The US Vs. Lennon

"Of all Lennon's legacies, one of the most enduring, and perhaps the most impressive, is who his enemies were. The true measure of his greatness was that in the 1970s he terrified the most powerful man in the world. 
Shortly before the release of his powerful "Imagine" album in October 1971, Lennon and Yoko Ono decamped England and moved to New York. The album and the "Imagine" single immediately topped the charts and solidified Lennon's position as the world's most influential rock star. Lennon was at the height of his political involvement at this time, railing against the war in Vietnam and many other injustices. Within weeks of arriving in the U.S. he was meeting with Jerry Rubin and other members of the New Left. 
Lennon expressed interest in partaking in fund-raising, voter-registration anti-war rallies and concerts, which would take place in many of the 1972 primary states. With the full protection of the First Amendment (which protects citizens and noncitizens alike) Lennon's intended actions were completely legal. 
But some Republicans worried that the popularity of John Lennon could help galvanize the anti-war movement and result in a massive vote against Nixon. On February 4, 1972, Senator Strom Thurmond sent a secret memo (later brought to light via a Freedom Of Information Act request) in which he railed about Lennon and the danger he could cause the President's 1972 reelection campaign. The proposed solution? Revoke Lennon's visa. "If Lennon's visa is terminated it would be a strategy (sic) counter-measure." But, Thurmond noted, "caution must be taken with regard to the possible alienation of the so-called 18-year-old-vote if Lennon is expelled from the country." 
The result? John Lennon was on the receiving end of a four-year campaign of FBI surveillance and INS harassment. In 1975 the INS chief counsel on the case resigned his position, telling Rolling Stone that the U.S. government was being more vigorous in its attempts to deport John Lennon than it was in its attempts to expel Nazi war criminals. 
It's hard to think of a single artist or entertainer prior to, or since, John Lennon who had that kind of impact. No other creative artist has ever induced that level of fear in a man who is ostensibly the most powerful man in the world. Ideas, honesty, passion, humor and brilliant empathetic songs it seems were more powerful. Just imagine that...." - Time (12/08/00)

Orange Juice Blues

Being sick sucks. However, some of us can handle ourselves feeling under the weather many times better than others. I happen to be a person who doesn't get too bent out of shape with the common cold. I'm lucky I guess. I also don't catch illness to often, I leave that to weaker members of my family...
Do I have a secret to wellness?! Well, I don't really think so. Part of my illness-combat technique involves my high metabolism which some simply don't have. The other essentials that I resort to are making sure I get plenty of Vit. C and, best for last, chewing garlic. That is right. Raw garlic. The key is to eat before you chew. That way the garlic doesn't burn a hole through your stomach. And when I say 'chew' I mean chew to a pulp, until your ears burn and your chin is wet with tears. I know some who cut the garhlic up and swallow it or take garlic pills... this simply doesn't work as well. The point is to reduce the clove to its telos (which is to kick ass) and spread that poison juice all over the area affected (my throat and nasal cavity currently). Yes, you will stink... that is fact. But stinking is better than being ill. [Ed. Note: the reverse would be true for playing music]

17 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes, and counting...

Sooo... I've come to the conclusion that the best of the good things that come in life are absolute surprises. Yes, yes, working toward goals and enjoying their successes are extremely important as well as other truely fulfilling actions such as enjoying sacrifice and determining needs from wants... But to me, as I think right now, nothing quite puts fuel in your tank quite like the completely unexpected. All of you out there reading this are most likely anticipating that I'm about to put some specifics to what I'm trying to get at.... I'm not. Just rest assured that as of this moment I'm extremely content. Bursting with happy excitement actually!
Perhaps I should show it in a photo... metaphorically of course.



The greatest thing that can happen to a man who is turning to face his demons is encountering an encouraging angel who wants to be by his side.

Cleaning my desktop

As with the rest of the universe, the second law of thermodynamics works out just great on my desktop. Where there once was a lovely picture of my liking, whose purpose; to always cheer me up, there always tends to be clutter. Lots_of.pdf files, school documents, my photos that have long been emailed, and a odd stack of other photos. These photos come from all over my caffine-driven rambles across the vast desert that is the internet. I collect them simply because...
Here are some of the better ones currently clobbering up my cyber-desk.
Hope you enjoy!

Saturday Night's Entertainment

The other night I went to see FMR. It was different from other shows because they (and two other bands) played in a family thrift store! I must admit, this is the second time I've seen them and it has been nearly two years since the last time so I don't really know how to judge their playing except to say that I thought they sounded good and everybody around me did as well. I would have probably jumped around a little more during the last couple of cuts but I was holding a precious imaging device and trying to prtect it like a new-born. Good times. Here are some more photos.








A heated baseball discussion erupted post show.


Then we all went out for beers at the Albion.

Kozmic Blues

"Time keeps moving on,
Friends they turn away,
Well, I keep moving on
But I never found out why
I keep pushing so hard a dream,
I keep trying to make it right
Through another lonely day."

-Janis Joplin

as, the, to, them... and other common terms.

Funny, I gave myself 20 minutes to make a new post and 17 of them are gone by now. What happened?!? Well, I updated this blog to the newest version... (thanks big googler) and found three photos to put up and then thought up the brilliant title. (OK, the title is half-assed, but it took .764 mintues to write)... and now all the time is gone. Oh well, here are the picts.





Peace out cheese balls, keep munching.

Modern Times

Some of the latest off the sensors.



*


Just thought I would post some semi-random picts from the last little bit of my life.

*middle photo by t.y.

Blancalicious

Sometimes I really feel as though I have lost every funky bone in my body. It doen't matter whether the funky bones were real or imagined, at some point(s) in my life I thought I was hip in a sly way. These days I'm not so sure. If I do feel really cool, a cut from different fabric, it is usually halfway through my 6-pack and I wind up injuring myself before the night is out. Is it age? Is this condition what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life? If so, poor me, and poor you if you are stuck with me on the dance floor.



Might I propose a theory of funkyness? With every age comes a funkyness. Even though your numerical age changes every year and tehcnically you are aging with every breath, (Fuck off Sting), this is all nonsense. You really age in five year increments. This truth was revealed to me this summer by a great Northumberland philosopher who was evading the modern philosophical circuit by shaking a martini shaker for young, beautiful, rich women. (What a smart man!) Applying hyper-meta-theor-o-physical enlightnement laws I have decided that this, the 5-year incrementation of age, is why I feel about as cool as cold dog-shit lately. I just turned 25 (about 2.3 weeks ago as I write this) and I haven't found the perspective at which I can regain my cool hipness. I wonder how long it will take to find it? Most likely, hunting for it incessantly will not get me anywhere. More likely, I will find my new, awaiting, niche in this era of life by performing activities that make me completely forget about ever trying to be 'cool'. With this approach I will most likely encounter a period where I care more about how I think of myself rather than what others think about me.

Them.

A generous gift* from my neighbor has unlocked my vinyl collection and I am born again. It has been far too long to go without listening to 'the black' and I am now 'a pig in shit'. (Good description because I prefer to take records out and not put them back.) Oh baby, there are so many good albums to be heard once again. So many. Rare Duke Ellington, Hendrix and The Traveling Wilbury's Vol. 1 were among the first tracks to be belted out. Now Van Morrision is belting it out. ohhhhhh...... if only I could do this for the rest of the day..... or ride my bike, or work on my MG. But No. Life is not so sweet. Actually, life is rather cruel in the 'essay' and 'group presentation' department(s) so I must get back to work. Complicating my work-ethic currently is a disturbing distraction. My sister and her boyfriend are in-house and they behave like two squids in a twister competition. It looks like I'll have to leave my warm vinyl nest and brave the outdoors to go and try summarize a couple of really exciting case studies on Vit. A while being served coffee by fine, fine ladies. Wish me luck.



*- I had attempted to buy a needle at one point but the clerks at the hippity-hoppity store were more like jerks and I was biding my time before I went back in or found another needle distributor.