i could stay here

so at the request of a friend, i have made it so that anyone can leave comments on here (i guess before, an account was necessary). so maybe someone will start leaving me comments - i welcome that - i welcome emails too. i think that would be nice.

if i could watch again the young version of me, playing soccer, running, dribbling, juggling, joyfully and contently competitive - if i could see myself 15 years ago, i wonder what i'd think. that was my favorite activity (and i liked many things) - and i could have played it all day, every day then. i didn't have that freedom, and now i can't invest as much of myself in any activity (except maybe teaching or school in general). but playing frisbee, soccer, and music each give me that sort of joy and clearheaded experience of life. and sitting and listening in a forest clearing. or swimming. some of these are experiences that are almost pure for me, where my degree of comfort and self-investment are at their maximum. and i'm glad i know that. the other times when i feel like usually involve talking with 2-3 other people at the same time.

sometimes i think about politics, and this isn't a place for me to espouse my political views or even complain about politics. but i do want to explain an idea that i had for politicians after the last election (i had many thoughts, but i came up with this one soon after the last election and have stuck with it ever since). to put it simply, i wasn't happy with the result of the last election cycle. i wished some of the elections had went differently. and i decided that if i were in charge of a nationally powerful political party, i would pull all national funding out of the campaigns for national elections - in 2006, i would let anyone run for congress that wanted to run (using their own money), but i would focus all efforts on local elections - school boards and city/county councils. in 2008, i would put effort only into the local and state elections - i wouldn't put any monetary effort into the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. i would be focusing on developing a strong and widespread core of power in communities, that is responsive to local issues, but also guided by overarching principles. i would foreground local and state elections, for a full election cycle.

during that time, i don't think that my party would die on the national level - it would be four years of being in the minority in all likelihood, but only on the national level, and during that time, local leaders would emerge and make names in local and state elections, leaders that could move to a national level after connecting with a constituency. and most of all, i don't think this would be as dangerous as it might seem at first. i think that it is risky business, but i think that it might be good. it would certainly be an innovative (though when i say that, it seems blatantly counterintuitive that it could be innovative). and i think it might work.

and no, politics aren't the only thing on my mind. i'm currently curious about how to best start playing music again - what i need to start playing - as a setup - andrew bird was inspiring, and i can't decide whether to go simple or complex, whether to base the music around guitar or keyboards. i guess i don't really know. but i think i should probably use a boomerang pedal to play live samples. if you have perspectives on that, i'd find it helpful also.


this song is one of the best examples of beauty i've ever encountered. each time i hear it, i'm nearly overcome by the sound of her voice, by the lyrics, and by the simple piano backing. this is a song that i don't think could be covered or played in any way that changes it - this is the perfect version/arrangement of this particular song (kind of like lua by bright eyes). and that says a lot. i heard this song for the first time this last winter, and i would listen to it on repeat, especially while going to sleep. it seemed like the kind of song to end a day - i wouldn't recommend waking up to it, but that might give an interesting slant to one's day.

colors and the kids by cat power

must be the colors and the kids that keep me alive
'cause the music is boring me to death

must just be the colors and the kids that keep me alive
'cause I want to go right away to January night

I built a shack with an old friend
he was someone I could learn from
someone I could become

will you meet me down on a sandy beach
we can roll up our jeans
so the tide won't get us below the knees

yellow hair, you are a funny bear
yellow hair, such a funny bear

slender fingers would hold me
slender limbs would hold me

and you could say my name
like you knew my name

I could stay here, become someone different
I could stay here, become someone better

it's so hard to go in the city
'cause you want to say hello to everybody
it's so hard to go into the city
'cause you want to say 'hey I love you' to everybody

when we were teenagers, we wanted to be the sky
now all we want is go to red places
and try to stay outta hell

must be the colors and the kids that keep me alive
'cause the music is boring me to death

must be the colors and it must just be the kids
that keep me alive on this January night

yellow hair, you are a funny bear
yellow hair, such a funny bear