Hi Walt!
Happy New Year!
This is a pretty spectacular weekend for all of us. In part because the times demand a major change. In part because we worked so hard last year and it’s great to see the culmination of all of those efforts. There’s hope for solving some of the major problems facing the nation and the world. And, of course, there’s the historical significance.
The thing that gets to me emotionally is thinking about all the people I knew growing up — my mother and father, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, teachers, etc. — who are no longer with us. I never expected to see a black president but at least considered it a possibility. Those folks had struggles I’ve never faced and I wish I could share tomorrow’s inauguration with them. It’s all pretty deep!
Hope you and your family are doing well!
Bill
Monthly Archive for January, 2009
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echovar’s The MicroCaster in Chief, puts President Obama in the context of jazz musicians:
“Watching President Barack Obama work his way through the long, long inaugural day, I see a virtuoso. In each venue, at each moment, he’s broadcasting live across multiple streams of media. It’s live, well thought out, and in the moment. While the messages are carried by the major media networks, the voice speaks to the micro-community.
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“When a great player improvises he’s not making things up out of thin air. He knows the scales, the changes, the modes, the melody, the rhythm and the audience. And from those raw materials he makes something both familiar and new.”
It’s a good comparison as Obama always seems to be operating on several levels at once. The post is interspersed with YouTube jazz snippets. I especially liked this one of Anthony Braxton performing “Impressions”:
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WBGO Studio Session features a few live tracks and an interview about Robert’s music (streamed), a free mp3 download of Enoch’s (Inaugural) Meditation, and the Inauguration. Nice stuff!
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Channeling my inner Mario Batali! Let’s just say lunch at Cacciucco in Sausalito was excellent!
Of course, the conversation was even better. It’s funny how we argue about things, then I go home, think, think some more, and benefit from it all. If only there were no calories involved!!
Today we considered the merits of Twitter and the like. One way to think of Twitter is drinking through a firehose. All that information, all that noise, right there, right now. And now. And now. It’s always there. Like, right NOW! Is that good for the drinker? Now. Is that good for society? And, you know, now.
Another view: don’t drink from the firehose. Surf on top of it. Scan as if reading the newspaper. Take what you need. Twitter’s running 24/7, but you can turn it on and off when you want.
There are other views, of course. The bottom line is things are changing and we all get to choose what to use and how to use it.
Did I mention I love brussels sprouts?? Teeny, tiny cabbages. Excellent!
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This NPR Music article offers free mp3 downloads of two recent sets from Kurt’s recent performances at the Village Vanguard in New York. Nice way to start the new year!
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The strangest moment in this YouTube video was seeing Lyndon Johnson morph into Richard Nixon…
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Lifehacker: “According to researchers at Oxford University, playing the popular, classic puzzle game Tetris after a traumatic experience could significantly reduce emotional scars.” Do the scars return when the game is over?
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stanley clarke, the great american bass player said (perhaps quoting someone else who really said it): “life is just a game. there’s many ways to play. all you do is choose.”
as it turns out, life is a series of adjustments…
life…
