excellent weekend out on a lake in PA . . . . good people, gourmet food, random conversations, etc.

Fundamental Blends

- CLEAN – BRIGHT – SWEET – LOVE – SPIRIT –
(from left to right)

People sometimes ask me where I get my perfume and I tell them that I make my own oil blends. Today I decided to make a collection of blends based on simple - fundamental concepts. I have a large selection of different essential oils and made each mix as a kind of improvisation . . . seeing where the different ingredients take you and what was needed next. In the end, I’m very happy with them and plan on wearing them myself for now . . . perhaps making more someday for others .

I like how they all look different and it was interesting that after going back to them and smelling them again, they really do evoke the feeling of the name. It will be interesting to see which ones I use more . . . almost as if they are a conscious ingredient for life.

bluegrass in madison sq park - 4th of july weekend

long beach - 4th of july weekend . . . .

Round World by Peter Mayer . . . .

Oh Columbus
You become us
With your scheme, your glorious plan
And dream of a far-away land
And with your blessing
We keep pressing
Giving this present place up
For just one more America

But every time I fly to the West
I arrive nonetheless
In the place that I left
In this round world

If I try to flee
And leave this city
To be free from humanity’s cares
Humanity follows me there
And if I steal aboard
The boat bound for the farthest shore
I’m told crossing the ocean won’t work
And the only boat left is the Earth

But every time I fly to the West
I arrive nonetheless
In the place that I left
In this round world

So Columbus
Can you tell us
That there are no more new lands afar
If we don’t make it right where we are

posted by a friend . . .

please stay away from these products. they are poison.

for what it's worth . . . .

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

getting down to the real work . . . .

I recently read this article about Stephen Hawking and his opinions about our survival on earth - check it out if you get a chance. And then I read something about Occupy Wall St. and how it needs to move from being a ‘disrupter to a builder’ - interesting article, link below. El-Erian is saying that the movement doesn’t really have a leader yet and hasn’t developed a clear sense of it’s core principles. Thinking about the end of our planet and the energy stirred up by OWS inspired me to put down a list of what I think we really need to do to ‘save the world.’ I don’t know about you . . . but I’m not interested in moving to outer space any time soon.

Stephen Hawking: Space Exploration Crucial to Human Survival

OWS: From Building Awareness to Building Momentum

* confluence of environmental awareness and economic benefit - smart business = economical/environmental/innovative technology. instead of working harder we will work smarter and make the most efficient and generally beneficial use out of all raw materials as we fashion them for specific purposes. instead of fighting about which government programs to cut or keep or add - why don’t we work on what we have and make it better.

* continual development of systems - invest in and develop technology based on actual human work flow trends - how to automate mundane tasks and make them safer - how to improve quality of life. when thinking of investing money in the economy - the best way to invest is in changes that create real and actual growth. we need to develop ways to measure this born out of a new respect for the complexity of the human experience. In general, the effectiveness of these systems will be measured in short-term feedback thereby allowing us to tweak them and ensure our possibilities for success in reaching goals.

* pro-active community engagement - we love our country and we’re proud of it and that’s why so many people are so upset about the current conditions. find ways to actively engage community members in improving quality of life - communicating about political decisions - and implementing effective systems. we, the people, are what makes this country great and we are the people who will continue to make it great. this is a call to action to think, communicate, and ultimately engage in creating our collective future. This might include things such as sharing our skills via time banks, organizing events and intiatives, or sharing useful information, ideas, etc. if we, as ‘americans’, want to remain world leaders we have to continue on with the spirit that started this country and actively exhibit that we remain committed to those ideals.

starstrings . . . .

wyoming . . . . .

The stark gray branches piled thick
like pick-up sticks.
Do dead trees feel the wind?

The river talks incessantly
and never takes a breath.
I wonder how it sleeps.

The breeze cools one side of my neck
and the sun beams down on my back
warming my thick black sweater.

A green and white nylon tie around one trunk
flapping like a feather,
marking it for some purpose.

The soft gaze of a deer in the distance,
brown and unmoving.
watching me from afar.

Dropping Keys by Hafiz

The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He
Knows.
While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.

how to love . . . .

You had a lot of crooks tryna steal your heart
Never really had luck, couldn’t ever figure out
How to love
How to love

You had a lot of moments that didn’t last forever
Now you in this corner tryna put it together
How to love
How to love

For a second you were here
Now you over there
Its hard not to stare, the way you moving your body
Like you never had a love
Never had a love

the currency of music

I'm feeling increasingly concerned about the 'currency of music.' the direction is unclear - how can artists really protect themselves beyond the 360 deals? I think we need a new format and a new system - people - and believe me, i'm just as fucking sick of the 'bullshit' as you are. but beyond all that, let's make something good happen . . . . are you with me?

Sorry to see you go . . . .

The death of amy winehouse is very sad . . . I wish I had the chance to see her perform live. I’ll never forget the way I felt when I first heard ‘back to black’ . . . . ‘love is a losing game’ has always been my favorite. It seems like that song and that sound almost came out of another time and place . . . and it gave me hope for the future of ‘pop’ music. It’s not easy to be anyone but if you’re haunted and tortured by internal shit (as many of us are on some level), you have to try and deal with it – and get the help you need to face it. You really can’t compare peoples’ lives . . . their pain . . . or their success. amy winehouse made an indelible mark on the face of music and that is a hell of a hard thing to do. She has helped us restore a sense of depth and meaning to the popular music being created today and we will carry on the torch of her inspiration, every day moving forward.

It’s difficult to watch someone spiral out of control without being able to do anything to help but that’s just the cost of doing business in the world today . . . it seems. The music industry is not an easy business and the glory of fame is not always so great. My hope is that we can all decide to commit ourselves to becoming empowered individuals – take responsibility for our own needs and believe in our own unique abilities. Some people inspire us and open up new roads for us . . . . some people build those roads with their bare hands . . . everyone is part of the process. We have to work to make the world a better place so these gifts can be shared more openly and freely – so that we are less needy of ‘celebrity culture’ and more content with the daily entertainment of our own lives.

To be honest, there are not many songs and/or records that I can listen to on a regular basis . . . . sometimes I’ll listen to a song because the lyrics bring me some sort of emotional connection . . . . sometimes it’s just the sound – but there are a few tracks and songs and bands that will always last – that I will always listen to – no matter what sort of mood I’m in. amy winehouse is on that list . . . and I’m sorry to see her go.

chi-town . . . .