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Politics and Racism

Another U.S. election has come and gone and I’m more inclined than ever to NOT watch TV news and the like. The level of negativity and vitriol is exhausting. That said, there are a few points I can’t help but to make….

1st off, I must state that I’m not a partisan. I have been greatly disappointed by both major parties in my lifetime. If I was to label my political philosophy, I’d lean towards “Anarchism” in the classical definition and Christian Anarchism to be more specific. I’m also a realist and know that we as a society are not evolved enough to have a state-less society as described in classical anarchism. That said, I have, at the least, suspicion of those who seek power and, at the most, contempt.

All that is to say that I am very disappointed in where we as a society seem to be. That racism is no longer a disqualifier, after a brief period in our history (post-Civil Rights movement) where it was, disgusts me. It has emboldened people to display ugliness. I speak not just from observations made in the media but also from recent personal experience. I find myself being suspicious of people in public spaces…and I hate that.

It is my hope that things will not continue to get worse in regards to civility. It is my hope that people who profess to be Christians will remember The Sermon on the Mount before they cast disparagement at their neighbor in support of a leader who, by any observation, lacks the ability to be sympathetic or charitable. It is my hope that love will prevail. Perhaps we must 1st experience more ugliness and pain before “our better angels” emerge.

I will finish this borderline rant by expressing my core values. I’m unapologetically, unequivocally opposed to racism, xenophobia, homophobia (or any social “phobia”) and violence. I have no tolerance for any of that BS. I’m of mixed race (BTW, who isn’t?!) and am married to a Filipina immigrant. I have no time for anyone who I perceive as a threat to those I love.

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4 Years Today….

We lost Eddie Van Halen 4 years ago today. There is a growing list of artists near and dear to me that have passed on. That’s what happens when we grow old. But Eddie has left the biggest void and remains the strongest “shock”. I miss him and truly cherish his legacy.

Alan

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Last Piece of Upcoming Release

Hello:

Having debated on releasing singles vs an album, I’ve opted for a “mini album” (EP is so 1977). It will be released on Bandcamp before the end of 2024. I have to master the last piece which I’m putting the final touches on. I have a trip planned for end of October so I’m going to target a December release date. More to come.

Cheers,

Alan

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Practicing Nonviolence

From the Center for Action and Contemplation:

Franciscan peacemakers Rosemary Lynch and Alain Richard have identified ten “commandments” for those seeking to live a spiritual life of nonviolence. They call it “The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence”:

Active nonviolence calls us:

  1. To learn to recognize and respect “the sacred” in every person, including in ourselves, and in every piece of Creation….
     
  2. To accept oneself deeply, “who I am” with all my gifts and richness, with all my limitations, errors, failings and weaknesses, and to realize that I am accepted by God….
     
  3. To recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another, comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also in me….
     
  4. To renounce dualism, the “we-they” mentality (Manicheism). This divides us into “good people/bad people” and allows us to demonize the adversary. It is the root of authoritarian and exclusivist behavior. It generates racism and makes possible conflicts and wars.
     
  5. To face fear and to deal with it not mainly with courage but with love.
     
  6. To understand and accept that the New Creation, the building up of the Beloved Community is always carried forward with others. It is never a “solo act.”…
     
  7. To see ourselves as a part of the whole creation to which we foster a relationship of love, not of mastery, remembering that the destruction of our planet is a profoundly spiritual problem, not simply a scientific or technological one. We are one.
     
  8. To be ready to suffer, perhaps even with joy, if we believe this will help liberate the Divine in others. This includes the acceptance of our place and moment in history with its trauma, with its ambiguities.
     
  9. To be capable of celebration, of joy, when the presence of God has been accepted, and when it has not been to help discover and recognize this fact.
     
  10. To slow down, to be patient, planting the seeds of love and forgiveness in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Slowly we will grow in love, compassion and the capacity to forgive.
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Travel and Upcoming Music

Soooo…I’ve been traveling lots recently. Much of July was spent in Kuwait which was interesting. Most relentless heat I’ve ever experienced. I did meet and befriend some very kind people which is always the big plus of any of my travels. But there is nothing better than coming home.

I’m finishing the mixing/mastering of a piece I started in June. Tentative title is “Melancholic”. I’m not sure if I’m going to release it as a single or compile some more pieces for an album. I’ll see as more music comes forth.

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New to the Archive…Evidence of my Rock and Roll past circa 1996

I was able to transfer a very old demo piece, circa 1996, from a decaying cassette tape to MP3. The title of this is “Emillo”, named after a character in a movie. Its a heavier instrumental indicative of my Rock and Roll days of youth. The quality is rough. This was recorded on an old Fostex 4 track recorder. The “master tape” is long gone as is the recorder. Items used to record this include an Ibanez Destroyer guitar, Digitech RP multi-effects board, an Alesis drum machine….and the rest escapes my memory.

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Steve Albini and some random thoughts.

Steve Albini, renowned producer and musician, passed away suddenly at the age of 61. He’s probably most known for producing Nirvana’s “In Utero” but he did so much more. He engineered every Neurosis album since 1999 which are, in my opinion, some of the best albums ever. He also produced Page/Plant’s “Walking into Clarksdale”. He was an intelligent man with principles rooted in the DIY/Punk Rock ethos. I admire that. He shall be missed.

Random thought #1: I’ve spent over a month in Green Bay. Not a bad place to be. But when I asked someone what a cheese curd was, she looked at me like I had just grown a 3rd eye. I’ve yet to try one.

Random thought #2: Its been two years since we got rid of satellite TV and, thus, any access to CNN, MSNBC, Fox, or any other “mainstream” (HA!) news outlets. Having spent several weeks in a hotel, I watched a little of the news….enough to turn it off in haste and in gratitude that I don’t subject myself to that crap any longer.