Saturday, August 29, 2009

rourke #5


Marc Gussen is the man. Half the year he lives alone in a cabin in the middle of the jersey woods, and in other the six months lives off the coast of mexico sleeping on the beach and spearfishing to sustain himself. Marc built the world's most powerful pumpkin Catapult. Look it up.

Women flock to him in droves, and men want to be constantly be around him. Marc's the shit, and he knows it.

A few years ago I was fishing with Marc, and I turned to him and said, "Marc, you are the man. You really are. I have nothing but respect for the way you choose to exist, but it's so clear from the way you act and talk to others that you honestly think you're the coolest guy alive. What's up with that?"

Marc turned to me and said, "You're right. But you know what? If you're not waking up every morning thinking you're the man, you're doing something wrong."




Friday, August 28, 2009

summer reading

"I am not one who believes it is any necessary virtue in the philosopher to spend his life defending a consistent position. It is surely a kind of spiritual pride to refrain from 'thinking out loud', and to be unwilling to let a thesis appear in print until you are prepared to champion it to the death. Philosophy, like science, is a social function, for a man cannot think rightly alone, and the philosophy must publish his thought as much to learn from criticism as to contribute to the sum of wisdom."

-preface of Alan Watt's Nature, Man, and Woman.

newman


2.0

Thursday, August 27, 2009

ichthyology

Saturday, August 15, 2009

That this most recent album kicks off with a song called Home is striking, because the idea of home, what it means, where it is and whether it is a place of comfort or alienation, is a subject that has haunted Byrne's music since the beginning. It is at the centre of the most famous Talking Heads song, Once in a Lifetime – "And you may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful house!" – and it is the first word sung – "Home, it's where I want to be" – in arguably their best song, This Must be the Place. When asked about this ongoing theme, Byrne laughs. "I know, I keep doing that! I guess it's a way of asking who you are. Who I am? Is this where I belong? Am I comfortable here? Because a home isn't just the house you live in but the psychological space you make for yourself. I think it's all that. I guess it's a way of asking myself over and over again, 'Are you all right now?'"

Friday, August 14, 2009

west coast

sometimes,
life takes you skydiving,
and sometimes,
life feels like an inverted skydive.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

rourke #4

The wise man of Nolambique was known as The Wise Man Of Nolambique because he happened to be the wisest man Nolambique had ever seen. He had many students, and sometimes, when he was feeling particularly generous and wise, The Wise Man would call students one by one into his office for a private teaching. And it was on a certain warm, breezy day in Nolambique that Rourke was finally chosen by The Wise Man to receive such a teaching.

Rourke carefully stepped over the threshold into The Wise Room. The room reeked of sandalwood incense."Thank you, Wise Man, for inviting me here. It is truly the greatest of honors."

"An honor truly beyond your comprehension", beckoned The Wise Man. "Now listen closely, Rourke, for I am about to impart to you the wisest of all knowledge."

"I am listening, your Wisest".

The Wise Man cleared his throat, and then began to speak. "Here, here, student. If you wish to see the true nature of individuals, you must cease to layer preconceived notions and beliefs unto them. Only when you can put aside such ideas can you see through and perceive The True Self."

Rourke found The Wise Man's words very wise indeed, though he couldn't help but feel he did not completely understand. "Oh, Wise One, please help me understand. Are you telling me I should never judge individuals, no matter what?"

"Only if you wish to come in contact with The True Self", proclaimed The Wise Man with a powerful, unwavering conviction characteristic of those filled to the brim with wisdom.

"Should I always avoid forming conclusions about the nature of people?"

"Only if you wish to come in contact with The True Self", The Wise Man repeated with even more conviction. "Judgment clouds the mind, and poisons the soul."

But Rourke remained confused. "But, oh Wise One, I do not understand. Is there not a difference between being judgmental and being observant? Even if the former is inadvisable, is the latter not inevitable, if not altogether wise?"

The wise man thought, and then thought some more, and after a good while he lifted his head, looked directly at Rourke and quietly whispered, "Perhaps."

Later that day when he ate a green apple, Rourke couldn't help but notice the fruit was sweeter than the one he had the day before.