Saturday, October 25, 2003

That's straight out.

Eulogy

“They took your life apart
And called your failures art
They were wrong though
They won’t know til tomorrow”

The man told me this:

I remember the first time I heard an Elliot Smith song. It was the song “Needle in the Hay”, and I heard it at the movie theatre while I watched “The Royal Tannenbaums”. It played in the background of the scene where Luke Wilson shaves off his beard then attempts suicide. I didn’t know who wrote the song and I didn’t care, but I did feel an immensely powerful reaction to that moment of the film. I can’t think of a moment during a movie where every aspect of the sequence expressed such intensity and despair and beauty and ache. I was stunned by how incredible and amazing it was. Afterwards my friend Mark was so excited about it because he knew the song and that he’d already found out about Elliot Smith, which didn’t surprise me because Mark’s purpose in life is to inform us about any possibly astounding music that might exist in the world. This time I was grateful because all I wanted to do upon embarking from the theatre was download that song as quickly as possible and listen to it about twenty times straight. I wanted to see that shot over and over in my mind and remember what I felt in my heart.

Elliot Smith had that way about him. He expressed simple and sad emotions and helped us feel them, but the songs don’t leave you empty or depressed. They sit inside you and make you think about how you feel when you feel that way. So much of our life is trying to avoid any possible bad feeling or moment that may eventually happen some time in our life. We hide in our blue caves and drift down into whatever aid that may help us escape ourselves. When I listen to the soft soul of Elliot Smith it feels good to understand the part of me that I may never be able to express. It could be locked inside my heart forever but that doesn’t make it any less important, that doesn’t mean that I should turn my back on something that is so naturally me, so desperately me.

Sometimes we need to sit on the couch and watch the sun fade the horizon and hear our hearts beat underneath our chest. That’s when I listen to Elliot Smith and let my tears well forth from within me for no special reason except for the fact that I am an emotional being and I fucking appreciate that. I let the goosebumps break out on my arms and I thank the universe that there are creative people out there who can help me feel this way.

Elliot Smith was a wonderful tortured soul that was winked out of existence. I am sad he’s gone and I am happy that he was here. He was a true artistic creature and he will be missed.

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Monday, October 20, 2003

“Taking the nation to war based on misleading rhetoric and hyped intelligence is a travesty and a tragedy. It is the most cynical of all cynical acts. It is dangerous to manipulate the truth. It is dangerous because once having lied, it is difficult to ever be believed again.”

Oh, the little demon comes back to haunt us all. It’s inside our heads whispering deceit to clear away deceit. It eats away at our insides until we are naked before ourselves. It is unmistakable and cannot be prevented because we can never find a hole deep enough or dark enough to forget. As long as we exist we will be reminded of the deceit that we bring down upon us. The lies will reverberate loudly until the echoes tear down the walls. We will succumb to the demons because we can never escape ourselves or the harmful actions imparted under the cloak of righteousness. And despite the erroneous wisdom given to us by men who bend the ear of our President hoarding his thoughts and actions (Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney), there is no glory in war. There are no great songs that praise murder and death and destruction. Our children will never look back on these days with admiration and wonder unless we change our course.

September 11, 2001 happened so that we could see the horror of war. For a moment we all understood how terrible weapons can be in the hands of deceit. When we pound the drums of war with lies and ignorance we have set our fate. These demons now push the seeds of hate into our spines locking us within their embrace. The men who lie to us are not our saviors. They are instrumental in our demise. It is time to do what is right. It is time for humanity to exclaim with a shout that it is wrong to kill each other! It is time to throw down our weapons and stand up with our hearts! It is time to use our voice to tear down the demons that we have come to adore, to shove them back down into the recesses where they belong. We will never win when we fight with hate.

This will always be the message of great leaders. Throughout history we’ve heard similar voices from Human Beings who not only spoke of the power of nonviolence but also breathed it, made it the essence of their lives. Mahatma Ghandi, Jesus of Nazareth, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Socrates, Rachel Corrie, Josei Toda, Linus Pauling, Mikhail Gorbechov, Rosa Parks, Margaret Sanger, Cesar Chavez, Siddartha Gautama, Florence Nightengale, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Woody Guthrie, Leo Tolstoy.

These people spoke with the voice of reason, humility and compassion. Their words have resounded throughout the ages. They are words of peace...not war. They are words of courage...not deception.

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Thursday, October 16, 2003

Bellyrubs

The greatest of all sensations for me is the bellyrub. Lying on my back I descend into a nirvana-like state when fingers from heaven softly caress my navel. I become light as the ether and nothing can pull me away from this tranquility. The Gods, as the perfect act of compassion for dogs, ordained bellyrubs. It’s true, the Gods and I have a long running dialogue going and I can attest that if you wish to please the almighty you should start by giving your dog a bellyrub. Or you can think of it as a reward for a job well done. Hey, we don’t have to warn you when the postman comes. We don’t have to greet you with eager anticipation when you arrive home from your hateful job. We don’t have to tolerate baths and howl for bones and be there when you need a little warmth against your belly. We do all of these things because we love you, and the best way for you, our trusted friend, is to reciprocate in kind and kick down some bellyrubs.

Although the most hated image that goes through any dogs brains is the vision of a cat getting a bellyrub. That’s simply indogmane. I know there are some of our species, who have decided that cats are not really that evil. But this is just wrong. Cats should live in the gutter and eat rotten vegetables like the gray monster cruising 42nd street. This is their true lot in life and they should simply accept the way that it is and quit bullying their way into our territory. I, mishupishu for one, will not allow it. One day, when I am governor, it will be a felony to give cats bellyrubs.

Bellyrubs are the best thing in the whole wide world. Please don’t cheapen it. Even schmokie likes bellyrubs. I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. I know he’s a weird dog, but I’ve learned to ignore most of his shortcomings and let him share my home. Sometimes I have to put him in his place but he still deserves a bellyrub every once in awhile. Although when he tries to nudge his way into one of my bellyrubs I just want to bite his nose right off or tear his tongue right out of his mouth. When did a sign of senility become cute anyway? He’s my best friend though, and he has his good days. He keeps me preoccupied when the man and the woman have decided that they are too good to give bellyrubs. And how about a goddamn walk once in awhile!

In conclusion I only have one thing to say. Never ever denounce a good bellyrub. You’ll regret it in the end. There are certain things in life that we all grow to love for whatever reason. We find them in many different situations and with many different people. I know exactly where I would find mine. If one day I had the opportunity to get a bellyrub from Doug Martsch, I know that I would never look back. His fingers curling through my fur making my legs turn to jelly. His gentle soul spilling from his lips as he hums one of his luscious songs to me. I imagine the way that he handles the guitar and...Oh I’m sorry, I just...I’m getting too emotional.

Monday, October 13, 2003

El Dia de la Raza

Today is a day that should never be forgotten. Fortunately we are beginning to learn more regarding that ill fated boat trip five-hundred years ago. Lalo Alcarez's view is exactly what I needed to see.

The man told me about seeing Rage Against the Machine ages ago in a Tijuana club named Iguanas on columbus day. Zack De La Rocha was angry that night and the words he spoke still strike a chord. He wanted everyone in the audience to understand that a holiday like Columbus Day should never be celebrated. Instead it must become a day to reaffirm our commitment to ending all the atrocities that human beings commit against one another. Days like today exist so that we can remember how not to be. I believe this message couldn't have come at a more opportune time.

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Saturday, October 11, 2003

About an Election

We were bought and sold by white men with shiny, glittering money and a face that everybody knows. Suddenly we're bent over taking it from behind and we're looking back with a smile saying, "Hey, this is exciting. I've never felt so great!"

Unfortunately tomorrow it's going to smart. We'll be walking around with a slight limp and a nagging pain beneath our spine. And then we are going to realize that it is already tomorrow, and they've fed us intravenously with the poison and we are growing too weak to stand.

Until we become a bunch of paraplegics. TOO FUCKING SCARED TO MOVE! Perhaps we'll grow numb to the pain as they go on giving us the high hard one.

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Friday, October 10, 2003

Now that I've seen her on teevee and have recently discovered her blog, I have to jump on the Margaret Cho bandwagon and howl her praises.

Thank you Margaret.

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Thursday, October 09, 2003

The Vatican has struck again. Throughout history they have continued to undermine many technological advancements, completely disregarding humanity in the process. Remember Galileo was considered a blasphemous heretic, and I am sincerely waiting for the day when the Pope suggests bloodletting to solve the AIDS epidemic.

Why do so many of those with great power do everything in their power to retard life on this planet? Philosophy and theology exist so that humanity (and dogs) can improve the quality of their life. When irresponsible guidance of this nature is passed down by theologians, it is in the best interest of every form of life to not only reject that guidance but to also question the remaining tenets of said religion. With that I give a shout out to all the believers of the Katholic faith.

OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES!!!

As well as your hearts and minds for chrissakes!

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Tuesday, October 07, 2003

MISHUPISHU-The Great Horned Lynx





I am the great horned lynx and I shall devour the earth and all it's inhabitants!!! (except for Doug Martsch of course)

Monday, October 06, 2003

"The more commercial television news you watch, the more wrong you are likely to be about key elements of the Iraq War and its aftermath, according to a major new study released in Washington on Thursday."

This comes from a revealing view of the state of our impartial journalistic endeavers of recent days. If I were human, of sound voting mind and registered as a republikan (is it even possible to blend the latter two) I would definitely be in the process of rethinking my party allegiance. Or I could just continue to not...think.

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