For those of you who've been reading my last few entries, you know that I was suffering from a major case of cold feet about going to Grad School. I'd taken a good look at the course work and had a sudden attack of nerves; the same any person will, I suppose, when confronted by a great task laid before them. I think what bothered...
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Beowulf wrestling Grendel
Joseph Campbell once said, and I am of course paraphrasing, that the purpose of Mythology and religion is to teach people how to function, and come to grips, with the world around them. Yes, it teaches ethics and the like, but its main function is to teach people that the world is a harsh place; but here's how you deal with...
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The school stuff isn't as tough as it seems. I write 20 page papers in 3 days and I am not the writer that you are.
I've been wanting to go to Ireland for quite some time now. I feel there's just something drawing me there, quite strongly recently. How was it that you ended up there?
....If you don't mind me asking.
I'm feeling a bit embarrassed. I've read my last few journal entires over on here and I'm coming to the rather sobering conclusion that....I'm an intellectual. I've suspected it for years, true, but I've railed against it with all my might for fear of becoming one of those pretensious blowhards who sit around coffeeshops all day, smoking cigarettes, having 'deep' conversations and really having no...
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This is a very long and involved journal. I know people don't usually read these things all the way through, (and maybe thats a good thing!), but this is one of the more personal ones I've ever written. So, if you want to get a glimpse of my twisted little mind, read on. If not...run screaming for the hills!
I think it might well help...
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And it's after 3 AM and I've been listening to a very weird (even by my standards) 22 1/2 minute piece I recorded circa 1987 on guitars and synthesizers and other keyboards with some weird effects (including some 'laughter' of loons at sunrise played backwards with varying echo effects) entitled "Nighttime Excursion Through The Synthetic Jungle" under the pseudonym 'Genji Muffenflower & His Eggplant Titmouse Orchestra.'
My brain is squirming like a toad.
First, Joseph Campbell rules. He's had not only a profound influence on me throughout my Life, but has been vastly quoted and influential in music. Jimmy Page and The Grateful Dead come to mind first - the latter actually worked with him on occasion, providing music for some of his shows. With a name culled from an American Heritage Dictionary entry referring to old Folk tales as well as being a term in The Egyptian Book O f Th Dead, this shouldn't be too much of a surprise, though. But I read Campell's stuff before I got too heavily into music (I was 'into' music in 1973 but other than Hank Sr and Roy Acuff I wasn't obsessed with so many avenues of music until 1977-78). Mythology I began reading about in 1970 (Kindergarten - also when cellular biology entered my young mind, courtesy of mitochondrial and protochondrial references in The Wind In The Door and A Wrinkle In Time - these also discussed seraphim and cherubim, which also affected me in my theological mysiticistic interests).
Enough on Campbell and such. On to the passing out kid.
I was reading within the last year about kids VERY commonly suffocating themselves and each other intentially for the "high" (actually apoxia and its resultant neurolysis secondary - in other words, getting not high, but stupid -like inhalant-huffing). There was a sort of local kid found dead in her room having strangled herself for the rush.
Now, as to the "seeing things," I used to like spinning until dizzy, partly becasue of the stroboid effects on my vision as I whirled, and partly because of the ensuing dizziness. But, what first came to mind as I read this was something Neil Young once said about his epilepsy. Backstory- although he was in Buffalo Springfield and always around tons of psychedelics, he never took LSD because he was afraid, and it was a warranted fear, that in might exacerbate his condition. He had seizures on stage from time to time, to the extent that some bandmatesuspected him of faking it to get the attention of women (Neil was notoriously shy and insecure around the hipppie chicks at the time). Anyway, he said the experiences his friends described were just like his post-seizure mindstates. He said sometimes there would be a whole world with an entirely different cast of characters - my ex was not epileptic but during her alcohol psychosis states she would suddenly thing everyone was someone else - and people that never ACTUALLY existed - and would treat people according to the fictional persons she thought they were - then she'd have no memory of the entire chapter in her Life.
Back to Neil, in his post-seizure world, the people were childlike and lies were nonexistent. You know, like how a child is appalled the first tiem s/he hears his/her parents be dishonest in the least? He came out of one of these excursions into his alternate reality (often makes me wonder about the possibilty that these psychotic states might not be delusions at all, but may indeed be doors into truly existant areas in the Multiverse) and his personal physician, who lived on his Broken Arrow Ranch, suggested they don't tell pepole about the seizure to avoid unnecessary publicity or concern and to protect his privacy. Neil was mortified, still in the childlike semi-dream state and said something like "You mean . . .lie???"
Oh, and I think History was likely a good choice for you. That said, psychology doesn't necessarily mean having to overtly treat patients. There are areas of research that could be explored. Of course, those usually necessitate interaction with patients for the purposes of Observation, Interpretaton, and Speculation, which is, I suppose, not TOO far removed to treating them.
Well, I read your entire JE.
Will you make it through this entire comment?
I just got done listening to some Chuck Berry. A friend of mine is a huge fan, and mentions Berry from time to time and, I'm rather ashamed to admit; I didn't have a good idea of the man's music.
Its all part of an effort of mine to explore the roots of Rock'n'Roll. For years now I'd written off the 50's as a rather...
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So...just wanted to say thanks for the support on the rejected set! I'm hoping for a SCS for sure...with this one!
XOXO
One Too Many Mornings #1 - written by Bob Dylan 3:25
One Too Many Mornings #2 - Written by Bob Dylan _ quite a different rendition 4:06
Good Old Mountain Dew - Written by Lunsford/Wiseman 1:54
I Still Miss Someone - Written by J. Cash/R. Cash 2:34
Careless Love - Traditional _ The longest track and perhaps the funniest 7:15
Matchbox - Written by Carl Perkins _ sloppy or spontaneous 3:13
That's Alright Mama - Written by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup2:50
Big River - Written by J. Cash 2:04
Girl Of The North Country - Written by B. Dylan 3:51
I Walk The Line - Written by J. Cash 2:48
You Are My Sunshine - Written by Davis/Mitchel 3:28
Ring Of Fire - Written by J. Carter/M. Kilgour 2:33
Guess Things Happen That Way - Written by J. Clement 1:51
Just A Closer Walk With Thee - Traditional -- also funny - Dylan's still Jewish and doesn't know the song but tries to sing it with John anyway 2:55
Blues Yodel # 1 (T For Texas) - Written by Jimmie Rodgers 3:11
Blues Yodel # 5 - Written by Jimmie Rodgers 2:47
Now, as to your band-starting idea, it may sound lame, but hang out at local bands' gigs, talk to them AND the people around them. Musicians often know other musicians and go to support local bands and see them play, so it's a great place to meet musicians, some of whom may want to start a band.
Give it a shot. Worst case scenario: You see live music and meet new people.
As I'm writing this, my new kitten, who I've had for a week, is doing his best toclimb onto my shoulder to sleep. He's a good cat, if not a trifle bit annoying. He's gotten better, but still seems to operate under the assumption that, if I leave the apartment, I might never be coming back! The result though, is not him being overly affectionate...
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(finally decided to write a new journal; 12 comments on the last one was a new record me, I think. Thanks for all the kind words on my haircut)
I'm finally finished!
About three years ago I was walking through Presque Isle Park in Marquette when my eye caught the memorial to two college students who had died there back in the late 80's. There...
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