THE JO-TEL … illegal blog downfield

I am not a man, I am dynamite.
                                 -Nietzsche

#18

You know how the Buddhists talked about lust for material possessions being the root of all pain?  Well, they were obviously right, but also obviously too quick to formulate a holistic philosophy on this true but incomplete surmisal of everything.  What they forget is that material possessions also lead to orgiastic pleasure.  So, sure, if you want to live your life at a flat-line of marginal contentedness, go and live out with Han Shan in the craggy hills overlooking the village and carve poems in rocks and bamboo shoots.  But if you want to seek the highs, you've go to court the lows. 

And, also, let me clarify "material possessions" [FN1].  Anyone reading this who knows me knows that I don't like expensive clothes, cars, homes, devices, or televisions (expensive or otherwise … except for sports Go Bears!).  Now, I know, I'm sorry, that sounds cliched, self-serving, etc., but all I'm saying is that by material possessions I mean mostly things like music (CD, data, music players), books, movies, posters, etc. — all materials required for the delivery of artistic learning and enjoyment to the dome.  And in this regard, we astute collectors and understanders of art are really tempting the warnings of the Buddhists.  Each week I and many others in my music exchange circle (pandorockers) commit reckless acts of hubris by downloading about 27 new albums, each highly recommended.  Each of these albums is stored in a delicate external harddrive that may, at any time, crash and ruin our lives.  This is just an example.  Here's another: what if someone stole all my DVDs?  On one hand, if I wasn't so obsessed with collecting DVDs, I wouldn't have to worry.  But on the other hand, if I wasn't so obsessed with collecting DVD's, I wouldn't own the wonderful Criterion Collection version of Le Samurai, with its much-appreciated John Woo commentary track.  In the end, no easy answers, just more dynamite should you care to use it. 

[more transvaluation below]

#19

New Pornographers Albums Ranked:

1. Electric Version
2. Mass Romantic
3. Twin Cinema
4. Challengers

#20 

In case you're wondering, it is possible to drop your iPod in a lake and have it still work.  I was beginning to doubt this fortunate reality myself for while.  See, I was cleaning up stuff on the last day of Shasta when I decided to wash some pots in the lake, my iPod in the breast pocket of my flannel shirt.  When I bent over a flush out a pot it plopped into the water.  Prior to this happening, I thought that people's jaw falling open in shock was something that only happened in movies and television.  But when I saw my 300 dollar electronic device laying at the bottom of the mucky lake, my jaw fell open.  Then I grabbed it and let in dry in the sun.  It did not work for a week.  Then as a last resort before I tried to bamboozle the Apple store into replacing it ("…no, nothing really happened, it just stopped working…"), I plugged it into the computer (instead of just into the wall) and was suddenly informed that the battery was "dangerously low", I let it charge for a day and then it worked.  Good for it. 

-Shark 

FN1: If I were Nietzsche I would not clarify and just expect that you had read my previous books (which were publish by myself with little fanfare) and assume that you would understand this new use as a polemical or facetious play on my older, more obvious meaning.  But I'm not Nietzsche, so let me explain.