chuck kottke

Greetings, CONRAD !!!!:hat::hat::hat: Welcome to the big tent!!! Happy Trails Conrad!!!, -Chuck

Hello Victaniac & berrywoman!:) Hmmm! Raul - wasn't he the one who talked Fidel into Communism in the first place?! At least he's 75 - so how long can he reign? I'll bet everyone's glad in Miami that Castro's going!! That's one heck of a long wait, though what's next might not mean much change will occur.. Better stay tuned.. -Chuck

Hello Rick8 and the italian scientist! Thanks! Wish I could play something in entirety, though!! I have always admired those who could put the various pieces together - provide a change-up to the music, and come back to the central melody and all. & Nice harmonies. Coldplay is fantastic at this! But, hey, maybe mistakes are essential to new music?:confused::) I like to goof around on instruments - piano especially. So, I think that must be a part of the creative process for all music - at least for original work. Someone has to try new things, even if 9 out of 10 sound strange at best! Certain chords just sound beautiful on their own, I've noticed. We must have some innate liking for these chords that they resonate so well within us?! Then there's just something about the freshness of a piece - something to make it stand out, to call attention to the music. Apprehension, and reward! Somewhat like hearing that first bird sing a lilting melody in the early morning.. The silence between is perhaps as important as the song itself - sets it apart, and resonates in a refreshing manner... Hmmm.....!!! Just Ruminations! Anywhohow, have a great day!! -Chuck

Hey, underneath all this clothing, we're all just naked anyhow!!:) I wonder what blind people think of us? Or, some of those tribes that wear essentially nothing? I wonder, do they think things like - "omg! there's those other people again, wearing that clothing all over! How strange! How can they walk around like that?" Of course, they live in a warm place! I think that's probably the biggest factor. Still, if you add enough beer and enthusiasm, I'll bet you could get any average group of college students to run around naked! In EauClaire, the track team would run the "Nude Mile" as a tradition. I don't recall anyone objecting! But, yea, they did kind of run this thing at midnight down the tavern street. I just think we're way too worried about conformity and appearance - maybe that's why some streakers do it - to break the tension over nudity? Say, Sam, where is this beach again? :cool: Happy Trails and Tails! -Chuck

Variety abounds here, I see I see!! YES Wonderous Stories, then back to Square One. I need to branch out more!!:thinking::)

I Like Dave S's Squirrel!:) Make my vote for salty organic popcorn:chef:, and life would be UNBEARABLE without DARK CHOCOLATE !!! And, as long as we're MakingTradeFair, I go for the FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE:heart::heart::heart::smash: (MMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!:rolleyes3::sunny:

Hello to All !!:):):) Now I remember the tune I had bouncing around in my head, and which I couldn't quite get the right fingering for (the chords that matched) - It was from YES - Wonderous Stories, near the end of the song, where a synthesizer keyboard played an electronically muted horn part, played as accented notes in threes and fours. The Lyrics went something like this: "Hearing Your Wonderous Stories... , Hearing Your Wonderous Stories...., (Synthesizer-Keyboard Part), It is no lie, I can see into the future...., Imagine everything...." And, from that memory I tried at the music store to reconstruct the keyboard part! Unable to get the right chord and fingering, I kept going down the chords that came to mind, repeating each one as I went in what I thought was the right sequence, and could not quite guess it! But what I had played was equally beautiful, though somewhat by accident. I decided to repeat the basic pattern at each chord, and in doing so found a very entrancing melody! Adding the upper octave, and changing the setting to xylophone gave it an exceptionally beautiful quality! What good karma to have accomplished something so amazing, and have had the ear of a master of the keyboards - It was a rare moment of convergence that I will always cherish. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Muse~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Trails! -Chuck

WELCOME RYVYAN !!!:) Im glad you had a great time at the concert, and they got you out of the world-cup blues!! My feelings exactly - I feel the same about artists, when they actually care deeply about issues facing all of us, and are on a human level. Few can have the impact they have. MakeTradeFair is essential if we are going to solve global injustice, poverty, disease, starvation, conflict, and overall happiness! Here in the USA, a struggle is afoot to make elections fair - our nation hasn't been very responsive to the need to reform trade, and it stems in part from corruption at the political level. So, I', playing a part, however small it may be, in trying to solve that problem. Wish us luck!! GLAD you're onboard!!! -chuck

ALIVE AND WELL :):):):):):) !!!!!! HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR LISTENING DEVICES ANGSPAM? :dance::sunny::dance: Happy Trails, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-CHUCK.

Hello YamiMarik 528! And, in synopsis, where do we stand? The Golan Heights might be a bit contentious, as it's a high spot whereby Hezbollah's rockets and mortars can rain down from (and have!). And, I think revolutionaries will always be revolutionaries. I wish I could believe we could obtain lasting peace in the region, but I would be happy with just a lot less severe warfare. 650,000 refugees - that's a lot for so small an area! And, I don't know if the US is willing to commit troops. Public opinion's against it, and the mid-terms are just around the corner. If what's here can be believed, it sounds encouraging. What is your read on this?? Sincerely, -Chuck

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Greetings daRRen KAo from the Schuan Province in CHINA !!!!!!!:);):) Glad to hear your thoughts, and hooray for Coldplay II !!! -Chuck

I wonder about these wars.. If we could feel what the others involved feel, and cared enough not to cause such pain... So many times it looked like the fighting would end in the Holy Lands, and yet, here we go again.. Any end in sight? It looks like not being careful in how one deals with matters can lead to more conflict in the long run. Being as careful as possible takes away the bad actor's ability to propagandize poor decisions, and most importantly, does a lot less harm to the innocent. Nothing's perfect, no matter how hard we try - but it helps to minimize the hurt to those innocent of wrongdoing. If you win the will of the people, the bad actors won't be so welcome in familiar turf! A harsh and frequently forgotten lesson from the war in Iraq. One Jewish writer recently remarked on a PBS TV program that he felt both the State of Israel and Palestine had become the modern analog to the Story of the Biblical Sampson. In trying to win the struggle against the Philistines, Sampson tore down the Temple, killing both Philistine and Jew alike. I hope it doesn't come to that! Anyhow, looking for solutions to a tough problem, and hoping for the best. With Sincerity, -Chuck

:hat::hat::hat: Drums are nice - I enjoy a good drum circle every now and then!! - Just think of a piano as a giant drum set. The strings could be seen as long, thin, twisted drums, and the hammers as drum sticks! It's just a big set of tuned drums, basically;) Happy Drumming!! -Chuck

HELLO & WELCOME !!!! Happy to hear of your enthusiasm!!! :):):) All the Best to You!!! -Chuck

:cool: What am I listening to right now? Hmmm... I hear the ticking of a clock, the computer cooling fans sounding like the distant humm of motorboats when you're swimming and dive into a freshwater lake... The sound of air whooshing through the back grill on the case, and the faint rumble of a far, far away thunderstorm... Keys making characteristic clicks and ticks. Just a whisper from the birds, as they wait for daylight... Time for bed on this side of the planet!!:sleeping: Good night to all, and to all a Good Night and Good Day! -Chuck

Hey, how about starting a petition?! Get a show of support - it might just help!! Best of Wishes and Dreams!! -Chuck

Hello Andrew !! Glad to hear you had a great time & Welcome too :hat:! Happy Trails, -Chuck

Oooo:cry: What a let down! I can relate to that - once my brother fried my computer when he was attempting an upgrade - I didn't ask for his help, either!! At least they sell replacement screens, though they can be a bit pricey. It doesn't look rolled-over to me, either! The screens are kinda pressure-sensitive, but that looks pretty well smooshed! Hey, it happens. We try to be careful, but sh** happens. I just got a call from a friend of mine, and he just got hit by a car while riding a bicycle!! Someone wasn't paying attention, and he got knocked into the ditch. Not real serious, but serious enough - his elbow is 3X it's normal size, and it is throbbing. He can feel his hand and move his fingers a little, but the pain's pretty bad. I think he should have gone to the Emergency Room, but he wants to wait till AM. So, be thankful - at least it's just a screen! They make more - but the initial frustration can be a real bummer. Check out computer resale - they might have a screen at a reasonable price, though you might want a guarantee. In a day or two you'll be on the way to recovery. It heals faster than broken bones! With Sympathy, -Chuck

HELLO DIEGO !!! Welcome aboard!! U2 vs. Coldplay?? I think they're both equally great!!! Hope you find what you're looking for.....!!! Merilly yours, -Chuck

Hey Gazebofloss!! I hear you loud and clear! I just hope we're over-extended enough, and the failures of the war in Iraq are enough to keep us out of any more global mizery. I've declared my own personal war on oil - I've been getting one of our local manufacturers to begin production of high efficiency wood gassification & gen set systems for home use - designed to efficiently turn wood chunks, waste paper, or any solid organic matter into fuel for direct home heat and electricity production. The maket can only grow rapidly as time passes! Renewables are the way to go, as oil, war, and climate issues must be addressed. Solar panels are nice, as are wind options, but our climate lacks both in the critical winter months, so we're faced with fewer options - it's either biofuels in winter, or bundle up! Superinsulation gets us 90% of the way there, as well as better transportation options, so I'm hopeful we can do it. Heck, we don't really have a choice!! Keep up the good work, and Great Analysis!! Sincerely, -Chuck PS - has there been any real political reform efforts in Great Brittian? Effective??

PS - In regards to GazeboflossUK - lots of questions with the most secretive government in US history. I like to turn Pres. Bush's quote back onto his own little world, relative to surveilance of our citizens - "Hey, after all... Whaddaya got to hide hee, hee.." Comeon George, whaddaya got to hide, hee, hee!" Can anyone say "NIXON" ten times? It's got us all scared - not the land of the free like it used to be!! Trying to Turn the Ship Around in Time, -Chuck

Hello Green Eyes & to all Hello!! Having grown up in a family with lingering antisemitism, it took me a while to understand what's up with this insanity! You've already got a pretty clear understanding, but for me, piecing it together took a while... To start with, my ancestors came from Germany prior to WWI. The best I can figure is that the Jewish people in Germany (who were pretty much ordinary Germans, but retained their religious identity) filled the roles of bankers more than anyone else in that country. People of the Christian faith were forbid to lend money (you were just supposed to give it generously to help a fellow Christian, who then had no obligation to pay it back!). An idea that wouldn't work, as one should expect! So, those Jewish Germans naturally acted as bankers, and excelled at it. Then, because one of the Apostles (Paul, as I recall) had been trying to convert more Romans to the Christian faith, he had to re-write part of the bible a little bit. The business of the Pharisees (scholarly Jewish priests) having turned Jesus into the authorities and forcing the Romans into a no-win situation, where the Romans had to execute Jesus to follow Roman law, was added later. It was actually the Romans who, in all likelihood, caught, tried, convicted, and executed Jesus for being an insurrectionist! But Paul was trying to convert Romans who wanted a better faith than the pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, so he fudged the novel a bit, to make the Romans look less guilty, and get their support for the fledgling Christian faith. Ever since then, it was pretty easy for power-obsessed people, looking for a scapegoat, to blame the jewish europeans for anything that went wrong! (Ironically, Jesus was jewish, and yet these Europeans were persecuting Jewish members of their own countries! makes no sense to me either!) And, that brings me back to what went wrong in our family. Not that my family's horrible - just a little mixed up on this one issue. Grandpa had cousins in Germany prior to the Great Depression, and they had just borrowed heavily to finance the cost of new farm machinery. Then the Depression hit, and Germany was devastated economically. So, the loans still had to be repaid (no bail out programs back then!), and they lost the farms they had originally mortgaged to get the loans. They blamed the jewish bankers who had lent them the money and had sold their land in lieu of debts owed! It wasn't the banker's fault, nor the farmers - it was bad decisions by investors (many American), an impossible war debt to the allies, and a bad decision to try and print themselves out of their obligations by the German Government way back then that led to the failue. But, when things go bad, people look to blame SOMEONE, and guess who got the blame! So, there was always this lingering angst against anyone who was of the jewish faith, even though our family had very little contact with anyone of the jewish faith! It took me a while to figure it out, and I have no such resentment - but a much better understanding of how people get scapegoated or mislabelled! Probably, and this is just me trying to make sense of it, what's going on there in the Holy Lands, is akin to what one might expect under the circumstances. Israel is a modern state, and just like the US or any other modern state, reacts strongly to any attack or percieved threat. And, that danger is mighty close to home!! So, millitary planners, knowing mainly millitary "solutions", use what they practice, which if often more than is necessary, and can lead to more tragedy in trying to obtain justice. Levelling a town because some terrorists are digging tunnels and smuggling arms there makes no sense - it's way out of porportion to the threat, and I can only see that as creating fodder for more extremists, as there's gonna be a lot more unhappy people after that happens! The US does the same - I spoke to an Iraqi vet who was there when the US levelled part of Bagdad, because the insurgents were hiding out there. It always backfires, but I can see why the orders are given - it gets the enemy (and inflames the hatred of thousands upon thousands of otherwise amenable people! - that part usually isn't entered into the initial calculus). So, I think we need to put our best foot forward. Be as careful, as justified in our actions, and as thoughtful of acting as though we were dealing with the problem right in our own neighborhood. The majority of Palestinians are good, descent, honest folks, as well as the Israelis, just as US citizens and Iraqis are descent, or anywhere else, for that matter. As long as we remember to walk a mile in the moccasins of those other folks, well be alright, and make much better decisions! One final thought - Beware of the People running the Pep Rallies! I like a good game as well as the next person, but I'm keenly aware of how we can get caught up in the fever of the moment, and all too easily forget that we are all human, all of the same family. Considering that our current President was once a Cheer Leader for Yale, I think he still sees things in those terms. Us and them. Black and white. North and south. Not a good trait for someone dealing with a complex world!! I love the Teams, Nations, and Religions of the world for the Enthusiasm - Color, Spectacle, and Meaning - they bring to life, but hope we remember to stay connected on a Human and Spiritual level above it all. As far a circumcisions are concerned, I'm told that there's less chance of disease or infection, and that's the whole reason for it. So, it sounds logical! But why then would we have features that might get infected? This isn't very smart, evolutionarily speaking! But, then our appendix runs a risk of infection as well, though that does have some function, albeit minor. Maybe just an evolutionary spare part, that hasn't been discarded yet from the playing deck?? Beats the heck out of me!!! LongWindedly Yours,:juggle: -Chuck

Gleetings KayDee!! Hello KayDee!!!:jester: You'll get the hang of it faster then a fish takes to water!!!:daisy: Music to sooth the soul & rock & roll !!! Nice collection:wacko: Yours spans the generations as well I see !!! Enjoy, and it's great to have your company!!!! HAPPY TRAILS KAY ;-} -Chuck

An eye for an eye leaves the world blind. :bomb::dead: Defusing tensions is pretty messy stuff, but things have a tendancy to blow up otherwise, and are not easily put back together. Did anyone see the movie Munich recently? I had a chance to see it over a vacation, and it tells an interesting story about this whole mess! -Chuck