With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good.
Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.
I enjoy paying taxes. With them I buy civilization.
2002-02-03 - 2:29 a.m.
It's late which is too bad as I had a good entry planned earlier. I probably won't remember it now. I'll see what I can do.
I saw the Kennedys tonight at the Cutting Room. Once again I had trouble with door times there. The Kennedys in their mailing said they'd be having one of their clothes sales before the show and that it would start at 7:30. I got there around 7 and figured I'd wait around for a half an hour. The Kennedys had just gotten there themselves and I helped Maura in with the clothes. Pete conveniently arrived just as I brought in the last box. I asked the staff when doors were and they said 8:30, the starting time for the show. This didn't make any sense, as they wouldn't be able to sell their clothes then. I mentioned this to Maura who I guess told someone who worked there and they let us in early though they never made an announcement. I went in after a few other people did. I got my table right by the stage so no harm was done. I looked at some of the clothes. The shirt that was the model for the shirt I wore on Halloween was on sale. Maybe I should have bought it. If there was something Carey's size maybe I would have so we'd have our costumes set for next year. Maura was her usual fetching self, she was wearing the dress from the Life is Large. I love that they based the cover art on her dress. She was wearing it at the CD Release party for it too. I once again forgot to bring my copy of Positively Live for Pete to sign. I think this makes it four times that I forgot to bring it. I will try to remember tomorrow along with the photo that John took of Carey and myself dressed as Maura and Pete. I want to see the picture that Lawrence took of us. Carey said it is much better.
Like the last time I was there I met some people who were fans of the Nields. The Kennedys seem to be pretty big with that crowd, more so than with Früheads. They did dedicate a song to Nerissa. Dave who I met tonight emailed me with the Kennedys' setlist. Here it is:
Life is Large
Pick You Up
Can't Kill Hope with a Gun
Why Winona Why
Half Of Us
Get It Right
Wall of Death
The Cuckoo (my request
Mystery (Dave's request!)
Chelsea Embankment ->
Like a Rolling Stone ->
Mr. Tambourine Man ->
Life Is Large
Mary Lee Cortez of Mary Lee's Corvette joined them on the Dylan medley.
Dave and the other people I met left after the Kennedys but I stayed for MLC. I've seen them before and they rock. I bought their CD this time. I had to have What's the Status of Gladys? The timing was perfect. The show ended at 5 to 11 so I had no trouble making the 11:18 train. I made it with 9 minutes to spare.
During the Kennedys' set I was thinking about what to write tonight. One thing I remember. When I was in college I had a friend who said that all great works of art have a negative view of life; that the best songs are always sad. I didn't agree with him then and I disagree with him more now. Even then I pointed out that what I consider the greatest piece of music ever written is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which includes the Ode to Joy; you can't get greater than that and you can't get much more positive either.
The Kennedys made me think about this because they are so upbeat. They really make me feel better about the world. How bad can society be if it can produce a couple as wonderful as they are. They aren't Polyannas by any means but most of their songs are upbeat. They know the world isn't perfect but they celebrate what is good in it and overcoming what is not. This really hit me during
I am not going to go the other way and say that upbeat songs are the best either. Many of the artists I love write many dark pieces. One interesting example is Richard Thompson's Wall of Death When the Kennedys do it is all life affirming, when Thompson does it himself it because much grimmer. There is room in the world for The Kennedys and Leonard Cohen. I love them both.
One other thing I want to talk about that is totally unrelated, the value of listening. It should be the easiest thing in the world to do but so often it isn't. In most other things people have to be taught to give and not take. When it comes to information though people would much rather give. Most of us have to learn to listen.
I can imagine some people thinking "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." I know I like to talk. But I also like to listen. Listening is the way you learn and I love to learn. It is the only way to learn about your friends. I often make a game of my knowledge of my friends. I guess what people they'll think are cute. I'll try to guess what their tastes are in many things that I haven't heard them discuss based on the things I have heard them talk about. I loved it this summer when I guessed which of the many flavors of ice cream offered Lisa would order.
I'm digressing though, that's not my point. What people so often need is for someone to listen to them. People who take advantage of others, con artists, child molesters, cults, know this well. By simply listening to people that others don't they gain their trust. There is nothing worse than talking and having the person you are with ignore you. Having the person really listen and care about what you say is wonderful. One of the reasons therapy works is because the therapist is someone who will listen to you no matter what you have to say. People have told me I'm a good listener that is one of the best compliments I have gotten. If everyone were as interested in what the other person has to say as what they said themselves it would be a much better world.
The International Jewish Banking Conspiracy - October 07, 2008
On the Road to Westchester County - October 06, 2008
Inside the Madison Square Studio - October 05, 2008
I'm a Bosniac and I'm debating like I've never debated before - October 03, 2008
Islands in the Stream of Consciousness - October 02, 2008
Email me: GordonLew at gmail
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Horvendile 2002-02-03
