Kate Bush Is 50!!!???!!!

20 Athene - Year 87 p.s.U.

Flippin' 'ell - is she really 50 today? It's also been 30 years since her first album, The Kick Inside, was released. I first heard her in the summer of 1985, when I heard Running Up That Hill on someone's car radio. Being more into The Police and Van Halen at the time--I didn't think much of it except I thought she had a unique voice (I was more used to Stevie Nicks' L.A. husky cocaine drawl and Madonna's plastic pop whine). Fast forward five years and I was able to take away a cassette copy of The Sensual World, her 1989 release, from a record store I was working at. There were a box of returned cassettes that had apparently been there for months and hadn't been sent back for credit, so I managed to convince the shop owner's son that if they weren't going to get credit for them anyway--they were better off in my grubby mitts. Most of them, admittedly, seemed pretty crap--but the Kate album definitely got a few spins.

Fast forward again to 1993 and I was working in another record store--this time when her first album since "The Sensual World", The Red Shoes, was released. By then, I was pretty much on my way to being a total Kate fanboy. The store received a promo copy, which I promptly snatched and listened to a lot...I mean a lot. I then started buying all of the earlier albums, from The Hounds Of Love and The Whole Story..back to Lionheart and "The Kick Inside". I listened to all of them quite a bit, but eventually my faves boiled down to The Dreaming and "Hounds", though I do have a soft spot for Never For Ever as well. In 1996, I found the This Woman's Work boxed set at a Record Show in Hartford. It set me back about $100 and it's the Japanese edition--so no reading the booklets for me. It contains all of the studio albums up to "The Sensual World" (aside from "The Whole Story")..plus two discs of B-sides and rarities and a groovy extra booklet of photos. In '93, there were rumours that she would tour for "The Red Shoes", but unfortunately, that's all they were. She hasn't played live since her English "Tour Of Life" in 1979 and she's only made a few appearances since then...at one of the Secret Policeman's Ball events and at the Q awards a few years ago.

She released a 'companion' film to "The Red Shoes", called The Line, The Cross & The Curve, in 1994. It starred herself, Miranda Richardson and Terence Stamp. She put in a decent (if somewhat wooden) performance, for someone with no formal acting training. After that...not much for a long, long time. In the meantime, a phalanx of younger singers clearly influenced by Kate, stepped up to try and steal her crown. Only Tori Amos got close with the Under The Pink album in '94, but she couldn't match Kate's striving creativity and for me, "The Hounds Of Love" will always be a benchmark of what can be accomplished with enough ingenuity and drive. Amos' "ready-for-MTV" records lacked the sheer weirdness and playfulness of Kate's finest recordings.

I was starting to think she had retired from music, especially when it was announced that her son Bertie was born in 1998. Then, in 2005--she was back with a double-album called Aerial. The tunes were divided up into parts. The first disc featured disparate tunes like Pi, about a mathematician's obsession and The Coral Room, about the passing of her mother. The second disc was a connected suite of songs about time passing over the course of a day. This set-up echoed "Hounds" 20 years before..one side of disjointed songs--the second side a conceptual suite about a woman who's a survivor of a shipwreck and what runs through her mind as she's drifting through the water.

So here we are...and Kate is 50 today. I'm still waiting for DVD versions of "The Line, The Cross.." and The Single File, a videocassette which collected all of her promotional films up to "The Dreaming"--there's also a collection (well, three videos) of her "Sensual World" clips, if you're lucky enough to find a copy (I've got one!). Oh yeah, nearly forgot the Live At Hammersmith VHS/CD pack, filmed during the "Tour Of Life". I wish EMI and CBS would get off their backsides and make this stuff available on DVD. Hopefully, she won't wait another twelve years to release another record. Here are some of my favourite Kate recorded moments:

Army Dreamers ("Never For Ever", 1980) - Her third full-length was a departure from the 'girl-and-her-piano' tone of the first two. She expanded the instrumentation beyond just keyboard and backing band--to encompass sitars, violins, mandolins...and the Fairlight CMI synthesizer. The Fairlight was a very lo-fi, primitive keyboard-based sampler, but Kate (as well as Peter Gabriel) utilised it to it's full capabilities. On "Army Dreamers", it provides a percussion instrument out of sampled rifle bolt clicks. The song itself seems to be about a mother's guilt over her son's death during manoeuvers. She thinks of other things he could have been...rock star, politician, father...but didn't seem to have the options available. "What a waste...of army dreamers", Kate coos while the tune plays in waltz-time. A very subtle anti-war song. In the early 80s, it was Northern Ireland and the Falklands..now it's Iraq and Afghanistan. What a waste of more army dreamers. "Never For Ever" also contains the superb anti-nuclear war song Breathing as it's closing track.

Pull Out The Pin ("The Dreaming", 1982) - "The Dreaming" is probably Kate's most defiantly artistic record. It showed her bucking all of the trends in the early 80s and sales be damned! Of course, EMI probably weren't so happy that one of their lucrative acts decided to create some strange, neo-psychedelic songs about Harry Houdini and bank robbers--but she stuck to her direction in the face of the bigwigs...a more "punk" move than what most of the Class Of '77 were doing at the time. "Pull Out The Pin" is a song about the Vietnam War, but from the Vietnamese perspective. As if that weren't radical enough, the point-of-view is from a female Viet Cong volunteer. She views the American soldiers as "big and pink and not like me" and "they see little light..see no reason for the fight" Pretty ballsy. Contrast that with Billy Joel's Goodnight Saigon, released the same year. I know "Goodnight.." isn't all 'rah-rah..'Nam was kick-ass", but it's sentimental chorus at the end renders it somewhat ineffective. Kate doesn't flinch from the violence, but doesn't glorify it either. It's a means to an end for the song's protagonist--screaming "I love life" as the song nears it's coda. David Gilmour (who 'discovered' Kate in 1974 and financed her first demo recordings), on the run from the rapidly dissolving Pink Floyd, provides a freaky guitar solo and some backing vocals. Top stuff!

The Ninth Wave (Side 2 of "Hounds Of Love", 1985) - Wha? "A whole album side (or...the second half of the CD for you young'uns)?" you ask. Yep...the whole friggin' thing...start to finish. This was where she perfected everything she had done up to that point...and to be honest, it seems to me that she still hasn't bested it. If you're still of the opinion that women can't create progressive rock music--I challenge you to play this suite and tell me that"is" still so. Sure, some of the production sounds a tiny bit dated now--but I don't care. She takes the listener through so many moods and moments and scenes and dreams though the course of "The Ninth Wave" (the name taken from a Tennyson poem), you'll feel like you've listened to a double album. That's how many ideas are packed into this 25 minutes of connected songs. Kate deserves every accolade heaped on her just for this suite alone. I'm not even going to say anymore--just get thyself to a CD player (or turntable) and listen...then listen again. Man, that's good......are you still here???!!!!

Love And Anger ("The Sensual World", 1989) - Admittedly, "T.S.W." seems a bit patchy...but after the triumphal "Hounds Of Love", how was she really going to top it? She shied away for a few years, releasing the "greatest hits" package "The Whole Story" with new single Experiment IV, about a secret military project that goes horribly wrong. "Love And Anger" is another of Kate's relationship songs, where she outwardly goes through her trepidations about the big "L" and being caught between it and her desire to be free. I like the melody of it and Kate's pleading vocal is one of the best on the album. Definitely a stand-out, with an uncharacteristic wailing guitar solo, courtesy her old buddy Dave Gilmour (on hiatus from the revived Floyd). Her laugh at the very end of the tune is a nice touch also.

Oh! England, My Lionheart ("Lionheart", 1979) - The title track to her second album might be a bit twee for your taste, with lines like "Peter Pan steals the kids in Kensington Park", but this sparse piano song features a heartfelt vocal by Kate. The song title plays on England's symbol and her own Sun Sign. The lyrics seem like a wistful look at post-war Blighty..with imagery about Spitfires and over-grown air-raid shelters. In some ways, it echoes Johnny Rotten's "England's dreaming!" battle-cry...but in others, it still celebrates the magic of the "green and pleasant land". It almost seems like the last gasp of 70s hippie reverie, before Thatcher and the conservative culture warriors swept in the 80s. A poignant and beautiful tune.

I could go on and list more - but then you wouldn't feel like reading anymore (if you've made it this far...). I'm just glad she's still on the planet--thanks for all of the music, Kate, and a very Happy Birthday!

What a drag it is gettin' old...

23 Tamuz - Year 5768

Yep, it's official, Sir Michael Philip Jagger turns 65 today (..and I missed writing a "When I'm Sixty-Four" post for Sir Macca's birthday a couple of years ago..). Mick's a pensioner now..not that he actually needs it. I get a chuckle from picturing him standing in the queue for his bus pass.

I won't go into the whole cliched observation about "growing old gracefully in a rock band"...that's been done so often that the cliche itself doesn't seem graceful anymore. Still, it seems strange to think of the man who wrote Sympathy For The Devil and Brown Sugar being able to get a 'senior discount' at shops. Apparently, he's toned down his debauchery over the years....maybe. He is currently 'dating' a Yank model who's about 40 years younger than himself. What was that about cliches? Ah well, more power to him, I suppose. From counter-culture revolutionary to knighted-by-the-establishment in the span of 3 decades. The bloke's an icon and an example of the triumphs and failures of the baby-boomers--like Macca as well.

I concede that the Stones haven't made a solid record since Some Girls in 1978 (I do find some of Tattoo You bearable and can even point to a few decent tracks on Steel Wheels, especially the 'return to psychedelia' of Continental Drift) and Jagger's solo stuff..well...the less said, the better. He's out-lasted a lot of 'em, though--even Jerry Garcia. The tunes may be bland and hackneyed now, but the man can belt out the classics with gusto. I'm glad he's still around.

To celebrate ol' Mick's arrival into pensioner-hood, a list of some of my favourite Stones tracks:

Can't You Hear Me Knocking (Sticky Fingers album, 1971): I suppose this one's more of a guitar-fest than a showcase for Mick's vocals--what with Keef and Mick Taylor trading riffs in the coda jam. Jagger commands the first part of the song, though, especially when he snarls "Y'all got cocaine eyes/you got speed freak jive" and then pleads "Hear me baby, ain't no stranger" seconds later. My fave track on one of my favourite albums.

2,000 Light Years From Home (Their Satanic Majesties Request album, 1967): One of the almost-universally agreed-upon "good" tracks on of their most divisive records. Personally, I like "T.S.M.R."--if you can get by all of the "wannabe Sgt. Pepper" derision, it may reward you, with multiple listens. "2,000 Light Years..." seems to be in the same mold as Pink Floyd's Astronomy Domine--highlighting the fear and apprehension of space travel. Jagger's understated vocal and Brian Jones' queasy mellotron figures combine to create an atmosphere of unknowing dread. Leaving the planet can be exhilerating, but terrifying, too. Check out this groovy promo clip, filmed in 1967.

Jumpin' Jack Flash (single - released 1968 - also found on Hot Rocks 1964-1971 collection): This is not only one of my favourite Stones tunes..it's one of my all-time fave tunes. Seriously, there's not a single bum note or second in this entire song. From the initial acoustic guitar stabs (courtesy Keef) to the organ trills as it fades out, everything seems completely economical. No frills, just the chugging rhythm and Jagger's hard-as-nails lyrics and vocal delivery. "I was raised by a toothless bearded hag/I was schooled with a strap right across my back.." "Jumpin' Jack Flash" perfectly sums up the chaos and turmoil of 1968--possibly even more than The Fabs' Revolution. Jagger offers a sliver of hope with the "It's all right now, in fact it's a gas.." line--but sadly, for him and the rest of the Stones (and indeed, the counter-culture in general), things wouldn't be alright for a long long time. Some credit should go to the late Jimmy Miller for his excellent production. Here's a '68 promo clip for the song--featuring a slightly more menacing Stones..dig Charlie Watts' Egyptian eye make-up and Jagger's war-paint.

Rocks Off (Exile On Main Street album, 1972): As tax exiles living in France for most of 1972, our heroes holed up in a decrepit mansion...Keef's smack habit accelerating and Jagger nearly matching him for decadence. Eventually, they released a double album of woozy blooz/rock tunes, shot through with weariness and heartache. There were a couple of bright moments here and there (Sweet Black Angel, a shout-out to African-American activist Angela Davis...and Shine A Light, done all gospel-stylee)--but mostly it seemed like the Stones were watching age catch up with them and trying to take stock. "Rocks Off" is the lead-off track to Side 1 (in the old LP days) and it's a kicker! If they were trying to let folks know not to write them off just yet, they succeeded..with Sir Mick spitting out lines like "What's the matter with ya boy/She don't come 'round no more/Is she checking out for sure/She ain't gonna close the door on me.." The horn section is right on and I even like the weird, 'psychedelic' break in the middle--where Jagger's voice skitters across the speakers in a strange filtered echo. Top notch!

I'm Free (Out Of Our Heads album - also December's Children (And Everyone's) album, 1965): An earlier track now, back to 1965. I like the optimism of it...very mid-60s, when rock bands and rock audiences still thought they were going to change the world. Admittedly, the lyric seems pretty simple...but wedded to the near country-shuffle of the music--the whole becomes much greater than the parts. Cream would record a tune with a similar theme a year later, called I Feel Free, which appeared on their debut album. The Soup Dragons hit pretty big in 1990 with a cover version of the Stones song--but to me, still didn't improve on the original.

....and a bonus section of a few more obscure ones:

Memo From Turner (single release, 1970 and on the Performance soundtrack, 1970): This is billed as a Jagger solo tune..but it's pretty much Stones in all but name. Raunchy slide guitars and a very Charlie Watts beat skank along with Mick's very-un-PC lyrics about "faggy little leather boys" and "shorter bits of stick". It sounds like it could be an out-take from the Let It Bleed sessions (maybe it was).

When The Whip Comes Down (Some Girls album, 1978): Another Jagger 'provoke-'em-if-I-can' slice of life about an L.A. gay man who moves to New York City and gets involved in 'the scene' (I'm guessing the S&M scene--judging by the song title). The rest of the band get credit for the taut riffs and solid beats. Part of it does reek of trying to "out-punk the punks", but hey, if that's what motivated them out of their mid-70s stupor--it was well worth it.

Citadel (T.S.M.R. album, 1967): One from the psychedelic era that I really like as well--with a catchy, spiralling saxophone line and a chiming bell sound throughout. The lyrics have the usual hippie, "get out of the city, man" vibe--"Through the woods of steel and glass" and "In the streets are many walls". Keef's insistent guitar riff also propels the tune forward and keeps things focused. Jagger's vocal has the right amount of rock-n-roll snarl, balanced with acid daze, to make it one of his better performances on the album.

Factory Girl (Beggar's Banquet album, 1968): If you can forgive Jaggs the poor imitation of an American country drawl--this song will put a smile on your face every time--it does mine, anyway. The acoustic guitars are almost playing clipped ragas and apparently, Charlie Watts is playing tabla with drumsticks (!) for the beat. Ric Grech (in the band Family at the time) provides the keening fiddle runs. The lyrics are a completely middle-class view of poverty, but though they may seem cloying--they show a sense of devotion and even happiness amidst hardship. A bit of a rarity, as they never really recorded anything like this again (aside from Country Honk, the acoustic version of Honky Tonk Women, that appears on "Let It Bleed").

100 Years Ago (Goat's Head Soup album, 1973): This one's a bit of wistful, country-tinged ballad on an album that's sorta all over the shop. The Stones has started to believe in their own press and cranked out stuff like Dancing With Mr. D, just to freak out the squares. There's a definite Gram Parsons influence on "100 Years Ago" and it seems a bit out of place on "Goat's Head Soup" (compared with Angie--the other ballad on the record). Jagger hits all the right notes to convey the heartbreak and the band back him in classy fashion. Honourable mention also goes to Can You Hear The Music?, an early 70s version of psychedelia that I figured the Stones would never even attempt.

As the Ramones said to Montgomery Burns.."Happy birthday, you old bastid!" Raise a glass for Sir Mick, the O.A.P.

Farewell To A Class Clown

18 Rajab - 1429 A.H.

The fourth episode of the Kaleidophonic Stroboscope is now live and ready for your listening pleasure. This one's a bit of a hommage to the late, great George Carlin. It starts out that way--then continues on in it's usual journey to some of the weirder parts of the musical landscape.

I hope to have a new feature for the next one...'till then, feast your ears and feed your head!

Episode 4 can be found here.

You Don't Joke 'Bout The Pope

12 19 15 8 16 - 5 K'ib 19 Sek G5

The Pope, or as Rev. Ivan Stang refers to him, "that old queen in Rome", is visting Australia this week on his "Blessin' The Colonies" tour, or whatever. Apparently, the Australian government has passed a new law stating that anyone protesting at the World Youth Day event, being held in Sydney, can be levied with a 5,500 Australian dollar fine. I'm not making this up.

I don't know about you, but this seems more than a bit draconian to me. I don't know if Australia ever had a "Bill Of Rights" added into their constitution--I think they still allow free speech, however...well, maybe until now. I hadn't realised Oz may be some sort of dictatorship. There's probably a money trail somewhere here--as Sydney will host about 250,000 tourists attending the events. The local politicians are probably eager to hoover up all that foreign spending money. Mustn't "annoy" the faithful.

I suppose a T-shirt with the slogan "Pope Go Homo"could be annoying to a dogmatic Catholic--but still, is that really 5,500 dollars worth of annoying? O.K., maybe planning to hand out condoms to the young Catholics was the final straw and the lawmakers felt they had to act to protect those vulnerable lambs from the "evils" of birth control. It's not as if they've got their own minds or anything...

As a Pope in the Discordian church, I expect protests when I arrive somewhere, especially from other Discordian Popes looking to excommunicate me. I don't mind people wearing "Eris Liberation Front" T-shirts or even mono-theists brandishing their regalia. It's all good fun, really. Perhaps the Catholic Church might see it that way sometime. 'Till then, though, steer well clear of the Popemobile with your sense of humour...it might cost ya!

"I thought it was beautiful myself, but then there you go..."

I'd like to thank the members of the Academy..and my parents...and my wife...

29 Jumaada al-THaany - 1429 A.H.

Our good friend, Singing Bear, has deemed this blog worthy of an Arte Y Pico award. Cheers, Bear! He was part of this blog-team for a while, after also being part of my muso-blog, Pond Of Tunes. He's started up a few of his own solo blogs, the latest being the most cool Tiz Yer Tiz.

It's suggested that the receiver of the "Arte Y Pico" award present it to five other blogs. My list will be:

1) Cheek - My old friend Mark D. has been reporting from the heart of Minneapolis, Minn. for seven (count 'em, seven) years now. Like me, he was also part of the Triptych Cryptic collective for a time. The topics he touches on are wide-ranging and his writing seems top-notch to me. He also writes reviews for PopMatters and a few other sites. Do yourself a favour and head over to "Cheek"--I don't think you'll be disappointed.

2) Magick River Blog - I first met Antares M., who writes the "Magick River Blog", through cyber-space, when he found a post from my first solo blog, 21st Century Schizoid Man. The post was about Dr. Strangely Strange, the Irish psych-folk group. He e-mailed me and asked for a copy of some of their lyrics - which I provided (I was so excited that someone besides my really close friends were actually reading my blog!). In any case - we stayed in touch and Antares let me know about his blog when he fired it up. If you want to know what's really going on in Malaysia right now, politics and cultural-wise--this blog is the place to go. He also posts about a lot of other things..music, art, conspiracies...many many others. The content of his blog always seems excellent and Antares is a genuinely cool cat. Give him a visit, he deserves it.

3) Mr. Axl's Lovely Potato Farm - Axl (nee Paul Askew) and I used to work together in my short-ish tenure at the HMV in Oxford a couple of years ago.. He always made me laugh with his witty banter and turned me on to a number of great bands/artists that I would never have known. Sadly, I needed more cash and HMV's strange working regimens weren't really my bag, man--so I left. I still socialise a bit with Axl through Facebook and when I found out he had started a blog--I became a regular visitor. He posts a lot about music--usually ripping into some band that the NME has seen fit to idolise for a month or two, or some wanky crit-types who hype these bands. There's other stuff, too...his musings on his thoughts while bored at work, his "million-pound" ideas and loads of other funny commentary. One of Oxford's finest.

4) Only Maybe - Ths blog was created 3 years ago as an outlet for sombunall of the Maybe Logic Academy students. Over time the team has become a core of Bogus Magus and Bobby, with others contributing a piece here and there (including your humble blogger typing this). O.M. has now been incorporated into the main MLA on-line campus and it looked as if the blog was going to be left to drift into cyberspace, but some new posts have kept it alive...for now. The content..well, head over there a take a peek..some mind-blowing posts, for sure!

5) 10 Zen Monkeys - Another collective blog, to which the great R.U. Sirius sometimes posts. A lot of skewed pop-culture stories and some wry observations. I don't stop in there as often as I'd like, but when I do, I always find something interesting.

There's the round-up. I do like all of the other blogs in my blog-list and it was tough picking five out to nominate. Oh yeah, I'm supposed to link to the original site that hosted the award--you can find it here (it's a knitting site in Spanish...and I took French in high school..d'oh!). See you at the after-party!

Alan's Psychedelic Leftovers

7 Tir - Year 1387

Alright, musos! The new episode of The Kaleidophonic Stroboscope has now been posted (actually, it's been live for about a week now, but I was finishing the Carlin tribute and a few other things--so I didn't get to post here about it). Check it out here. I'm starting on the fourth episode soon--stay tuned and let me know what you think. 'Till next time, space children....

(Thanks to Singing Bear for 'bigging up' the 'Stroboscope at Tiz Yer Tiz this week)

R.I.P. George Carlin

20 Sivan - Year 5768

I only just found out about an hour ago that one of my all-time favorite American stand-up comedians, George Carlin, has died due to heart-failure. He was 71.

I first heard of him sometime in the early 80s, when browsing through one of those HBO 'what's-on-this-month' guides they used to send out. My aunt & uncle had cable TV, which seemed really 'modern' and advanced back then--definitely an enticement to want to stay over, besides hanging out with my cousins. Carlin was doing another of his umpteen HBO-televised specials (I think he was a pioneer of that format), but since I didn't really know who he was, I wasn't really interested in seeing it. Not that my aunt and uncle would let me anyway, even though they were a bit more liberal than my parents. A few years later...New Year's Eve 1984/'85, I heard my first Carlin album (or cassette, to be exact). It was On The Road, his 1977 record. My oldest cousin decided to have a tiny party over at his folks' place, as my aunt & uncle were going out for the evening. His friend, who was a few years older than me and a lot more 'hip', brought along some booze and some smoke. Not much happened, other than those two drinking quite a bit, my oldest cousin offering me and his younger brothers a cup each of blackberry brandy...and a few minutes of the de-scrambled Playboy channel, before it became static-ed out again. My cousin's friend also brought along some weed and had smoked a joint (or two). I hadn't been initiated yet and was very much against "drugs" at that point in my life. He wanted to hear some music, so he walked into my cousin's room and put Dark Side Of The Moon on the stereo (first time I ever heard that as well...). After a while, he took another cassette out of his pocket, put it down on the stereo and left the room, presumably to get more to drink. I looked at the tape, it was the Carlin album. I remembered his name and was curious about hearing him, so I popped the cassette in the player and listened for a bit. I'd like to say that I "got it" right away and had a comedic epiphany--but really I didn't understand a lot of Carlin's routines, especially the bits about getting high. Still, I liked the sound of his voice and his command of language.

I had received a clock/radio as one of my birthday gifts when I was 13 and I had already started tuning in to the local rock stations. One of them had a comedy program that was broadcast on Sunday nights. I started to listen regularly and started to hear more Carlin routines. One of my favorites was Ice Box Man, from the A Place For My Stuff album. It's a brilliant piece about the state of refridgerators and the foibles based around them. It's observational humor at it's incisive, but unassuming, best--the sort of thing Jerry Seinfeld and many others would base a career around, later in the 80s and early 90s, only not half as witty. I also was able to hear many of his 'classic' routines from the deservedly heralded early 70s records, like FM & AM, Occupation: Foole and Toledo Window Box. That moment on Class Clown, his album released in 1972, where he gets the audience to "pop their cheek" at the same time, is still one of my favorite moments on a record.

Carlin's own story has been told many times...born into one of the "Irish" sections of New York City, Morningside Heights, he started mimicking radio announcers at an early age. He atteneded Catholic school, which would provide him with a lot of material when his stand-up career really took off. He developed an interest in jazz and African-American culture and he would often hang out in Harlem, adopting the hipster slang and dress..and first experimented with marijuana, which would also influence his comedy later on.

He started up a comedy team with Jack Burns, when they both worked at a radio station. Burns and Carlin performed together for a few years in the late 1950s/early 60s and then Carlin struck out on his own. Carlin was able to land a few television appearances and he became quite popular, with some of his routines touching on counter-culture topics that would become the mainstay of his act in the early 1970s. His debut solo album, Take-Offs And Put-Ons, was released in 1967 and Carlin still looked like a "typical" comic of the time..suit & short hair and no facial hair. Around this time, he began to become disillusioned with playing the "whiskey joints" full of "squares". He seemed to embrace the counter-culture whole-heartedly--he grew his hair and a beard, wore tie-dye shirts and faded jeans and talked in a mellow, stoner purr.

Carlin's main notoriety derived from the infamous Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television sketch that appeared on the "Class Clown" record. Carlin was arrested in Milwaukee in 1972 for performing the bit at a show. WBAI, a radio station in New York, was fined by the FCC for playing Filthy Words, a routine from the follow-up to "Class Clown", "Occupation: Foole". He continued to perform and release albums throughout the 70s and early 1980s, and started his run of cable TV appearances. As the 1980s wore on and a new generation of comics took over the spotlight, Carlin's popularity declined a bit. His albums, like Playin' With Your Head and What Am I Doing In New Jersey, were largely ignored. Carlin concentrated on an acting career and his appearance in Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure, in 1989, sparked a bit of a revival in interest in Carlin.

He appeared in a few more films in the early 1990s and threw himself vigourously back into stand-up with even more HBO specials, like Jammin' In New York and Back In Town. It seems that the conservative counter-revolution in the 80s had a big impact on Carlin. He lost his 1970s hippie-dippy demeanor and derided human foibles with a cynical sneer. I must admit that while I still thought he was spot-on with most of his attacks, I missed the gentle way that Carlin would poke fun of his chosen targets. He seemed far too angry and prone to ranting and it seemed to distill some of the essence from his comedy. I was still glad he was around and making his sharp observations. Now he's gone--another of the humans I most admired has left the planet. Rest in Peace, Pope George...say "Hello" to RAW, Albert Hofmann, Tim Leary, Terence McKenna and all the others.

Original Falcons For Old Family Rifts

23 Pepper - Year 41 p.r.S.P.

I received an e-mail from Nick Tharcher last week - detailing the formation of Original Falcon Press. It seems that shortly after Dr. C.S. Hyatt's passing--Michael Miller, Hyatt's biological (and possibly estranged) son was allegedly able to get Hyatt to sign some papers stating that Miller would then control New Falcon Publications, Hyatt's book imprint, founded in 1979.

New Falcon (when began as "Falcon Press") was an outlet for books on magick, occult philosophy and other esoteric topics that more than likely wouldn't receive a "mainstream" publication. Over the years it featured titles by Robert Anton Wilson, Timothy Leary and Antero Alli, to name just a few of New Falcon's more well-known authors. Nick Tharcher was a good friend of Hyatt's and acted as a buisness partner in N.F. According to Tharcher, after Hyatt's death, he was effectively locked out of N.F. interests. In the meantime, Miller appears to be attempting to destroy N.F.'s reputation as a quality publisher.

I've visited New Falcon's website right after receiving Tharcher's e-mail and it does seem to lack the quality of the former site. The inflated prices for some of the items seem to belie a bit of a 'quick-cash' grab-in, to me. That and the request for a $1,000 donation for a Hyatt Memorial Library...hmmm...I won't go into those poor excuses for book-cover scans. I only hope that R.A.W.'s estate can rescue his books from New Falcon's clutches at some point.

I'll leave the reader to make their own decision about all of this cloak-and-dagger/family business stuff - but I know where I'll be shopping for any more of Hyatt's material.

Sicko/Blows Against The TSOG

Boomtime, Confusion 21, Year of Our Lady of Discord 3174

I watched Michael Moore's latest film, Sicko, last weekend. It's Moore's follow-up to Farenheit 9/11 and this time he's taking on the 'health-care industry' in the U.S. The film starts with a man suturing a large wound on his own knee, then shows another man who had suffered a radial saw accident. He had cut the tops off of two of his fingers and was given the choice of which of the two to have re-attached. He couldn't afford to have both operated on.

Moore piles on the horror stories, involving "regular Joes" and their insurance woes. He then steers the film into the topic of socialized medicine. Old propaganda films from the 1950s and early 60s are shown, spotlighting the American trepidation toward socialization, which might lead the U.S. into..gasp..Communism! Hilary Clinton's campaign for health-care reform in the early 1990s is pored over--she is depicted as a near-saintly presence, defeated in her quest by the vast conspiracy of greed-heads. To be fair, Moore does show that later on, Hilary was just as much in the pocket of the HMOs as any Republican candidate.

He wonders aloud about socialized medicine - then a travelogue takes place: Canada, England and France. He interviews in-patients in hospital waiting rooms, doctors and even American ex-pats (in London and Paris). Moore tags along with a doctor who makes house calls in Paris, visits a splendidly clean NHS-run hospital in London and talks with a splendidly clean doctor who makes quite a bit of money keeping his patients healthy. He then interviews Tony Benn, a dyed-in-the-wool Labour MP, about the National Health Service and what it means to the British people.

The last section of the film shows Moore rounding up a group of September 11th volunteer rescue workers who are now suffering ill effects from their exposure to the conditions at Ground Zero. The films' funniest bit shows the medical facilities at Guantanamo Bay. They are state-of-the-art--presumably to keep the prisoners alive after all that torture (oop..did I just type that?). He hires a few boats, has the rescue workers climb aboard and prepares to take them to 'Gitmo' to receive proper medical treatment. Naturally, they are turned away before they can even get close. They all end up in Cuba, where they receive first-class medical check-ups...and for free! That seemed like the film's most staged moment..and Moore doesn't waste any effort to tug on the sympathies of the viewer. Still, I did find it heart-warming to see those people in states of disbelief over getting good medical care.

As with anything Moore presents, it seems necessary to take what you are watching with a large grain of salt. He'll sweep any viewpoints or some facts aside if they don't happen to fit with his reality-tunnel. I can't really speak about Canada or France--but I've seen stories in the UK about NHS hospitals where the morale seems pretty low and there are long long waits for treatment. There are also all those stories of patients dying due to unclean wards and that "superbug", MRSA. Moore didn't really touch on those topics while touring that spiffy hospital in London. He also didn't seem to want to dwell on Cuba's appalling human rights abuses--Fidel Castro may have kicked out the Yankee exploiters, but he then seemed to embrace a very Stalin-esque form of Communism, but hey, they've got free health care.

If all this makes you think that I'm completely tearing Michael Moore down, then you have an Aristotlean 'either/or' present in your mind. I essentially agree with Moore's basic point--that affordable health care (or hey, even free) should be available to all, regardless of salary or background. The big lug may paint in very very broad swathes--but I agree that the privatized system in the U.S. seems a far worse model than the socialized ones in the UK, France, etc. Are they perfect? Of course not, and nothing seems to be. Still, the NHS services I've used have been efficient and the doctors friendly and attentive. For all of it's faults--I think it still does what it set out to do, all those years ago, immediately after World War II. The U.S. health care system wasn't all that great in the 80s and 90s and since the TSOG came to power, it seems to have only got worse. One more reason to chuck the bastards out.

Speaking of the TSOG, it seems that Dennis Kucinich has called for the impeachment of "C+ Augustus" himself. Will it happen? Probably not. Kucinich's attempt to have "Slick" Dick Cheney impeached last year ended with a stonewall action in Congress and a non-investigation. Ah well, even if Bush doesn't do any time - I think he'll still be remembered as one of the worst leaders ever, in any nation. He arrived in Britain on his 'farewell tour' of Europe and was greeted by protests. For all that, though, he managed to convince Gordon 'Clown' Brown to commit even more UK troops to the Afghan quagmire. Do not adjust your mind, you're still living on The Planet Of The Apes.

The Kaleidophonic Stroboscope Switches On - Part 2

15 Khordad - Year 1387

I found some time after returning from the holiday to finish the second episode of the podcast! This episode covers what was originally the 'second hour' of my written radio show proposal. You can listen to it here.

The track-listing for the episode is:

Intro.

Orbital - Tootled (from "The Altogether" album)

Pere Ubu - Non-Alignment Pact (from "The Modern Dance")

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Pride Of Man (from the s/t debut album)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Green Fingers (from the "A Kiss In The Dreamhouse" album)

Le Orme - Felona (from the "Felona E Sorona" album)

Brian Eno - The Big Ship (from the "Another Green World" album)

Aphrodite's Child - The Lamb (from the "666" double-album)

The Firesign Theatre - Temporarily Humboldt County (excerpt) (from the "Waiting For The Electrician Or Someone Like Him" album)

Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man (from the "Headhunters" album)

David Bedford w/Mike Oldfield - Stars End - Part 1 (closing section) (from the "Stars End" album)

Porcupine Tree - Space Transmission (from the "On The Sunday Of Life" album)

The Bonzo Dog Band - Jollity Farm (from the "Gorilla" album)

...I talk a bit more between some of the tracks as well. The third episode will be around in a bit. Enjoy!

ein gwyl yn Cymru !

We set off on Friday 16th May at about 9.30 and drove from Oxford, via Gloucestershire to Ross on Wye. We made good time so made a quick detour to the Weston's Cider Farm. Unfortunately they've stopped making the Cider with Ginger (my favourite drink ever) so I got a case of Oak Conditioned Medium Dry Cider instead. I also picked up a bottle of Premium Cider for a work colleague, who will only be allowed it once he says Please and Thank You. We crammed the cider into the already full car and set off again, past Symonds Yatt (we resisted the urge to go and say Hello to Barry - the weird owner of a cottage we stayed in a few years ago), via Monmouth and then followed Singing Bear's directions to Pontywaun. We arrived there around 2pm so decided to go on the Forest Drive SB had recommended. Even though it was starting to drizzle and get a bit misty it was spectacular. The drive took us to the top of the Forest and then down again, with a few stops at parking places to look at the wooden carvings, totem poles and views. Well worth £3. When we'd finished we took a brief walk around the bottom of the Forest, picked up a postcard for SB (for ironic purposes) and then checked into the B&B. After we'd settled in there we decided to take a walk around the village, but by then it was raining so hard we were getting drenched through our waterproofs so we found a pub, had a couple of drinks and a nice dinner, and then went back to the B&B to crash for the night.


The next day, after a huge breakfast provided by the very friendly B&B owner, we set off for Tenby. We thought about a quick detour to a castle recommended by a work colleague (Llantstephan) but by the time we drove past the turning I was getting a bit tired and it was raining hard so we decided to go straight to Tenby. Once we'd arrived, the rain had stopped so we had a wander round for a bit and then decided to find a B&B for the night. The ones on the seafront were too expensive so we went down a side road and found a lovely, clean place with friendly owners. We checked in and then went out again to explore. After another wander round the shops and beach we went to a pub to catch the last 15 minutes of the FA cup final. We supported Cardiff who unfortunately lost. After a drink we got take away Fish and Chips (I can't remember the last time I did that), had another drink and then a long walk along the beach. Then back to the B&B to crash out again for the night.



The next morning, after another quick walk (for me) along the beach we had another big breakfast and then set off again. We drove across the countryside to Cardigan - a lovely drive with spectacular views again. When we got to Cardigan we spent an hour looking around the town but as it was Sunday a lot of places were closed. We set off again and spent the next hour or two driving up the coast road to Aberystwyth. I think this was one of the most stunning drives of the whole trip with views of the coast from the road we were driving along for most of the way. We arrived in Aberystwyth and repeated the process of wandering round, finding a B&B and then more wandering round until dinner. This time we had dinner in an Inn on the pier and watched as dumb and dumber in the kitchen attempted to make Pizzas. Hilarious.



Monday morning we set off for Caernarfon. Again a stunning drive, this time through the Snowdonia mountains. It was a bit scary at times but the roads were ok and I went slowly (apologies to the huge line of cars stuck behind me !). We stopped in Portmeirion, set of the 60's tv show The Prisoner on the way. It cost £7 each to get in but it was well worth it. The village was lovely, picturesque, and exactly as you remember it from the tv series. We walked around a bit, spent far too much money in the shops (T-shirt, Celtic Vodka, Chutney, Welsh Liquor), saw all the famous spots and then got lunch from one of the cafe's (again - expensive). We then set off for Caernarfon, which was only about half an hours drive away. We located our cottage that we'd booked and then headed into the centre of town to look around and do some grocery shopping. When that we done we checked into the cottage (the caretaker was a very weird lady - we really don't have much luck with these people!), unpacked, and then went for a short walk around the immediate vicinity. Apart from an Indian over the road there wasn't too much about - which suited us just fine. We had an early night as we needed all our energy for the next day - the assault on Snowdon.

Tuesday morning we got up early and set off for Llanberis, which is a little village at the foot of Snowdon. We parked the car, found the mountain path and set off. The very first bit is up a steep road and that bit nearly made me turn back straight away but we continued, and the views as we kept walking were stunning. It was a nice day, sunny and cloudy, so we walked in just our t-shirts at first, then as we got further up had to put our hoodies on as well. The first hour was quite easy, then it started getting a bit steeper and harder. At one point the train went almost directly past us, full of people smiling and waving at us. Hmmmm. We eventually got to the half way point, where there was a little cafe. We sat outside it for a few minutes and drank some water. Then we set off again. This time it was much steeper and the path was really rough - we got about another quarter of the way up and then decided to give up and turn back. Going down was ok at first, but after a while it started to get to our legs. When the train went past us again I commented "If anyone smiles and waves at us this time I'm picking up the nearest rock and throwing it at them". Not that I would have had the energy by then !. We stopped after about half an hour and ate some lunch, which seemed to give us a boost and then set off again. By the time we got to the bottom my legs felt like jelly and I could barely walk - but we were very pleased with what we'd achieved. One day soon we hope to go back and try again. When we got to the bottom we picked up the car and drove back to the cottage. We had a short drive around the village and then crashed out for the night.

On Wednesday we went to Bangor - a lovely student town approx 15 miles away. We toured the shops and I left Sean in Cob Records while I looked round some more. An hour (and £80+) later he emerged from the record shop and we had a look around the small Cathedral, then a walk across the Victorian Pier. I will own up to the fact that I only put 2p in the Pier's honesty box and I owe them 48p if we're ever in that area again. The pier was nice, and had good views of the Menai bridge and the mountains. By this time we were feeling the after effects of the mountain climb so we headed back into Bangor and got lunch from Subway. After that we headed about a mile outside Bangor to Penrhyn Castle. It was the biggest place I've ever seen in my life ! It was still intact with all the furniture etc, and we even got to tour the Servants quarters (one of their smaller rooms was bigger than our entire house). We overheard a National Trust guide saying to someone that when the castle had been in use (late 19th or early 20th Century) it was owned by a family who only visited twice a year - what a waste !. After we'd seen the castle we had a walk around the garden, which was very nice. There were about 3 little ponds absolutely packed with tadpoles, and an intriguing Bog garden. Still feeling very warn out, we headed back to the cottage after we'd seen all we wanted.

On Thursday we visited the Lleyn peninsula. We stopped on Pwheli first, not much to see there but we had a nice walk around a Nature Reserve and got some Beer and Wine from a local shop. We then attempted to find a National Trust place called Plas-Yn-Rhiw. It didn't look too far on the map but it took as an hour to get there, mainly due to the fact it wasn't sign posted and also the fact that we took the wrong road a few times. At least we had a nice drive around the Peninsula. Abersoch looked nice as we drove through. We eventually found the NT place and it was well worth it. It was a smallish house donated to the trust by 3 sisters who had restored it. It had been left exactly as they had lived and was fascinating. The smallish garden was nice too. By then it was just starting to rain, and we set off in the car again. We'd planned to stop somewhere else on the way home but by then it was raining too hard so we just headed back to the cottage. Note: There was a hell of a lot of roadworks going on in North Wales - is that usual ? The rain had eased a bit when we got back so we went for a shortish walk and then started packing for the beginning of the return home the next day. That night we watched our last episode of Pobol y Cwm, a Welsh soap opera all in Welsh. By this time we'd become addicted to it, and had hoped we'd be able to pick the Welsh channel up on our Freeview when we returned home but unfortunately not.

On Friday morning we packed the car up and had a quick stop in Caernarfon before we set off again. We got some sweets for our work colleagues and some Welsh T-shirts for ourselves. We also got a Welsh-English dictionary and plan to teach ourselves Welsh. By this time we'd picked up quite a few words: Araf (Slow) Arafwych Nawr (Reduce Speed Now) Heddlu (Police) and Siop (Shop) being the main ones. We left Caernarfon around 11am and drove from there to Ludlow - a 4 hour drive. It was very nice, through the mountains, through the last of the Welsh Countryside and then into Shropshire. We'd spent a couple of hours in Ludlow last year on our way home and as it wasn't enough, so we'd decided to use it as an overnight stop this year. We checked into an Inn for the night and had a walk around Ludlow town and along the river. Ludlow has a very nice Hippie type shop called "Kaboodle" and we got a Beatles mug and a Gargoyle for the garden from there. We also found a very nice cafe to eat in that night - The Feathers Bar/Cafe. I had a refreshing (after all the rubbish I'd eaten that week) Thai Curry and Sean had Sole - and he really shocked me by eating the Capers that came with it. Unheard of !

The next morning, after our last big Breakfast for a long long time, we had another little wander around the shops, and the Market and then set off for home. It was a relatively short trip and by 12.30pm we were home. After that it was the usual stuff, unpack, do the washing, go grocery shopping etc.

It was a fantastic holiday, really relaxing and at the same time energising, and I've now got North Wales on my list of places to move to.

Off To Wales!

15 Kupris - Year 87 p.s.U.

Pixie and I will be off to the Welsh countryside for a week starting tomorrow. We'll be staying near Cardiff for the first night, then trekking up the coast towards Caernarvon. I've been told I can go here if I walk up here--oof, we'll have to see...that's gonna be a hike! It promises to be a great holiday, even if the weather's not ideal for late May.

I'll post a little something when we're back (maybe with some pics as well). I've started on the second episode of the podcast and will finish and post it after we've returned. Thanks to all who listened and left comments over at My Podcast. See ya when we see ya!

The Kaleidophonic Stroboscope Switches On!

5 Iyyar - Year 5768

Certain critters over the years have suggested I present a radio show. I'll admit that I was pretty lazy most of the time and never really got it together. I did audition at the Connecticut School Of Broadcsting...oh, about ten years ago now. I passed the audition, but the tuition fees were (are?) steep and at the time I couldn't afford to take out another loan to pay them. The coolest radio station in Conn. at that time was (and probably still is..) WWUH, the University Of Hartford's campus outlet. All of their time slots were filled and so I didn't have a chance there either.

A WWUH program that I "discovered" back in 1990, while hanging out with my friend Dave M., was The Greatest Show From Earth. T.G.S.F.E. features psychedelic rock, progressive rock, ambient and space music and is still going today. I discovered so many great bands and artists through that show, such as Gong, Fairport Convention and The Orb, to name just a few. It was the first radio show that I really listened to with any kind of devotion (O.K., besides Dr. Demento in the mid-80s and er..The American Top 40 (hosted by "Shaggy" himself, Casey Kasem) in '83/'84). I was a regular listener for nearly ten years, but then as I had collected most of the albums and bands they featured, I started tuning in only every once in a while. The set-up and style of T.G.S.F.E. had a big influence on me and I thought that if I ever was able to host a program, I would like to do something similar.

Another, more recent program that I regularly check out is Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. T.F.Z. started up on BBC 6Music a few years ago and also features a lot of psychedelic and prog-rock, as well as esoteric electronic stuff, British folk-rock and some jazz and world music. It's quite an excellent show and most of the time I think "Right on!" when ol' Stu plays a track I really like. A must-listen if you're into an eclectic muso-mix.

Sooooo...I finally got round to at least attempting to get a program going, with encouragement from a couple of different sources (Pixie being one). I wrote up a proposal and e-mailed it to a few local stations (even Fox FM, but I sent it there for a laugh really). I did get a couple of replies and both asked for a demo. Oop--I admit I was a bit under-prepared. I cobbled a demo together over the past two weeks, using Audacity and a mic that was lent to me (cheers, Baxter!). I'm trying to upload it to My Podcast as well--so anyone who wants to check it out, can do. I'm having problems with My Podcast's upload process at the moment--but I'll post a link to the episode as soon as it's ready.

(UPDATE: I finally was able to upload the mp3 file to "My Podcast" - you can check out the episode here)

The track list for the first hour is:

Intro.

The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever (take 4 - recorded late 1966)

Schicke, Fuhrs & Frohling - Sundrops (1976)

Coil - Slur (1987)

Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country (2000)

Caravan - Waterloo Lily (1972)

Klaus Schulze - Some Velvet Phasing (1974)

Jefferson Airplane - Fat Angel (live 1968 - released 1969)

Danielle Dax - Numb Companions (1983)

The Incredible String Band - The Half-Remarkable Question (1968)

Wire - I Feel Mysterious Today (1978)

You also get my dulcet tones in-between some of the tracks, as an added bonus! Enjoy!

The Great Bike Ride In The Sky

Setting Orange, Discord 47, Year of Our Lady of Discord 3174

It was announced earlier today that Albert Hofmann, who first synthesized LSD-25 in 1943, has passed away at his home in Switzerland. It seems fitting that he left the planet fairly close to the celebration of "Bike Day" (named for April 19, 1943--the first recorded acid trip in history. Hofmann ingested 250 mg of LSD and when the drug began to affect him, he left the Sandoz laboratory where he worked and pedalled his bike home, experiencing the peak effects on the way).

I posted in January, on Hofmann's 102nd birthday. It seemed amazing then and still seems incredible. He out-lived a lot of the politicians who helped to outlaw his discovery...and even a lot of it's early advocates. His impact on "the 60s" remains undeniable, though he was dismayed with a lot of the rampant experimentalism with LSD. I suspect he was just as woeful, if not horrified, by governement "intelligence" agencies--especially the C.I.A., trying to use the drug as a truth serum, or worse yet, as a mind-control device. Luckily, acid seems to affect individuals in a different way with every dose--so those programs were cancelled eventually. The biggest side effect was a lot of 'psychedelic spooks' running around Langley, dreaming up wacky schemes for the spy game--most of which were (hopefully) never funded. Unfortunately, on the other end of the cultural spectrum, but with a chillingly similar aim--Charles Manson reportedly used LSD and other psychedelics to cement his "family" bond together with the runaways who stayed with him, leading to the 1969 "Helter Skelter" murders.

The man himself recounts his own encounters with psychedelics (he also synthesized psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms) in his book, LSD, My Problem Child. It should be required reading for anyone interested in the study of conciousness and brain-change. He was a thoughtful, remarkable and enthusiastic supporter of research into the use of these compounds for therapeutic aims.

Hofmann was never able to see his discovery being scientifically researched as much as it had been in the 1950s and early 60s and that seems to be one of the great failings of the counter-culture. The mass panics of the late 60s and early 70s shut down any chance of legitimate research and as supplies of the pure ingredients needed to manufacture the compounds dwindled, underground chemists substituted less 'clean' substances in the street acid they made. This may have led to a lot more bad trips as time went on. Research has picked up in the past few years, but with MDMA and 'softer' psychedelics, LSD still seems to be taboo. Someday, scientists may pick up where Uncle Albert left off--'till then, we can still celebrate his contribution to The Tale Of The Tribe.

Rest in Peace, Dr. Hofmann!

A painting of Dr. Albert Hofmann by Alex Grey. Grey explains the painting:

'In my portrait of Dr. Hofmann, the eye of transcendental spirit in the upper left hand corner of the painting releases spiralic streams of primordial rainbow spheres of potential, one of which becomes a compassionate alchemical angel, whose tears drip down to anoint or 'create' the LSD molecule that the doctor holds in his hands, and a demon, here identified with Nazi power tugs or pushes at it. LSD opens a visionary gateway to the heart, as shown by the spiral of fractally infinitizing eyes resembling the stripey eye-spheres of the molecule, swirling into the center of the chest. On St. Albert's shoulder blade is a portrait of Paracelsus, the Alchemist of Basel, 500 years ago, who is credited with founding modern Chemistry, yet his alchemical goal was to discover the Philosopher's Stone. Alchemy was the art and science of the transmutation of the elements, like turning lead into gold and the identification of the soul of the alchemist with the chemical transformations as a metaphor of their journey ti enlightenment. Modern Chemistry took the psyche and mystery out of the material weighed and measured world, reducing the world to a heap of atoms. LSD brought psyche back, front and center to the chemical material world. That is partly why I believe that LSD is the Philosopher's Stone, the discovery of which, also in the town of Basel, is the result of an alchemical process put in motion by the great Paracelsus. In the portrait, I painted a lot of LSD personalities and symbolism in the aura of Dr. Hofmann. Some of these people were Dr Hofmann's friends, like Aldous Huxley, Gordon Wasson, Maria Sabina and Richard Evans Schultes. Each of these people had a special connection to psychedelics. Huxley wrote fearlessly about the psychedelic experience in The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, which also talks about Visionary states and works of art.'

Anniversary Weekend

9 Palotin - 135 De L'Ere Pataphysique

Pixie and I celebrated 4 years of marriage this past weekend. We usually have a day out, so we booked Friday off. This year, we decided to visit Coughton Court, a manor house located in Warwickshire. The family who owned the house, the Throckmortons, had links to the infamous Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The sky was a bit overcast, but the drive was pleasant enough. Coughton Court is maintained by the National Trust now, but we had borrowed Pixie's parents' membership cards and avoided the entrance fee.

The house has all the features of many stately English homes: the myriad oil portraits, ornate woodwork, antique furnishings and amazing views of the surrounding countryside. As mentioned, the most interesting feature of Coughton is it's part in the Gunpowder Plot. I didn't know much about the plot, other than the name of Guy Fawkes and that there was an attempt to destroy Parliament. I somehow had pictured the plotters as an anarchist bunch, almost proto-Weathermen. Erm..nope, turns out they were a group of Catholics plotting to destroy Parliament and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. The plan was discovered and the participants were chased over the countryside and after a stand-off (and an unfortunate accident, where some gunpowder exploded, while being dried near a fire and seriously wounded three of the group), ended in a gun battle and some of the plotters killed and others captured and executed. I suppose it shows that sombunall of the radicals of the 1960s failed to learn the lessons of earlier attempts at subversive violence.

After lunch in the car park, we had a quick walk around the grounds. Most of the gardens were closed, due to the flooding of last summer, but we checked out what we could. We were entertained by a couple of ducklings in a small pond--veering away from their parents, then 'motor-boating' it through the water back to them. We checked out the gift shop and the plant nursery--then left the Court.

Pixie suggested we stop in Stratford-upon-Avon on the way home. I hadn't there in nearly ten years, so I thought it was a good idea. We found a car park on the edge of the town centre and had a walk around. It looks pretty much the same as it had when I had been there last--especially the bit around Shakespeare's birthplace. They may have spruced up the museum entrance, I can't remember what it looked like. That part of Stratford is very tourist-y, with gift shops lining the streets and everything with a Bard-derived name. In another part of the town centre, market stalls were set up--with flowers, fruit & veg, picture frames and other wares. I was hoping for a CD or vinyl stall, but no luck. There was a musical instrument shop just off the square and I got to have a look round in there. The guitars were nice, but pricey. I noodled a bit on a digital keyboard that had an 'electric piano' setting. It didn't quite have that classic Fender Rhodes tone, but it seemed alright to me. We explored a few more shops (including a head shop and a rock T-shirt place) and then decided to leave before the rush-hour traffic formed.

Saturday (the 26th) was our actual anniversary day - so the family gathered at the local Indian restaurant in the evening for a meal. The food is delicious there and the service is excellent--the waiters seem attentive and friendly. It was sort-of a dual anniversary/birthday happening, as Pixie's mother's birthday was a couple of weeks ago and we didn't really do anything on the day. I also had a pint of Cobra beer with my food, which I do enjoy a lot. The evening wound down, we all split the bill and found our way back home. Pixie and I certainly enjoyed our long weekend--thanks to all who helped us celebrate!

We Done Got Tagged!

12.19.15.4.9 - 9 Muluk - 12 Pohp (G8)

Singing Bear tagged Pixie and I with one of those blog-meme games. You know, the kind where you answer questions about yourself. The rules on this one seem pretty simple--answer the questions, then pass the meme along (or "tag" bloggers that you know or associate with). Bear appears to have removed his meme post--that's O.K., though, I'll still play along...


Here's mine (Pixie can do her own, if she wants)...

Q. What were you doing 10 years ago?

A. Working in an architecture firm in Hartford, Conn.--I was essentially an office lackey/courier. It was the best paying job I'd ever had, up to that point, and I was still being paid peanuts. I lived in a pretty sweet, spacious apartment in Manchester, Conn, that I shared with two of my sisters and a friend/colleague that I knew from my part-time job (Borders Books & Music in Manchester). I worked about 60 hours a week and would listen to music, read or watch the toob in my spare time (which I still do, especially the music bit). I would also occasionally smoke marijuana and listen to my favorite psychedelic records. I was nearly 28 and ten years out of high school--this seemed to have some significance at the time. Noodling on my Fender Strat (the white 'Jimi-Hendrix-at-Woodstock' model--though I added some Celtic designs to the body and sprayed polyurethane on them, so now the front has more of an amber colour) and practising the one scale on the sitar I was learning were pastimes, too. Sometimes, I'd venture out to a bar on weekend nights and have a couple of beers while people-watching (this was especially fun at some of the white-trash bars around Conn.)

Q. Name 5 snacks you enjoy:

A. Cheese & Onion Pringles, Dark chocolate Kit-Kats, Monkey nuts (peanuts, for the Yanks), Pistachios, Jaffa Cakes

Q. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

A. Give some money away to people & causes that I choose, buy every record/CD & book that I want, live in a home large enough for my book and music collections, travel (I've always wanted to visit India, Spain, Italy & Morrocco), build a home recording studio, take time in the day to meditate properly.

Q. Five jobs that I have had:

A. Record store clerk (in a few different shops), Courier/Draftsman/Lackey at an architecture firm, Warehouse worker (temporary), Porter at a university (temporary), Heating/Plumbing sales associate at a famous department store (and no, I never asked any female customers if I could 'lay any pipe')

Q. Three bad habits:

A. Chewing my fingernails, 'Spacing out' while people are talking to me, Pessimistic thinking

Q. Five places I have lived:

A. East Hartford, CT., Manchester, CT., Boston, Mass., Hartford, CT. (very briefly), Oxford, England.

Q. Five people I want to know more about:

A. R. Buckminster Fuller, Giordano Bruno, Vivian Stanshall, J.G. Ballard, Boudicca


The 5 people I tagged: Working on this bit

Daytrip to 'Lunnon'

9 Rabi'ath-Thani - Year 1429

I was asked a couple of months ago by the publishers I work for if I wanted to visit the London Book Fair for a day. I accepted, as I've never been to a large-scale book fair and I hadn't been to 'The Big Smoke' in nearly ten years. My scheduled day was yesterday, so off I went.

The fair is being held at Earl's Court, where it's been for a number of years now. Six colleagues of mine were attending as well and we all met up at the train station in Oxford. Our train was on-time (wa-hey!) and we boarded around 9 a.m. Tickets and a tube pass were provided by the company. The journey was fairly quick, with only a few stops (Didcot, Reading & Slough) and I barely had time to listen to a few tracks on the iPod when we arrived at Paddington Station.

I admit I was a little creeped out by the thought that it had only been a few days since the announcement about that hapless BBC kids' TV presenter. We made our way to the tube platform and headed for the Earl's Court stop. I had never been to the Court and so didn't know how massive it is--it just dominates the street it's located on. It took us a little while to find the Gate B entrance and we were let in through a side door. The small corridor leading to the main floor reminded me of countless back-stage concert documentaries and for a split-second, I fantasized that I was in a band ready to take the stage. The floor area is as big as you'd expect it to be and was chock-a-block with publisher's stands. I felt quite a bit under-dressed, showing up in a T-shirt and jeans, as the place was basically a sea of business skirts and suits--with a Blackberry seeming to be the other ubiquitous fashion accessory.

We found "our" stand, after a cursory search, and hung around for a bit. There wasn't much for us to do, as these things mostly seem to be for the reps, who meet with their customers and arrange deals on books. A couple of people from my office were there and were helping out, but I guess they got the memo about the dress code, 'cos they were wearing suits as well. Us new arrivals stashed our coats (it's still quite chilly in England, despite nearly a month having passed since the equinox) in a cloak room/storage space at the back of the stand. After that, our boss bought us coffees (mine was a peppermint herbal tea) and we met back at the stand. The stand was pretty large--the company had obviously splashed out a bit on it, with nice tables and chairs for the wheeling and dealing.

A group of us decided to have a look around and set off into the labyrinth of stands. We didn't have much time to really stop anywhere and investigate the titles, so the fair became a bit of a blur of books and people sitting at tables. One company had some ace holographic postcards and bookmarks on display, but weren't selling them, otherwise I would've bought a bookmark. A lot of publishers had freebies at their stands, and some were pretty nice. I didn't take that much-- a couple of pens, a coaster with a photo of London Bridge embossed on it and a mouse mat. One of my colleagues got a 'cordless mouse' at another stand. I went back later and asked for one, but the one I was given has a cable that connects into the USB port of the PC. It's also not very sturdy-looking either, but it was free. I haven't tried it out yet.

We all met up again at 12:30 p.m. and my boss announced it was time for lunch. We joined the queue at Pizza Express, but it was moving quite slowly. Of course, it was standard 'lunch-time' and a lot of other folks had the same idea we did. It was decided that we would leave the venue for lunch, so our group trooped off down Earl's Court Road. Zizzi's was picked as the spot for munching and I ordered a Quattro Formaggi pizza (yum-yum!). I hesitated to order a beer, since lunch was on the company--but I think it would've been alright. By the time we had returned to the Book Fair, there was only a short time before we had to head back to the tube station. I visited the Omnibus Press stand (they publish a lot of music/band-related titles) and tried to buy the display copy of The Saga Of Hawkwind, but again, no dice.

Back at Paddington, we found out that our train back to Oxford had been cancelled. Luckily, another one on the same route was about to leave and there were empty seats aboard. The train sped back toward Oxford and arrived at the station just past 3:30 p.m. I didn't have to be back at the office, so I walked into town for a spot of CD shopping. The new Van Der Graaf Generator record has been released, so I thought I would pick it up. Unfortunately, the only choice now is with one of the chain shops. The dreaded Borders had it for the lowest price (£10.99), so I bought the VdGG and Sigur Ros' newest EP, Hvarf-Heim, for Pixie (well, and me, too). Reviews of those to possibly appear soon--I've checked out most of the VdGG and it's O.K., though I think it would've been much better with David Jackson's involvement. Ah well, it's still good to have the boys around.

I've read a few articles decrying the Book Fair and the decline of British publishing. It may be true, for all I know about the ins and outs and shake-it-all-abouts of publishing. Sure, the Fair may be more about pomp and circumstance, marketing and back-slapping--but it made a pretty cool day out for me. I could just be easily amused, though.

He Was A Friend Of Ours - Herbie The Black Labrador 1995-2008

Month 3, Day 1 - Year Of The Rat (Lunar Calendar)

I first met him in August 2003, when I flew over to England to meet Pixie, after months of e-mails and phone conversations. We arrived at the house, opened the door and immediately this black shape jumped up on me to greet me. It was Herbie, the Black Labrador, whom I had heard a lot about. We became fast friends, he was so full of energy and personality.

Pixie adopted him in '95, when he was nine months old. They stayed at her folks' place and he went along on their holidays. There's a funny story of him sniffing aound in a rock pool, on a beach in Cornwall, having his nose pinched by a crab and leaping up a foot in the air. When Pixie bought the house we live in now--she had the stairs carpeted, so Herb wouldn't slip on them.

I visited again in October 2003 and again, Herb leaped up to greet me as if I'd never left. We bonded some more and I missed him nearly as much as I missed Pixie when I had to go back to the States. I still had my cat Sorcha at the time and it was a tough decision to leave her behind to move to England. Luckily, my brother agreed to take her in, until we could have her brought over. I flew over in February 2004 and because I couldn't legally work until Pixie and I were married--Herb and I became the "Daytime Dynamic Duo", watching crap morning TV together and hanging out for a couple of months. He would crash out on the bed or in the spare room, then race downstairs as soon as he heard me opening the bread wrapper to make lunch. His hearing was preternatural when it came to food--like most Labradors. He would also race downstairs, every day, in the late afternoon, almost precisely 20 minutes before Pixie arrived home from work--stake out his place on the sofa where he could see out of the window and wait patiently for her to walk through the door. He would run over to his bed, grab a toy (usually a plastic postie-man, his favourite) and meet her with his tail wagging ferociously and his quick panting sounded similar to a 40-a-day smoker's wheeze. We would take him to some fields nearby for his walk, come home and Pixie would conjure up that magical moment, his supper-time. He'd gulp down his food, then try to beg some of our dinner from us, the cheeky sod! Afterward, he would squeeze himself onto the sofa with us and we would watch the toob.

After Pixie and I married, I was able to work and so couldn't hang out with Herb as much. I temped over the summer, then got a job at the Oxford Borders. As with many retail gigs, the shifts aren't exactly 9-to-5 and my schedule was a bit erratic. I had a particularly nasty late shift that started at 2:30 in the afternoon and finished at 11 p.m. One of the only good things about it was that I could hang out with Herb in the morning and then when I returned at night, he would be there at the door with one of his toys. I would give him some fuss and then head upstairs to sleep. I had to work on Sundays and so I missed a lot of his weekend walks, which was a drag. After I left Borders, I got another job with one of their competitors. The late shifts weren't too late, thankfully, but I still had to work weekends. He was still greeting me at the door whenever I arrived home and it always cheered me up to see him. I was able to get a 9-to-5 gig a couple of years ago and started joining Pixie and Herb on his nightly walk and most of his weekend ones--it was so good to be able to spend more time with both of them. Last autumn, I started going on his morning walks as well, as I hadn't really done so before--not much anyway.

Herbie was 8 (in 'people years') when I met him--which is just over middle-age for most dogs. We knew that he only had a certain amount of time left, but we were being optimistic about how long he would have. My brother kept asking what was happening, because he wanted to know how long he would have to care for Sorcha (they had what can best be described as a 'fraught relationship'). I kept putting him off, saying I would let him know when it was O.K. Eventually, her behaviour deteriorated and he couldn't keep her anymore. Since Herb was still with us--I couldn't have her brought over here. The decision was made to put her to sleep and it was sad, but I couldn't find a suitable home for her and she and Herb in the same house would've been a nightmare.

Last summer, Herb turned 12 and we noticed that he started to have trouble negotiating the stairs. He also wasn't able to walk all the way to the fields like he used to, so Pixie started to drive him over there. We knew that it was the symptoms of old age, but he was still so lively that it didn't seem to bother him much. In the past six months, he started to have "accidents" in the house and we noticed his legs starting to bother him a bit. We had to buy a child-protective stair gate to prevent him going upstairs. Pixie and I were concerned, but again, he still seemed relatively O.K. for a dog his age. A couple of weeks ago, though, there was a morning where he wasn't active at all. He barely moved and when he finally managed to get up for his morning walk, he was shaky and his legs seemed to be very brittle. We quickly made an appointment with the vets and brought him over. The vet told us it was arthritis and nothing to do with a lump we had found a couple of months previously (that was just a fatty deposit, we were told). He gave Herb a shot of a cortisone-like drug and we returned him home.

The shot improved him almost immediately and he seemed to be back to his regular self again. The vet also gave us some pills for Herb and told us to give him one a night. Everything was great--until last Friday. He was really slow-moving and could barely handle a ten-minute walk at night. We were worried, but unsure of what to do for him. I thought maybe we should wait and see how he got on. Saturday showed his condition worsen. He wouldn't move at all and his walk lasted about five minutes. When he returned home, he wouldn't move again and when he tried to move, he would yelp in pain. I'd never seen him like that and it was horrible. Pixie phoned the emergency vets and we took him there in the late afternoon. The vet did her best to comfort us, but she did let us know that any 'patching up' would be temporary, because of his age. We had to make a decision--and after some very agonizing moments, made it. After the injection, I stayed with him and wept over his peaceful body.

You often forget, when you share a home with canine, feline and other critters, that their life span is much shorter than humans' and they get old and fragile. They're such a joy to have around, but eventually--they leave the planet. Herbie was here when I arrived and he's been a constant companion in my life for the past five years. He was a beautiful dog and he lived a full life. He had such presence and the house seems much emptier without him here. He was suffering though, and it would've been selfish to keep him around just so we wouldn't be without his presence. It was my first time losing someone very close to me and it's been really tough to accept. My grandfather passed away in 1993 and my uncle in 2004, but to be honest, I wasn't that close with either of them and while I felt a sense of loss--it wasn't as visceral as what I've been feeling. I missed Sorcha, too, but since I wasn't with her when she left, it didn't hit me quite as hard as Herb's passing. Perhaps I'm only now greiving for all of them, as well as Herb. Pixie is devastated too, even more so, since she knew him longer. Eventually, the pain will subside and we'll get used to him not being here, but we'll have our memories and we'll miss him for quite some time.

I haven't felt like playing any music in the past couple of days, but this morning I wanted to spin The Grateful Dead's American Beauty, specifically the song Box Of Rain. I thought it would be appropriate as a little tribute for Herbie. Phil Lesh wrote it for his father, who was dying around the time the album was being recorded. Good-bye, Herbie--we miss you and love you, buddy!


"A box of rain will ease the pain/and love will see you through..." --The Grateful Dead, 1970

April Arrives!

• The Court Jester
• The Fool (Dutch psychedelic art group) /Marijke Koger's site
• April Fool! Hey, did I sound like a cop, man? Why are you crying?
• Hoaxes With The Mostest
• The Walrus Was Paul?
• Wile E. Coyote
• And how are you tonight, Mr. Wilson?
• Fool's Gold
• Chain Of Fools