September 30, 2014

[10:15a]

Facebook asks us, "What's on your mind?", a non entity, it's not really asking, and it cannot care, so why do we share? Who do we think is there? Think about it with me, look inside your mind's eye, and ask yourself, who will read this? Who will respond? What manner of bridge are you building to reach them, and what is the best way? You might recall those who need you, those who look up to you, those who are your teachers, those who are your acquaintances, those you've lost somewhere along the way... What would you tell them, if they were here today? Hey man, we sure had a lot of fun back then, so sudden how things change, I wish we could go back and do it again.

Last night I dreamed I was a preacher, and I guess it really fits... I mean do you see what I just wrote? That shit's legit. I long to be the guide through the passages of light I've seen, but I must also learn to listen to the silences inbetween.

September , 2014

[4:48p]

I figured out today, that three of the famous Monty Python songs are actually all based around the same war time melody, "Up In The Air, Junior Bird Men", those songs are, "The Galaxy Song", "Isn't It Awfully Nice To Have A Penis", and "Sit on my Face ". I'm not sure if this is simply common knowledge, I've never actually heard anyone mention it before, but I was thinking of the song, Junior Birdmen this morning, since my sister and I had our own version we did when we were kids, and I just started putting things together...

September 28, 2014

[6:39a]

Life teaches us constantly that within loss is virtue, and yet we always mourn loss. Perhaps we simply have not been raised to properly cultivate the hidden treasures of loss, so we run, we hide from loss, we fear the passing of time, and the passing of ourselves and the possessions we accumulate, the possessions which possess and accumulate us.

In the end, there is no loss, only lessons. A deepening of the heart that longs for more. More honesty, more beauty, and more authenticity. It is all there, like a fresh spring, just below the soil... and sometimes we grow something beautiful as an expression of what is hiding there... and other times... we must dig for it, and if we refuse to do that digging, life itself is often the wielder of shovels that digs for us.

[11:02a]

I'm the guy who throws those renew, balancing bands away because I know they're bogus crap and then two seconds later puts on his Labradorite crystal wrist band, but in my defense it was a gift and looks pretty, but there's definitely still a belief system in place differentiating between the validity of one bullshit over another... but at least I'm aware of it, and perhaps that is a start.

September 23, 2014

[9:54a]

Since I am using Etsy for my original music AND art, I felt it needed a name change from MusicofJMB, so I held a little contest on facebook, and Lori, a friend, came up with the perfect name this morning and won!

So, the new name is "Sounds and Scribbles". I love it, it really captures the whimsical nature of my art.

The Etsy store will be http://www.etsy.com/shop/soundsandscribbles once they accept the name change.

September 21, 2014

[3:59p]

Inspiration, ideas, the ego wants to say they're mine, but we don't know where they come from. That's why there's movies about angels, and God, and demons, and everything else under the sun... they're ghosts, they're smoke... they're water flowing down a river... we're just on the side, watching the water roll by... and we can work on ourselves to be better listeners, and when we can harness those ideas with the honesty of our emotions? We can change this world. There's no ownership, that's a false concept... there is only listening, and learning, sharing, and growing, in peace, love, and gratitude... life's too short for ownership, there's just enough time to share our truth, maybe help someone when we're real lucky.

September 14, 2014

[1:46p]

Butterflies are what happens when caterpillars go insane.

September 11, 2014

[2:44p]

Many atheists are obsessed with a nearly religious crusade of tearing down the constructs of organized religion, should just stop, instead of tearing everything down, try building something up worthy of replacing it. People want a place to go, something to believe in, to create community, and to share their hopes, their dreams, their passion... often times out of desperation and fear and being all they've known... if you see a man at sea with a tiny boat, don't destroy his boat because there's a bigger boat available to him, first make the bigger boat available so he willingly gives up the tiny boat.

September 9, 2014

[8:14a]

They say you will know someone by their fruits, but keep in mind that most people will not take the time to do so, even those capable. If you are loved and seen by one, that is more than you expected. Most think they can rely on their family to be the core of these seers, but many of us will be disappointed by the cold reality that they too are strangers feigning closeness to those they do not truly know. Even parents can be strangers, perhaps that is why so many choose God... A parent who can love and accept you without even being around, no one neglects children more than God. The mainstream maintain a shallow dream, and that is why you can't be seen... For you swim in the deep dark waters beyond names and forms, dualities and norms... You hear every whisper amplified by the deep, but they cannot even hear you scream, they are too distracted by sleep. A wave of the hand, it all means nothing, spend your time enraptured or enraged, it all leads inevitably to the grave.

[8:05p]

Everything you love will be torn to shreds before your very eyes, by the opinions of others... don't let that stop you from loving what you love, rather love the shredded tatters of the fabric of the idea of what you love in your mind... see the sun shining through the ripped seams... what you love remains, what you perceive ever changes... a hobo in a suit, a hobo in torn clothing, is still a spirit in a body, is still a man.

September 6, 2014

[10:45a]

People are too superstitious and living controlled by their fear... that's why black cats are the most neglected and least adopted, that's why old beautiful homes fall apart and rich histories become twisted and evil... we need to learn how to respect and appreciate the timeline, not fear it because it puts a spotlight on our own mortality.

September 4, 2014

[1:58p]

One trait I see most often in those who are devout to the paranormal and religious is certainty. When I was young, I used to envy their certainty... it must be so nice to have everything all figured out... a primrose path you could follow, a way of interpreting and seeing everything in the world, even if the explanations contradicted, even if the explanations were given to you and were not born of your own life's understanding... it didn't matter, you could just keep going assuming it will all make sense someday when you're ready... and then I started talking to those who were so certain and i realized, these people were terrified, because perhaps somewhere in them they understood, they aren't really certain about anything at all... be one path

(Whoa that is weird, the "be one path" wasn't meant to be there, how odd... but I figure I'll keep it like a happy accident)

September 1, 2014

[3:52p]

We live in a disposable generation... disposable pens, disposable razors, disposable marriages... but I believe we are moving past it... to a more confident, more responsible generation... one that returns to the natural and beautiful art of the process as a result of what we put into it, each moment... your breath and your blood is a gift, and it is often laborious, but it is yours for awhile, like a flowing stream... the rivers of breath and blood flow, and you its boatsman... steer it well, and share the sights with those you meet, we only go down this river once.

August 30, 2014

[11:28a]

When we're young, we turn the rock n roll up real loud until it affects our parents, that's how we know it is good.

When we're old, we are affected by the soft and subtle chimes of a water fountain, that's how we know it is good.

We go from trying to affect others, to self cultivation, and through those means, our effect on others goes from aggressive to peaceful.

And that is the story of a life.

August 29, 2014

[3:58p]

Ghostly physical sensations are merely the body diffusing personal boundaries creating sensory confusion and nervous system overreactions to completely logical environmental stimuli... a sound occurs, but being in the dark, it feels close to you, your body's fight or flight gets triggered which creates the physical sensations... it's all very elementary.

Now while I don't close the door completely on anything... I am 99.9% sure that ghosts do not actually exist at least in a manner in which we interact with.

[5:52p]

A friend of mine heard music in the grocery store and couldn't figure out where it was coming from, then she finally realized it was my album playing in her pocket Made me feel really amazing to hear that my music is alive and walking around out there in the world!

August 24, 2014

[6:56a]

There are no ghosts, there is only mind. Stop looking past the beauty of the world looking for terrors behind every atom, for you will only find further plateaus of fear, but if you appreciate what is right in front of you, you will find endless vistas of beauty everywhere.

August 21, 2014

[6:07a]

My Rush studio album ratings: (156/190)

I created the eras myself out of my impressions of them through the years... I do find the well-rounded nature of the ratings to be quite beautiful... the feeling that their spiritual nature began as idealistic, and became quite realistic in the end... what more could one hope for in a life well lived?

ERA - PROLOGUE (7/10)

Rush (1974) - 7/10

ERA - SPIRIT (18/20)

Caress Of Steel (1975) - 8/10
Fly By Night (1975) - 10/10

ERA - HEART (29/30)

2112 (1976) - 10/10
A Farewell To Kings (1977) - 9/10
Hemispheres (1978) - 10/10

ERA - HEAD (57/60)

Permanent Waves (1980) - 10/10
Moving Pictures (1981) - 10/10
Signals (1982) - 10/10
Grace Under Pressure (1984) - 10/10
Power Windows (1985) - 9/10
Hold Your Fire (1987) - 8/10

ERA - BODY (34/60)

Presto (1989) - 7/10
Roll the Bones (1991) - 6/10
Counterparts (1993) - 5/10
Test for Echo (1996) - 5/10
Vapor Trails (2002) - 5 /10
Snakes & Arrows (2007) - 6/10

ERA - SPIRIT II (8/10)

Clockwork Angels (2012) - 8/10

August 20, 2014

[10:20a]

Being sensitive is good, being oversensitive generally means that (and I am overly sensitive) we take too much personally, we take responsibility for things that are not ours to take responsibility for, we may misinterpret others by being over sensitive, make excuses for feeling unempowered, blame others for our feelings, focus on the negative things we don't connect with, the disconnections in our life, rather than focusing and cultivating the positive connections in our lives... this and much more than this... I have always been very sensitive, partly due to my struggles in life, how I grew up, alone in many ways, it's partly self defense, but it can also stifle our emotional growth and sense of confidence and forward progress... when we feel we lack direction, it becomes easy to get sidetracked in what is wrong in the world and our lives, and how it's others faults for not giving us what we need or feel we deserve... this is where meditation, kindness to self, close your eyes and just breathe, appreciate what you have to offer... it's okay where you are... sensitive can be a blessing, it shows great creative potential.... now go forward, with eyes and heart open, your feelings a strength, and a shield, in this glorious life that ocean you live in and are a part of...

August 19, 2014

[7:58a]

Do not dwell upon other's truths, rather embark on the path paved with your own.

[9:07a]

Humans are still evolving, our senses are limited and thus there will always be a universe beyond the one we know... and being so, there will always be those who find something greater beyond themselves, either as externalizations of their own unpossessed love or fear, or a combination of the two... and they will come to know it, as God.

[9:17a]

And I saw her cry over the suffering drawn into the illustration of kittens.. and I knew then I had to know her. As her capacity for compassion compelled her to recede, inversely it propelled me forward, and I saw clearly, she and I, we are the tides of the ocean, hiding a great depth, and promising the hope for the living.

August 14, 2014

[7:49a]

Dreams don't prophecy the future, they prophecy the present... they tell us what is going on right now within us about issues we are dealing and not dealing with, and how we relate those thoughts and feelings towards others and the world around us. Although, I have dreamed of someone before I met them... so who knows?

[11:30a]

If I could change one word in the Bible, it would be... 'and in the beginning, God giggled, "Let there be light."'

August 12, 2014

[5:49a]

The buffet opened the day you were born, but it's not a buffet of meals, but of ingredients. Make something beautiful with them while you are able. <3

[10:55a]

My Revelation

It's a both simple and complex approach to life... Balance, Simplifying and appreciating all things in life, taking responsibility for all emotions and thoughts, and letting them go because they are just the stream running through your wires, they are not you... meditation helps us to let go of these thoughts that attachment which creates suffering... and then once you are balanced a little bit from the efforts... achievement = happiness... helping others, completing your own projects.... having someone you are responsible for, even if its pets you love and care for... it all further deepens your sense of responsibility and achievement that leads to easier letting go of what people say, when things don't go your way... all moments in life are opportunities... there is no "your way"... there is only opportunities, a shared way... there is no way... we are all in this together... look out for each other, compassionately...

[12:34p]

Education is not the practice of fitting a circle kid into a square mentality, but the development of a whole, balanced person who questions all things, cultivates curiosity, creativity, and balance... this is the highest aim of education, and few schools understand and pursue the goal of cultivating individuals but in shepherding drones who work with medicated faux passion until they die.

[5:21p]

When I look up into the sky at night, and I choose a distant star... if I were standing on a planet around that star and looked out from there, I'd see stars just as far away from there as I do from here, and if I then chose another star, and stood on a planet around it... I'd still see stars just as far away from there as I did from the the first as I did from where I am... and so it goes on and on without end... the question is... does it come back around? At some point will I be looking at my self in the first position looking out? Or will there be an end to the stars I can choose? What's out there? Fractals? Does it become some kind of formless potentiality of ghost gases? Where the stars end... will you be there waiting to start again?

August 4, 2014

[8:28p]

Sports deals worth hundreds of millions make the headlines, but just once I'd like to see a headline that reads: Billionaire injects hundreds of millions into local hospitals, schools and fixing failing roads, rails and bridges...

America is full of neglected and forgotten cities, due to massive corruption and tax evasion of the wealthiest who are free to leave the country to mast their corporations... and will soon become a neglected and forgotten nation if this keeps up.

And people wonder why they're full of anxiety and depression... your solution is to stop trying to be a working cog in a broken machine... work on building a better machine... you are not a cog, you are a living being and you must find your self worth in that which is beyond the entropy and ego of mankind... that which came before... nature, music, let your senses be the boats of gratitude through the hollow reeds of the self... find your value in your breath, and what inspires you... love and service, the moments are few, and they swiftly fade over time... reach out to one another and know therein resides the truth... your breath is a symphony, enjoy it's soft poem.

August 1, 2014

[10:33a]

the senses are a gift that help us to appreciate the present moment. they are a boat across the water... ultimately all sense is illusion, which is why once across the water, you leave the boat... the fear or pleasure of the senses creates attachment, grasping and loss, ultimately all suffering. if we can remember that, and neither run from or chase the gifts of the senses... we realize our liberation. learn from pain, appreciate pleasure. both equal gifts in equal measure. the cultivation of this practice is meditation.

[6:39p]

When I was 17, I became the first employee hired under the age of 18 at Tower Records. It was a great job! Good pay, long hours, friendly, cool people, music playing all the time, in-store visits with musicians I both respected, revered or admired... and one holiday I got called into Kevin's office and was informed a fellow cashier had been hiding bagfuls of CDs under the cash register and then sneaking them out to his car... they caught him with like $10,000 worth of product in his trunk... it blew my mind because I had absolutely no idea this was going on... Kevin then informed me that this employee said I was in on it... I of course said I wasn't, I loved my job, he believed me, today I wonder if Kevin made up that they said I was involved just to see how I would react... which is pretty smart! I was just thinking about that today while watching the show which shows employees when they don't think they're being watched, and it made me think about what it means to have character... and on that day in 1989, I guess I passed... I haven't always passed that test though, and for those times, I am truly sorry. Have a wonderful weekend everyone <3