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In other news, our writer has withdrawn its two-weeks notice.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
Monday, February 13, 2012
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.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
dreams and memories
Some people are going to miss you when you're gone, but then they will be gone too. The planet Earth might remember you, but as a part of itself: the carbon and hydrogen that took shape and walked its surface for a short time. The bits and pieces of dead you will be recycled. You don't need to look to the sky to see how inconsequential you are. The planet itself is sufficient. It does remember, after a fashion, like a vinyl record remembers. It records: broken pottery, footprints, cockroaches trapped in amber for millions of years. These memories are physical, like the grooves the needle passes through while perfectly re-playing a performance of Beethoven's ninth symphony. Can our memories be so faithful?
I have bought myself a medicine hat. I am trying to get to know the Great Spirit. If our ethereal memory has purpose, the Spirit is where that purpose resides.
I have bought myself a medicine hat. I am trying to get to know the Great Spirit. If our ethereal memory has purpose, the Spirit is where that purpose resides.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
comments are most welcome
People of virtual Earth, your comments are welcome here at the martian hop. We are, after all, studying the way in which information is exchanged on your planet. Please, leave a suggestion of a good book to read, or a gallery to visit, or a "web-page" to peruse. Come as you are, as yourself, or as someone else. Assume an identity. Make a fool of yourself, we won't judge you. We long for contact, discourse, discussion. It's a lonely life adrift in space without someone to talk to!
yesterday, after the pep rally, Jim saw Johnny and Diane swapping spit under the bleachers.
Dear readers,
You are a special bunch. Did you know that? You are an elite group of individuals amid a galaxy of darkness. So, buck up, won't you? Go forth and pour the lustre of your eyes on that galaxy. Make its stars shine brighter with your discovery of them. Reverberate with the frequencies of life and being and revel in the mystery.
At times it is hard to live life as it is. There are so many distractions, and human beings seem to be so preoccupied with convincing themselves that life is not as it is. But that is whence the great art of the species comes. Escaping from the unrelenting harshness of reality is a skill you can learn, and a gift you can give. Never stop learning, and give freely, friends.
Zmz
You are a special bunch. Did you know that? You are an elite group of individuals amid a galaxy of darkness. So, buck up, won't you? Go forth and pour the lustre of your eyes on that galaxy. Make its stars shine brighter with your discovery of them. Reverberate with the frequencies of life and being and revel in the mystery.
At times it is hard to live life as it is. There are so many distractions, and human beings seem to be so preoccupied with convincing themselves that life is not as it is. But that is whence the great art of the species comes. Escaping from the unrelenting harshness of reality is a skill you can learn, and a gift you can give. Never stop learning, and give freely, friends.
Zmz
Thursday, January 19, 2012
independence
Today the martian hop has severed its ties to a certain "social networking" inter-web page. Subscription rates were down, anyhow. Now, though new readership is going to be harder to attract without the assistance of such truly miraculous technology, we at the hop believe there will be much more time to provide meditative thoughts on life, science, art and alien beings now that we are doing without.
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