writer recently gave its two weeks notice. It has no other prospects. Its family cannot afford it to be unemployed for very long, with a new baby on the way. Hopefully it will reconsider quitting. But the atmosphere at work is a bit toxic and our writer has a fairly weak constitution. What else will it do? The martian hop can barely scrape together enough cash for a gum-ball. Human culture is expensive.
Well Shane, that's about it from here for now. How are your Earth explorations going? When you're next in the vicinity, stop in at the 'hop. There's a great radio station we've been listening to avidly. CJNU, 107.9 FM nostalgia radio, "where everything old is new again". You can find them on the web. Thank you and good night.
What this means, Shane, is that nobody cares but you. Were you a character in the Pentateuch, your lot would be you're Lot. Don't look back in anger. Onward, to the promised land: the future! But it would be nice if a fornicator, tax-evader, or uncle-fucker joined you in the task of muddling through. There is so much of humanity and its cultures to understand. Variety is the spice and Earth has pillars of the stuff.
Our writer recently gave its two weeks notice. It has no other prospects. Its family cannot afford it to be unemployed for very long, with a new baby on the way. Hopefully it will reconsider quitting. But the atmosphere at work is a bit toxic and our writer has a fairly weak constitution. What else will it do? The martian hop can barely scrape together enough cash for a gum-ball. Human culture is expensive.
Well Shane, that's about it from here for now. How are your Earth explorations going? When you're next in the vicinity, stop in at the 'hop. There's a great radio station we've been listening to avidly. CJNU, 107.9 FM nostalgia radio, "where everything old is new again". You can find them on the web. Thank you and good night.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Le Sun Ra and His Arkestra
Some time ago, probably a number of rotations around our star now, I purchased an interesting vinyl album. The album art consists of a naive lithographic print in black and yellow depicting hands at work making music and musical instruments out of flames and celestial objects. The cover promises "SUPER-SONIC JAZZ" on 180 gram vinyl, featuring John Gilmore on tenor sax and Julian Priester on trombone.
Here is a quotation from the back cover:
POINTS ON THE SPACE AGE
This is the music of greater transition
To the invisible irresistible space age.
The music of the past will be just as tiny in the world of the future.
As earth itself is in the vast reach of outer space.
Outer space is big and real and compelling
And the music of the future is already developed
But the minds of the people of earth must be prepared to accept it.
The isolated earth age is finished
And all the music which represents only the past
Is for museums of the past and not for
The moving panorama of the outer spacite program.
THE SPACE AGE CANNOT BE AVOIDED
The prophets of the past belong to the past,
The space prophets of the greater future
Belong to the greater future.
The greater future is the age of the Space Prophet,
The scientific airy-minded second-man:
The prince of the power of the air.
The air is music.
The music is power.
The power of the past was its music.
The greater power of the future greater
Greater music is art,
Is its greater music:
Art is the foundation of any living culture.
Living culture is skilled culture
Skilled dutifulness, aim and care
And love of beauty is the only way to produce art.
Skilled culture is the new weapon of nations,
The new measure of determination as to whether a nation
Is ready to be a greater nation is art.
A nation without art is a nation without a lifeline.
Art is the lifeline because art is the airy concept
Of greater living. It is the airy foundation of the airy
Kingdom of the future.
Tomorrow Beyond Tomorrow is the greater kingdom,
THE KINGDOM OF THE SPACE AGE....
End quotation. There's a lot of promise in all this! I've heard tell that Sun Ra was right way the heck out there. This album is comprised of some fine jazz compositions, some very talented musicians; however it is only a primer for the Sun Ra to come. "Portrait of the Living Sky" is the track that approached the hoop-lah of the musings from the cover notes. Still, a nice bit of improvisational jazz straight out of the windy city, and highly recommended listening. Romantic-like for Valentine's time.
Here is a quotation from the back cover:
POINTS ON THE SPACE AGE
This is the music of greater transition
To the invisible irresistible space age.
The music of the past will be just as tiny in the world of the future.
As earth itself is in the vast reach of outer space.
Outer space is big and real and compelling
And the music of the future is already developed
But the minds of the people of earth must be prepared to accept it.
The isolated earth age is finished
And all the music which represents only the past
Is for museums of the past and not for
The moving panorama of the outer spacite program.
THE SPACE AGE CANNOT BE AVOIDED
The prophets of the past belong to the past,
The space prophets of the greater future
Belong to the greater future.
The greater future is the age of the Space Prophet,
The scientific airy-minded second-man:
The prince of the power of the air.
The air is music.
The music is power.
The power of the past was its music.
The greater power of the future greater
Greater music is art,
Is its greater music:
Art is the foundation of any living culture.
Living culture is skilled culture
Skilled dutifulness, aim and care
And love of beauty is the only way to produce art.
Skilled culture is the new weapon of nations,
The new measure of determination as to whether a nation
Is ready to be a greater nation is art.
A nation without art is a nation without a lifeline.
Art is the lifeline because art is the airy concept
Of greater living. It is the airy foundation of the airy
Kingdom of the future.
Tomorrow Beyond Tomorrow is the greater kingdom,
THE KINGDOM OF THE SPACE AGE....
End quotation. There's a lot of promise in all this! I've heard tell that Sun Ra was right way the heck out there. This album is comprised of some fine jazz compositions, some very talented musicians; however it is only a primer for the Sun Ra to come. "Portrait of the Living Sky" is the track that approached the hoop-lah of the musings from the cover notes. Still, a nice bit of improvisational jazz straight out of the windy city, and highly recommended listening. Romantic-like for Valentine's time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)