Book Updates

To those who have hard copies of my book, thank you. You now have in your possesion a very rare item. I went through and fixed a few gramatical blemishes and updated the cover art to print a little closer to what I had initially intended. Of course my love got the very first printing of this book with its little imperfections. Hold onto those rare little gems.

But for those who don't yet have a hard copy, now is a great time to buy a copy of Black Whole Son. You can get the spit polished version. Not real spit, of course.

Rebirth of a Notion

I have a notion.

In the past I’ve really gotten down on the whole 1960’s counter-culture movement. I have questioned their intents and effects. But now I wonder.

Perhaps the hippies set the stage. Perhaps that great rupture of ‘peace and love’ was planting a seed. I will take that as the case for now. Those who study information systems will recognize that once an idea has found an introduction, it will continue to survive. For instance, even the idea of a flat earth persists and a handful of individuals continue to hold onto this idea. They find data to support it and much of it one could find very persuasive.

The concepts of peace and love, the purported foundations of the counter-cultural movement of the late 60’s, have universal appeal. Who amongst us can argue against the virtues of universal peace and universal love. Can we really say that these are inimical goals?

Another aspect of that time was the concept of personal and individual freedom. Are these not also gallant quests?

The 1960’s failed. The revolution many saw as inevitable through the strength of the Baby Boomers’ numbers never manifested. But that seed was planted.

I see now a bud forming from that seed. A pale stem lurks beneath the surface, pushing against the crust of the earth. As an experiment, let us all in this new year focus on doing everything we can to nurture this seedling. What harm can come from peace, love, and freedom?

Dream

Last night I dreamt that I saw an extremely tall black man. I walked up to him and looked up at his face. He looked down to me and asked, "What are you doing?" I replied, "I've always been tall and often wondered what it's like for others to look up to me."

News: Jake Approves of Spying

In a controversial move sure to haunt his upcoming bid for President, Jake recently announced that he supports spying.

"Covert Information Gathering (CIG) has a long and proud tradition in this country and around the globe." In further statements he made it clear that spying would be a part of his administration. "From the Peeping Tom to the Private Dick, people want to know things ordinarily shrouded in secrecy."

The outline for his program, received through an anonymous source, makes clear that Jake wants to expand the current spy network. An excerpt reads;

The paranoia surrounding any form of CIG and the questioning of the reliability of the sources inevitably leads to an escalation in CIG. Bringing everyone into the business of CIG hastens our progress towards it's inexorable goal. Life, Liberty, and the Perusal of Others' Happiness!

The plan for universal espionage calls for the creation of a national 'dumping ground' to which everyone can post their gathered information. Likewise, any individual can search the board for 'dirt' on any other individual.

Jake's theory behind this? "When we learn that people from all walks of life are doing things we never imagined, for instance that (high ranking politician's name deleted) is an alcoholic cross-dresser or that (media pundit's name deleted) is balling three to five guys a night while stoned out of their gourd, maybe people will stop being so titillated by it all and learn how to mind their own business."

Nothing At All

The ghost of Milwaukee
Just glides down the hall
He asks the tough questions
He walks into walls
What if our history means nothing at all?
Means nothing, nothing at all

Three-some

My lover gave me a three-some for X-mass.

I got The Waco Brothers' Freedom and Weep and two Tool DVDs, Schism and Parabola. Very groovy stuff.

What were you thinking I meant? You read too many dirty books.

More AWPC

OK, so work has been somewhat interesting this week.

Sitting around the lunchroom, I explained how one could theoretically employ the same equipment used in hospitals for MRI's in a smaller model to remove the metal slivers from a person's hand at the end of the work day.

Worker 1: See! I knew you were a smart one.
Worker 2: Well, he did used to be a teacher.
Worker 3: And a priest.
Me: And I'm now a writer on the side.
Worker 1: What the hell are you doing here?!
Me: I like to get dirty.

Timing

There were three extremely sexy, smart, lovely, wonderful women in my house this evening.

I of course was at work.

Damn.

Another AWPC

The ultimate in worker pessimism.

Operator: Day shift said they didn't have to have maintenance come over at all today so I'm sure we'll have quite a bit tonight.

AWPC's

Got two of them for you.

Me: We don't need no stinkin' supervisors!

And

Me Again: It can't be that tight and bouncy without a reason.

Gustave Flaubert

"The whole dream of democracy is to raise the proletarian to the level of stupidity attained by the bourgeois."

Random Thought

For a very long time now, I will look at my hands and not see bloody holes in my palms.

Where has all the stigmata gone?
Long time passing.
Where has all the stigmata gone?
Long time ago.

Holiday Music

There is one Christmas song that I absolutely, positively adore. The Pogues, Fairytale of New York from the album If I Should Fall From Grace With God. This song can actually bring tears to my eyes.

I Like Exclamation Points!

At least one would think so from my recent post titles.

I'll try to tone it down a bit. You know, raving and ranting in a more calm and controlled manner befitting a slave.

Feed the Revolution!

Government doesn't have any problems. Government IS the problem.

People argue up and down about what the founding fathers of the U.S. really intended. If you read up on each of them, you'll get a different answer every time. They couldn't agree on what exactly they wanted. None of us ever can. They did have one thing in common. They could recognize that the system they found themselves under the authority of was tyrannical and intolerable and they had the balls to do something about it.

By reading this post you have agreed to be placed on surveilance under the provisions of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

They Live!

A big tattooed guy (well, smaller than me) was working the counter at the shop. New guy there. Arms covered in a mess of ill planned ink, much looking like stereotypical prison ink. He was talking with some gal sporting Bettie Page hair about a friend getting new boobs for Christmas. "Everybody agrees she has saggy, flappy boobs." And he was playing the Dead Milkmen, Big Lizard in my Backyard over the store stereo. And he was realy nice and apologized seemingly quite sincerely for me having to wait while he rung up a couple of other people.

Santa Claus is Coming!

As we now enter the longest night, let us each take time to offer up a sacrifice and invoke Santa, that he may appear in fiery red brilliance bringing with him the Sun.

Santa is the light bringer. Strangely, Lucifer is the light bringer as well. He was cast out of favor with Jehovah for giving light to man. Very similar to the Promtheus tale. I guess all those fundamentalist Christians were right. I wish I would have figured that out ages ago. This year I'm actually starting to like Christmas.

And those Christmas trees! Those magnificent Christmas trees in pine, so tall and erect and symbols of eternal life even in these, our darkest hours.

People everywhere sacrificing. They always spend a fortune on gifts and never get what they want out of it. Except the return of the Sun. That's sacrifice! Those milk and cookies that kids leave out for the Light Bringer? Yep, ritual sacrifice. An alien cultural observing this would find it an interesting twist on the Sunday Mass where WE consume to Christ's Mass, where the light bringer, he who was cast out of heaven, consumes the sacrament.

Happy solstice everyone. Santa is coming and he brings with him the Sun.

Hail unto Thee who art RA in thy rising. Even unto Thee who art RA in thy strength. Who travellest over the heavens in thy bark at the uprising of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendor at the prow and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of night!

Snow

We got snow and ice here in Portland. Not much. But it doesn't take much to turn this town upside down. Fear and Loathing on the highways.

Rejoice!

Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the highest are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen: who sorroweth is not of us.

Adult Material

For those wondering why when you try to view and/or purchase Black Whole Son you get a message saying, "This storefront contains content not viewable by your content access level," here's why.

It's adult material. To view and/or purchase it, you need to create an account on Lulu.com and set your content access level to 'mature'. Then you can see the book, the cover art, and even download a free preview selection.

Happy reading!