Dance, Technology, Divinity etc.

The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we’re gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, ’cause that’s what it does. It’s a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed. And if it’s true that plastic is not degradable, well, the planet will simply incorporate plastic into a new paradigm: the earth plus plastic. The earth doesn’t share our prejudice toward plastic. Plastic came out of the earth. The earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn’t know how to make it. Needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old egocentric philosophical question, “Why are we here?” 

Plastic…asshole." 

— George Carlin

Mobius Strips and Shepards Tones. Basically, these are visual and auditory examples of the question ‘which came first the chicken or the egg?’ When you arrive at the answer to this question through logic or philosophy or whatever route you choose to take, you always find yourself back at the beginning, having given yourself the illusion that you have been moving towards a linear destination, when in reality you have been traversing a circle (of thought in this case) that has taken you under and over the loop around which you have been circling, but that ultimately leads you back to where you began. 

In Buddhism there is a concept called ‘non-abiding nirvana.’ In a nut-shell, when you’ve reached nirvana – that ultimate place of joy, you’re not supposed to dwell in your own ecstasy. You’re purpose becomes to enlighten others, to expose them to their own suffering and illuminate the path towards ecstasy. Basically this is Buddhism’s way of accounting for the fact that nirvana = death. Why? Because when you reach nirvana the world presumably becomes completely knowable and the true nature of things reveals itself unto you, oh enlightened one! So what else is there to do? You already know everything!

I know a transsexual guy whose only ambition is to eat, drink, and be Mary.

 -George Carlin

I remember one of my undergrad profz revealing to us why she chose to become a media studies prof – because growing up her mother used to warn her about the dangers of media, about how bad it was. This prompted her to question this perspective and ultimately to see that it was just one amongst many. Her upbringing profoundly influenced her teaching (many of our writing assignments involved looking/listening to/watching something that disgusted us and writing about how beneficial it was). So really she is a media studies professor, but also a Mobius Strippian (would that word count in scrabble?)

Healthy does not mean "healthful." Healthy is a condition, healthful is a property. Vegetables aren’t healthy, they’re dead. No food is healthy. Unless you have an eggplant that’s doing push-ups. Push-ups are healthful.

 - George Carlin

Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of meditating, simplifying, and not thinking. My purpose is not to reach nirvana, although it might seem like it, and it actually might have been in the beginning. My purpose is simply to be present more efficiently. To let go of the thoughts and stuff that is holding me down and keeping me from more fruitfully and presently traversing Rainbow Road.  To feel, think, speak, act with integrity. My purpose is to be. So the most relevant thing in my life right now is pranayama. Yummmmmmmm! 

Actually, the catalyst for all shifts in perspective are those ‘What the Fuck?’ experiences that don’t make sense. My parents divorce; what the fuck? If marriage is for better or for worse than this doesn’t make sense.  I wasn’t a college gymnast; what the fuck? My body is amazingly equipped to excel in athletics and I’ve trained my mind to focus with the acute singularity that I imagine you might find in many elite athletes  – me not being an athlete doesn’t make sense. Stephen loved me and I loved him back and then he was gone with the wind; what the fuck? I thought I could trust him - it didn’t make sense. People who practice Orthodoxy still hurt each other; what the fuck? I thought religion was all about love – this doesn’t make sense.  Etc. etc. etc. etc.  etc.

That para was actually really hard for me to write. 

What must the world look like so that we might know it? To familiarize our inherently unknowable world; this is why we quest, why I am where I am and why I'm doing what I'm doing, why I'm meditating, why I write, why I dance, why I live, why being as receptive as we can to moments and experiences is essential. 

"I'm a Modern Man"

George Carlin

I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.

I'm a modern man,
A man for the millennium,
Digital and smoke free.

A diversified multicultural postmodern deconstructionist,
Politically anatomically and ecologically incorrect.

I've been uplinked and downloaded.
I've been inputted and outsourced.
I know the upside of downsizing.
I know the downside of upgrading.

I'm a high tech lowlife.
A cutting edge state-of-the-art bicoastal multitasker,
And I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond.

I'm new wave but I'm old school,
And my inner child is outward bound.

I'm a hot wired heat seeking warm hearted cool customer,
Voice activated and biodegradable.

I interface from a database,
And my database is in cyberspace,
So I'm interactive,
I'm hyperactive,
And from time-to-time,
I'm radioactive.

Behind the eight ball,
Ahead of the curve,
Riding the wave,
Dodging a bullet,
Pushing the envelope.

I'm on point,
On task,
On message,
And off drugs.
I got no need for coke and speed,
I got no urge to binge and purge.

I'm in the moment,
On the edge,
Over the top,
But under the radar.

A high concept,
Low profile,
Medium range ballistic missionary.
A street-wise smart bomb.
A top gun bottom feeder.

I wear power ties,
I tell power lies,
I take power naps,
I run victory laps.

I'm a totally ongoing bigfoot slam dunk rainmaker with a proactive outreach.
A raging workaholic.
A working ragaholic.
Out of rehab,
And in denial.

I got a personal trainer,
A personal shopper,
A personal assistant,
And a personal agenda.

You can't shut me up,
You can't dumb me down.
'Cause I'm tireless,
And I'm wireless.
I'm an alpha male on beta blockers.

I'm a non-believer and an over-achiever.
Laid back but fashion forward.

Up front,
Down home,
Low rent,
High maintenance.

Super size,
Long lasting,
High definition,
Fast acting,
Oven ready,
And built to last.

I'm a hands on,
Foot loose,
Knee jerk,
Head case.

Prematurely post traumatic,
And I have a love child who sends me hate mail.

But I'm feeling,
I'm caring,
I'm healing,
I'm sharing.
A supportive bonding nurturing primary care giver.

My output is down,
But my income is up.
I take a short position on the long bond,
And my revenue stream has its own cash flow.

I read junk mail,
I eat junk food,
I buy junk bonds,
I watch trash sports.

I'm gender specific,
Capital intensive,
User friendly,
And lactose intolerant.

I like rough sex.
I like rough sex.
I like tough love.
I use the f word in my email,
And the software on my hard drive is hard core, no soft porn.

I bought a microwave at a mini mall.
I bought a mini van in a mega store.
I eat fast food in the slow lane.

I'm toll free,
Bite sized,
Ready to wear,
And I come in all sizes.

A fully equipped,
Factory authorized,
Hospital tested,
Clinically proven,
Scientifically formulated medical miracle.

I've been pre-washed,
Pre-cooked,
Pre-heated,
Pre-screened,
Pre-approved,
Pre-packaged,
Post-dated,
Freeze-dried,
Double-wrapped,
Vacuum-packed,
And I have an unlimited broadband capacity.

I'm a rude dude,
But I'm the real deal.
Lean and mean.
Cocked, locked and ready to rock.
Rough tough and hard to bluff.

I take it slow.
I go with the flow.
I ride with the tide.
I got glide in my stride.

Drivin' and movin',
Sailin' and spinnin',
Jivin' and groovin',
Wailin' and winnin'.

I don't snooze,
So I don't lose.
I keep the pedal to the metal,
And the rubber on the road.

I party hearty,
And lunch time is crunch time.

I'm hanging in,
There ain't no doubt.
And I'm hanging tough,
Over and out.