Exploring the Limits of Poetic License .. up to the Letter of the Law (and Beyond) - Part 1/4

••• today's entry continues here below •••

What kind of responsibility comes with that job? Of being the voice of your generation? Certainly more than I would ever want. (Moses' arms got tired.)

[ Did you know, by the way, that Dylan wrote the song ranked #1 by RollingStone magazine?

You reckon they might know?

That's right .. number one.

Lyrics. "Once upon a time you dressed so fine .. threw the bums a dime in your prime, didnt you?"

One of my favorite verses in all of song writing .. are the last two verses of the song »

"When you got nothing, you've got nothing to lose.

You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal."

Yes, there are other things, certainly, but the way that Dylan expresses his 'disappointment' with women ..

.. that is the #1 thing wherein I resonate ..

.. with the songwriter who took his name from the Welsh poet.

» The Willowy Educated Cultured Welsh Fashion Girl From York

I dated a Welsh girl for a while. A Welsh girl from York.

While I was living in Lancaster. (I shit you not.)

I did not know about the War of the Roses then.

Unlike the cities in England, we never fought. Tho I did not like that she smoked.

Rad note » This section about the Welsh girl from York has been moved to its own separate page, where it belongs.

See here » The Willowy Educated Cultured Welsh Fashion Girl From York.

At the end of that page you will find a link that returns the reader back here, to this exact section.

Or perhaps I should put it this way .. that this is where » it is easiest for me to resonate. (The way he expresses his disappointment with women in his life.) Most naturally. Effortlessly.

"I feel ya, dawg. Could NOT have said it better myself." (And dont think I didnt try.)

Summer of '65. "How does it feel?"

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's the new age, but it actually feels surprisingly liberating.

Is there not something wonderfully recursive about the Rolling Stones singing a song titled » Like a Rolling Stone?

They *do* seem right-at-home singing that song .. like it belongs to them.

[ Oh, look at this » Jagger is producing the new James Brown biopic » Get On Up . I saw the trailer and I was totally impressed. ]

The song itself comes with a history. Before Dylan's song, there was a 4-minute limit imposed by the entire music industry.

Dylan came along and said » "Fuck your stupid limit(s)." .. and the shit was on. In a big way. Culturally.

In that respect .. the song had a 95-Theses feel to it. (Oct. 31, 1517, All Saints Church, Wittenberg, Saxony)

Sure, others had tried to transcend the limit .. but they were ignored. But they couldnt ignore Dylan.

And ever since, musicians and other artists have been trying to transcend the limitations of their art .. including those imposed upon them by the culture .. with varying degrees of success.

 In other words .. Like a Rolling Stone » is not just a set of well-crafted lyrics that resonated strongly with the youth of a generation.

There is much symbolism wrapped up in that song. Cultural symbolism. I am sure that this is one of the main reasons that the magazine selected it as their #1 .. amid so many other super-outstanding songs.

Back when I was living in San Clemente, I went thru a phase where I would wake early on a Saturday morning and put of some Tangled Up in Blue and lay in bed and let the 6-minute song take me away .. before beginning my weekend.

» Where have you been?

And any song that begins each of its five verses with a reference to "my blue-eyed son" seems difficult to resist.

Which reminds me of what the girl at Mothers Market said » "Oh my God! Those are the bluest eyes I've ever seen."

Where have you been?
What did you see?
What did hear?
Who did you meet?
What will you do now?

All of which ties in nicely, dont you think? .. with my notion of the burden that I asked the Sharp-dressed man about.

Because both verses involve the honest viewing of life's unpleasantries.

Tho I admit that I did not plan it that way. Sometimes shit just works out for you in unexpectedly fortuitous ways. ]

"Thank-you, Mr. Sharp-dressed man," I say, "but no thanks. And I must say .. dude, you *do* look sharp. It's so true what everybody says about you."

"You dont want it?" asks the sharp-dressed man, looking stunned. "But what will you do?"

Turning Matter into » Energy

"I dunno," I say. "Maybe I'll turn matter into energy .. or something that carries a little less responsibility like that."

Now Ya See It .. Now You Dont

[ After splitting many atoms and turning a respectable amount of matter into energy, I have learned that » matter doesnt matter. At least not as much as you might think it does. You will see what I mean .. sooner or later. ]

» Aaron Swartz

But before we wade too deeply into the topic of turning matter into energy .. first let me note that ONE YEAR ago » today ..

.. was the day that Aaron Swartz hung himself in New York City. January 11th, 2013. (Mark it down, dawg.)

I did not know him, personally, but I certainly admire the things that he stood for.

The world needs more Aarons .. now more than ever, it seems.

And I do not want the government's picking on our brothers to be a thing that goes without protest ..

.. especially when there is so much real injustice that they turn a blind eye toward.

Because they do not have the cojones to confront true injustice.

There are many beautiful voices of protest out there .. but this is where I feel a special connection .. where I resonate .. where I vibe .. and where I desire to add my voice to the harmony.

Prophets of old might call this a » burden. And burdens would probably suk very much .. I would imagine .. were it not for the stuff that comes with them.

Now, few Americans place much confidence in their government .. but we expect more from our universities.

And to MIT (the Geek university, no less) we say » Shame the fuck on you. You broke our hearts. You hung our friend out to dry. How could you?

» Dear Prosecutors

And to you prosecutors ..

.. if you are really having such a difficult time finding legitimate cases to prosecute ..

.. then we will find them for you. Cuz it seems like you need help in that area.

And I am not the only one who feels this way. 

Oh, look. Bill has generously volunteered to help. Thank-you, Bill.

You prosecutors are so fortunate to have someone experienced as Bill Keller offering to help. And such a handsome man, too.

Bill and his friends are starting up an entire professional organization to help you. And there are others, too. You are going to be getting lots of help. Lucky you.

Even the best of us need a little help now-n-then. A little direction. A little supervision.

By the way, if I were assembling a crack team of journalistic word crafters .. I would try to get Steve Lopez and Michael Hiltzik (.. both from the LA Times).

Whatever "it" is, they have it. Both have Wikipedia pages.

I mean, if I were a sleazeball engaged in assorted unsavory shit, and my secretary said, "Sir, Lopez and Hiltzik are here to see you," I would be like » "Oh, fuck me."

They probably won't wanna leave LA, but it would be worth the try. Sure, there are others, but you already know about them.

And you cannot really talk about writers at the LA Times without mentioning Doyle McManus.'Nuf said.

[[ Yes, this here is good. Kudos. (This, too. And this. Especially this. To which David concurs. Boner city! Holder shoots. He scores! Can this be true? )

But what about » shit like this? This guy threatens to "break in half" somebody .. ON CAMERA, no less. And nothing happens. Nothing?

"Like a boy," he said .. implying that he breaks boys in half.

Ooh, tough guy .. breaking boys in half. So macho and masculine.

"I'll throw you off this fucking balcony," sounds like a death threat, no?

Dude, if you're gonna say stupid shit like that, at least have the sense not to say it ON CAMERA ..

.. to a guy holding a microphone. It's like » you can't believe what you are hearing.

"How dare you ask a Macho Demigod Like Me a question about something that I dont want to talk about .. you insignificant little piece of shit."

I mean, if somebody came out and said that the whole balcony-tossing threat was photoshopped .. I would say » "I *knew* nobody could be that stupid. Certainly no politician."

» Help Available for Balcony-Tossing Politicians

These are precisely, by the way, the types of people that cannabis can help .. because it » mellows them out .. and makes them » not want to throw people off balconies.

If I were this dude's doctor, I would totally write him a script. For an indica-based hybrid. Just start with one little puff. That's all that somebody like you needs.

Administer a dose whenever you feel like throwing somebody off a balcony for asking a question that you dont like. Use only as directed.

And I would pull him aside and say, "Dude, lighten the fuck up. Welcome to the new age."

Even John Paul Stevens would concur.

[ Unrelatedly, I must say, that when I heard that previously linked-to performance [ try » here ] ..

.. at the 2014 Grammys, something seemed to say » "Look! They're playing your song."

Best Grammy performance ever? When that first explosion comes .. and they all break into that forward-bending grove (in unison) ..

.. I was like » "Ooh, this is something I have never seen before. I like this groove. This is my groove. Welcome to my world."

Let me quote for you a comment that resonates remarkably well:

"..not only provided the night's only surprise, they offered up the only stunt that didn't invite your approval and laud your taste. It wrestled your attention to the ground, then gave it a good noogie."

Especially that last part. How does the writer even know what a noogie is?

I like that kind of writing. Tho I am not sure what you would call it. (Other than authentic.)

I had never heard that song before. But now it feels like my song. Every web site needs a theme song, right?

Here they are at SNL .. taking a victory lap. Is it just me, or does that not sound like a next-generation song? An almost apocalyptic beat. 'Whoa' is right.

Thanks, I needed that. It helps to know that you are not the only one who resonates a certain way. (I feel it in my bones, too.) So satisfying to hear a like-minded vibe.

 » Cannabis and Balconies

On the subject of cannabis, don't you find it a bit curious ..

.. that the two teams playing in this year's Superbowl both hail from ..

.. the two states that abolished cannabis-prohibition?

What are the odds of that occurring? Statistical curios like that make me wonder. I mean, it's obviously just a coincidence, right?

On the subject of Superbowl half-time shows .. note that hosting a Bob Marley tribute at the Grammys .. earns you a gig to play for the huge Superbowl audience.

Or does it just seem that way? I mean, who else are you gonna get to perform at the Pro-Cannabis Superbowl?

I admit that I'm curious about the executive decision-making discussions that went on behind closed doors. "How about Snoop?"

I was even more surprised by the Chili Peppers. Wow. High energy. Note the multiple references to Bob Marley in their lyrics.

The polished slick-ness of Bruno Mars (yin) meets the spicy raw-ness of the Chil Peppers (yang) .. with a Bob Marley link connecting them (embracing duality).

The finely-tuned, controlled precision of Bruno Mars blends with the random chaos of the Chili Peppers. Beautiful.

About an hour before the Superbowl started, I read an article online that said the Chili Peppers had promised the SuperBowl people that they would keep their shirts on.

So when they jumped out bare-chested, I imagined them saying » "Fooled ya!"

Speaking of Bob Marley, I want to tell Ziggy that I saw a jar of his Coco'mon at Sprouts grocery store here in San Diego county .. so I bought one.

Good stuff. MCTs are great after weightlifting before you hit the stairmaster. The Bug's mom rubbed it on her belly when she was preggy .. to keep from getting stretch marks. (Some other brand.)

Something about seeing Ziggy's smiling face in an aisle of a grocery store made me feel good.

When I got to the check-out register, the girl grabbed the jar and said, "Oh, this is new. I've never seen this before."

I just got a jar of the original, but I see you also have a few other flavors. Maybe next time I will try the lemon-ginger.

I will tell you what I really use it for .. if you promise not to tell anybody. I put a piece of dark chocolate in my mouth and let it melt halfway. Then I add a half-spoon of coconut oil. Ooh, baby. Super yummy.

I call this » chocolate therapy. Repeat as necessary. Valrhona.

Tho I am interested in trying "NSA chocolate" .. if for nothing else than the cool name.

It is beyond the scope of today's entry, well beyond .. but you should get into the lip-balm market. If there is anything that a month at Yosemite taught me .. it's that your lip balm is your best friend.

You go thru many tubes of lip balm at Yosemite, so I tried many different brands. Nobody was near Burt for lip comfort in a rugged outdoor environment.

Burt definitely had the best. In a league of its own. So, if you can do real bees wax lip balm for less than Burt ($3) .. you might just have something there.

The Zig Stick .. in Jamaican colors. Zag some on your lips. Enhanced with natural hemp oils. I would buy a stick if it was the same price as Burts. But the bees wax is really what does it.

The old guy at the gift shop at the Ahwahnee said, "Amazing the way Burt gets those bees to fill these tubes with wax, isnt it?"

Speaking of lips .. I dated a black girl once. She told me, "You white boys got no lips. What am I supposed to kiss?" ]

What do you reckon would've happened if somebody had said to this politician » "Dude, I'm gonna throw your sorry ass off this balcony .. like Tom Hanks' character does in Cloud Atlas."

I bet that his well-taser'ed ass would be on the ground ..

.. and that he would be wearing the shiny bracelets so quickly ..

.. that you would need a slow-motion instant replay to catch it.

But again, government officials play by a different set-of-rules than the ones they set for you and me.

I admit that, when I hear grown men talk about being macho by "breaking boys in half" .. this shit does not sit well. Not hardly. Feel me?

Bad as it might be to threaten someone with throwing his ass off a balcony .. that's not what offended me.

Or is that just how you tough guys roll in Florida? "Hey, let's go break some boys in half. For fun. Homeless boys. Let's make hamburger out of their cute little asses."

» I Admit I Was Wrong

Update - I heard that this man apologized to the reporter. Kudos for being big enough. And he is not from Florida. I apologize for the confusion. But surely you see the parallel.

I can't help but admire politicians who own up to their mistakes .. cuz it is such a rarity these days.

I guess he is Italian. We have to cut him some genetic slack. Cuz everybody knows » that's how Italians are. They want to kick your ass and then 10 minutes later they're like » "Let's go have a beer."

"Dude, I thought you wanted to kick my ass?"

"I did, you knucklehead. But I'm over it. And now I'm thirsty. Come on, drinks on me. I know this place where they have Peroni on tap and the best puttanesca you've ever had."

In other words » they don't hold a grudge. (Which is healthy.) </update> ]]

Update July 17, 2015 » This guy, this politician, Michael Grimm .. was sentenced to 8 months in jail.

So I guess it was serious what the reporter was asking about. Perhaps this explains the level of his passion when the reporter asked about it.

< end update July 17, 2015 Grimm sentenced >

The Trial (of Josef K) by Franz Kafka » Written 100 Years Ago

Let's shift gears for a moment and turn our attention to the 100 Greatest Books of All Time. In any language. (Ever.) And to the 100 Best Books of the Twentieth Century. (In any language.)

Fortunately for you » The Trial, by Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is found on both these lists.

Written in German » Der Process.

Penned 100 years ago, this summer (.. so you still have time). Tho it was not published until the year after his death (in 1925 ..

.. same year that Fitzgerald published » the Great Gatsby).

On his deathbed, Kafka made his friend, Max Brod, promise that he would burn all his works.

But Max had a change of heart after Franz died.

Seems that this year, the centennial, would be a good time to familiarize yourself with Kafka's work in general and The Trial in particular.

As you can plainly see .. only three AUTHORS place 3 TITLES on the All-Time Best list. Kafka is one of them .. along with » Shakespeare and Tolstoy. You heard of these guys, maybe?

Good company, no?

And along these lines » only one author places four titles on the list of the ages. Yes, sir. That's right » the Russian.

Speaking of Top-100 lists .. here is one from Amazon .. which begins with » 1984, the eerily prophetic novel by George Orwell about Big Brother (.. written in '48).

If you like lists like these, here's one of the top banned books, and another containing the coolest books.

Here is one for manly men,

Einstein was four years old when Kafka was born (in the summer of 1883). James Joyce (1882-1941) was one year old when Kafka was born.

Dostoevsky died (1881) two years before Kafka was born. This helps me to place Kafka in historical, chronological perspective.

Kafka was 16 when Hemingway was born (in 1899). He was 20 when George Orwell was born (in 1903).

He was 27 when Tolstoy died (in 1910).

Kafka died the year (1924) before Fitzgerald published Gatsby (1925).

Proust (1871-1922) was 12 years old when Kafka was born, and died two years before Kafka did.

So he seems to be the closest comtemporary to Kafka (along with Joyce) in years lived.

I do not want to get much into it, but Kafka's job was remarkably similar to the Dog's job.

I have talked to him about it and he acknowledges the similarity.

Also, the Dog married a Czech girl (who he met in NYC, 20 years his junior) from Prague, the place where Kafka grew up.

The Dog flies there regularly .. to visit his wife's family and show off the kids (2).

He says that, while there in Prague, he played the tourist one day and visited the place where Kafka was born, or lived, or wrote (or all three). Tho the Dog adds that it was little more than a bookstore selling Kafka novels.

He has read the Metamorphosis, but not The Trial. The Dog went to Columbia, so he is well read. (Very.)

The Trial is about the government » fucking with your head. Fucking with » your mind. (In real life, Kafka was » a lawyer who worked for the government. So he had insight.)

So this is the perfect title to mention on this day when we remember our brother .. whose head the government fucked with. Prosecutors going after the lowest-hanging (most vulnerable) fruit they can find.

Did you notice, by the way, that the ranking of Kafka's The Trial .. sits at #3 on the list of the top 100 titles of the Twentieth Century?

This list is published by Le Monde, a French newspaper based in Paris.

So notice how the first two books are both French. Then comes Kafka. (German language.)

Then come three more French dudes.

[ Then comes Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath at #7, which we won't talk about today.

In 4th grade, we did The Pearl. Weighty stuff for a fourth grader. It definitely got the gears of thought turning.

The Wikipedia article says that it is a popular book to assign in high school.

In 4th grade I remember thinking, "This is definitely some shit I have never thought about. Adult-type shit."

In retrospect I feel it was good for me to be exposed to that type of material. Because everybody gets exposed to it .. sooner or later.

Tho yes, I definitely remember the disturbing element that came with illumination of the kind (very strong) that Steinbeck brings.

I thought about some of the things as I walked home. But then I quickly forgot about those things about which I could do nothing .. as a fourth grader, anyway.

His narrative lighting seems to cast a lasting image .. set in distinctly American hues.

It's a depressing story, for sure, but one that contains many patterns that (unfortunately) hold valid thru-out one's life ..

.. at least for some of it, maybe even most of it. Tho hopefully not for all of it. ]

My first point » 5 out of the top 6 titles are French .. as one might expect.

My second point » the French are hardcore when it comes to literature.

This also tells me that they are VERY impressed with Kafka. (Being the only non-French dude in the top six titles.)

"We accept you and place you up there with only our very finest authors of the entire century."

So they rank The Trial even above the Grapes of Wrath (1939). Wow. Steinbeck being an immortal writer .. who gets his own category.

Tho most consider East of Eden (published 13 years later in '52) his best work.

Steinbeck kicks much ass. The real deal. Like Cormac. You have to get in shape to read Steinbeck. Or he will kick your ass.

» The Bug Rides a Sportster (Sorta)

Time to shift gears again. The Bug got an electric motorcycle for Christmas. He is stoked! It is battery powered. Goes 14 mph. (He turns 9 this month.)

Two years ago, there came to the playground a dad riding an electric motorcycle with his little daughter.

The Bug wanted to ride it in the worst way. I have always loved the freedom of a motorcycle, myself .. ever since I was 16 ..

.. which I bought with money earned from a paper route, delivering the New Haven Register (seven days a week, for four years).

I told him to ask the man. I didnt think the guy would say okay, but he said, "If your dad says it's alright."

He didnt ride more than a few minutes, but that was enough to hook him. "I wanted one of these for TWO YEARS, dad," he told me. I am so happy for him.

He's a natural. Even two years ago, I told him, "This is how you make it go and this is how you make it stop." And he was gone.

"Try not to run into anybody," I shouted after him. I turned to the dad and said, "Kids."

He also got an iPad for Christmas. I said, "Dude, an electric motorcycle and an iPad .. those are good Christmas presents."

We went to see » the Hobbit together » the Desolation of Smaug. In 3D, baby! Strong reviews.

I had read the book to him. Or, at least parts .. cuz I knew what was gonna happen at certain parts (in the movie) ..

.. even tho I didnt remember reading very much of the book to him.

About a third of the way into the movie, one of the characters IN the movie ..

.. utters the name of the movie » the Desolation of Smaug. (Smaug is the name of the ornery dragon who guards the treasure.)

But about 10 secs before they utter the name .. the Bug asks, "What does desolation mean?"

So I thought his timing there uncanny. Right before they say the name of the movie IN the movie, the Bug asks what desolation means.

You dont fully appreciate however, what the subtitle is talking about .. until the very end.

» Special News Bulletin from Orange County

Oh, speaking of » desolation .. we interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast. To bring you this special news bulletin.

This is not only sad, but disturbing. Very. Just so you know. No nepenthe ahead. (Dont say I didnt warn you.)

Well, maybe I should tell you this other thing first .. so you will be better able to understand me. Yes, I can see that I should.

Appearance vs Substance (aka » Maintaining the Illusion)

Back when the Dog lived in the City-of-Angels, up in the hills above Hollywood (.. mere walking distance from the famous sign) .. most of the time, I would GO UP THERE ..

.. to see him. To spend the day with him. Or the weekend. Cuz there is so much more cool stuff to do and see up there.

I would usually ride up with the Film school girl, seeing that she had to drive up there for classes every day, anyway. The Dog would come pick me up at USC (.. which is where the Dog earned his Masters).

For one semester the Film school girl stayed at the Dog's place there in Hollywood .. one night a week ..

.. when she had a late class followed by an early class the next day. It is an hour-and-15 minute drive from Laguna Beach to USC .. when traffic is moving. (Or should I say » if?)

The Dog was glad to help out a fellow USC grad student. So she slept on his couch every Tuesday night.

The Dog said that they tore down his old bungalow and built a multi-million dollar, multi-level modern dealy-o. He had a nice view of LA, even then.

So, if you happen to be residing in relatively new place located just a few doors down from the house where Bela Lugosi used to live, then you are probably living on the same site where the Dog used to live ..

.. right there at the bend in that narrow, snakey road that turns to your right as you head up the hill. Not far from the place where Minnie Driver used to live. (Maybe she still does.)

But I digress. What I really want to tell you is ...

But sometimes (.. "drumroll, please") he would » come down. To Orange county. Particularly for the parties ..

.. where he got to be friends with this lawyer-girl I knew from Laguna Beach.

» The Laguna Beach Lawyer-ette

She liked him a lot. I thought them the perfect match. Their bookshelves closely mirrored one another.

So naturally, I fancied myself the perfect match-maker. The Dog however, wasnt feeling it. That's the Dog, for you.

"Dog," I said, "This girl is cool. She's smart. She's pretty. She's educated. She's well-read. She's fit to boot and she adores you .. almost as much as I do."

But you cannot talk the Dog into shit that he is simply not into.

You will find that men and women both tend to migrate (naturally) toward » familiarity. In other words, they seem attracted to people who remind them of their opposite-sex parent.

That is why the first thing I say to a girl who I might be interested in is » "Tell me about your dad. What was he like?"

Because, even if she "hopes the bastard rots in hell," she will still (even against her own wishes and hopes) find that she FEELS MOST COMFORTABLE around a man that reminds her of her father.

Because » that is what she is used to. That is what she has become accustomed to.

Which makes for a dysfunctional relationship. Because she will try to dump on you the toxic feelings that she has for her father, whom she cannot confront (.. for a variety of reasons, all of which are completely understandable).

So the question becomes » is this relationship worth putting up with the toxic dysfunction that you must endure? The answer here is usually » for a while.

[ They do not emit their toxic dysfunction right away. No. Rather it starts to seep out once they become comfortable with you. In other words » they know how to hide it. For a while, anyway.

This might be a good place to mention the effects of parental criticism vs encouragement. But who is not already aware of the effects that relentless criticism can have on a developing child? ]

If a girl had an abusive father, she will try to provoke you into being abusive. Yes, I thought this idea somewhat bizarre, myself. But do your own research and you will find I'm correct.

She is not craving the abuse, no. Rather she is craving » familiarity. Yes, there are some who manage to reach escape velocity from the parental dysfunction they suffered during their formative years.

But that is the exception, not the rule. Because that takes a very strong person. And you are not going to do this without getting dirty. (Very.) And not without lots of courage. (Tons.) And not without plenty of emotional support. (Love and compassion.)

This is where stepping out of your comfort zone can be beneficial.

After rejecting the lawyer-girl, the Dog *did* find a girl with whom he resonated.

But it was ugly. She nearly killed him. [ Emotionally speaking. See this movie for insight. ]

Long story short » he eventually had to claim bankruptcy and it took a long-ass time for him to recover.

No, I did not say "Told ya." But this is how dysfunctional parents fuck up their kids. Often for their entire lives.

Yes, completely understandable. But so unacceptable.

Because they cannot help themselves. When the pressures of life come, they revert back to what they know (i.e. » dysfunctional behavior). Because that's their comfort zone.

Meanwhile, others are left trying to deal with the effects of their dysfunction.

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