Old school

Interesting.

For quite some time I had forgotten about the old Blogspot dot com, as is evidence by my lack of journaling since September. And let's face it, September was dreary. I almost attempted suicide, but couldn't find the extension chord for the electric razor.

Blogger is now old school. It's interesting how the internet seems to flip every few years. When I first got on in 1992 I was using Prodigy, and the Bulletin Boards were all the rave. Then chat seemed to pull us from the BBS to the chat rooms. I remember having to refresh the screen every 30 seconds before the java chat application came into existence. Then from chat to java chat and onto - ICQ chat, and instant messaging. Then AIM and Yahoo instant messaging. Then the blogger revolution seemed to take over, and I really was asleep while it happened, jumping in only a short while ago. And now? MySpace. I have been sucked into MySpace. It is a horrible addiction, second only to crank and/or Moxie cola.

The band is doing well. We're getting some shows, getting a little bit of buzz among the all ages crowd around Cobb and Paulding counties. It's all good. You can check it out: www.myspace.com/poiemarock

Add us as friends. My feeling of self worth now hinges upon it.

And - like everyone else - I sometimes miss those x-10 hidden camera popups...

out of the public eye

Wow...

4 months.
I haven't written in 4 months.

Sure, I've been busy in other places... MySpace being one. I have a band, y'know... and most of my time online is spent there trying to do the PR thing.

Tonight, I just need for it to be on the DL... no one else need know, since no one really reads this bulemic bit of bloggery.

I like this line a lot:
"The stroke of midnight
Fell like a head from a guillotine."

Vlad Mayakovski - the bulk of sinews.

"Mother!
I can’t sing.
In the heart’s chapel, the choir was set ablaze!"

All of this, opaque, brackish... I live in a basement. Literally. I tried to grow a thicker skin, but it seemed to suffocate.

The moon is down, Allentown.

New Brew from Haiku Lou

Good gosh, peeps! Have I been a slacker or what?

Here's what's going on:

As we speak, I am currently running data through hoops in an effort to refine it into a tangible report for someone to digest and burp out public health policy memos and so forth. Its a good way to spend a sunny early May day. Let's face it, sunshine and fresh air are overrated.

Poiema is in a quiet stage. This is bad. This is discouraging. When we started, we all seemed to have enough time to invest into the band. Now people are caught up in horrible work schedules (not myself) and are begining to wonder if they can continue. While this might be easily remedied with a simple post to a musician's directory, I'm holding out with the hope that things will get back to normal soon. I like the peeps with whom I get to play. I have found in my life that picking people out at random from ads is unnerving to me. When you find a good one, you have to keep them, or at least try very hard to keep them. So, we're just kind of writing some songs and waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. Thus, no demo yet, no shows on the horizon.

After months and months, I am nearly done with Atlas Shrugged. About 2 weeks I decided I just didn't like the book; but being 800 pages into it, I've decided to go ahead and continue. I actually like the book quite a lot in that it is very well written, and there are some incredibly good points to be made in regards to political ideology. However, there are a number of underlying concepts with which I just can't go along. I believe altruism to be a great attribute in a person. Ayn Rand seems to see it as a weakness. Do I believe that we should allow governing bodies to redistribute wealth from the wealthy to the poor? No. There is no obligation like that spelled out in the US Constitution. However, if I see someone in need, should I demand payment before I help them? In my mind, I would be held accountable before my Creator for such an action. BUT - the proposed philosophy Ayn Rand espouses seems to (and I may be wrong) presuppose that there is no personal God. Perhaps she does believe in a deity of some sort (there's no evidence to suggest either way), but she seems to dismiss the idea that God is the source of moral code for human existence, and that anyone believing this is a "mystic". Thus there is justification for certain forms of adultery between characters, but not for other characters who involve themselves in such actions. It seems hypocritical to me. An action is an action despite its motivation. Motivation does not justify the end result. One common question that is asked is "is it ok for a man to steal bread to feed his starving family?" We answer that (commonly) as "yes"... but its based on a relative concept that a man might steal bread for a different motive. Consider "is it ok for a wealthy man to steal bread to feed the ducks?" Most would say "no, of course not." Both are stealing. Why is one considered OK while the other is not. Is not the breadmaker getting ripped off either way? So, in a nutshell, if someone can explain to me why one case of adultery is justified and another is not, I'd gladly listen. That element, and the ramifications of it, was enough to pull me from my obsession with the book and demote it to simply "a really good read."

Reports are done running, and there's a Quizno's coupon in my inbox. I 'reckon it is time to grab some grub. Everyone be good. ;)

Till next time (hopefully not TOO long)-
Your Best Friend,
Haiku_Lou

Easter Eve?

Twas the night before Easter and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...


except a young man by the name of Haiku Lou... just kicking back with a Diet Pepsi and a wad of Nicorette Gum. Folks, its the simple pleasures in life that get me through.

So, update since my last post (2 weeks ago? What the HECK??? I Was supposed to be updating this more!).

1. We have moved: Goodbye Hiram, hello Powder Springs! We got a great deal on a house to lease (with the option to buy). Why did we get a great deal? Because the house belongs to my in-laws. They bought it about a year and a half ago and already are ready to sell. Stairs and arthritis do not a good mix make. Only caveat: they are building a house, so while that is happening, my mother in law is still living here. I'll admit that when it comes to dealing with outside forces entering into what I deem my inner sphere, I get territorial. Aw heck, I turn into an ass; a passive aggresive ass, but and ass nonetheless. So, I'm trying very hard to maintain decency and order and to realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Its a very warm, kind, wonderful light. I'll admit further that this house does rock. The screened back porch and fenced back yard is heaven for the Tanner pooch, and I can get outside and play with him and the Benster. Ben loves having a big yard to play in, even though the bugs are already getting him. Further, the basement is big and its finished. So, I will have my own office / recording studio / refuge from the rest of the world.

2. Poiema is coming together: Yup, so the band name is Poiema. Poiema is the Greek word for "workmanship." We stole it from the Bible. We're all believers, and that is definitely a part of what we're doing, but on the other hand, we're far too subtle to get caught. As my friend Katlanta noted, contemporary Christian music is pretty horrible. I feel bad for kids that are looking for something with spiritual significance because they end up listening to some pretty square music. Actually, I was talking with Erin about this earlier today. It seems too often like Christian music is really a vehicle for getting the gospel out. The problem is, the music becomes secondary. Now, one might construe that I think the music should be more important than the message. Honestly, I can't seperate the two. If I simply wanted a vehicle for a message, I would write a book or stand on the street corner handing out New Testaments. I wouldn't do a disservice to the music by making it secondary. But honestly, the music and the words are inter-woven in my mind. We just play something from the heart and the mind. I don't want to force a message, I just want to share what goes on in my oft warped head and if someone digs it, great. If someone just likes the music and doesn't care for the message, great. My job is not to try to force anything, but just to remain dedicated to my personal ideal of music: be transparent, be honest, and put some thought into making it the best you can. Anything short of that, you are just ripping people off.



That was too involved! All I wanted to say was that we have found our fourth member to play lead guitar. That frees me up to pay more attention to vocals and also allows me to compose songs with multiple guitar parts. If you want to check us out, you can visit www.myspace.com/poiemarock . We are going to be working on a 3 song demo over the next month. The current audio clips are from our practice in the drummer's basement, so the sound quality is poor, and we screw up all over the place. But for my friends, I'll not try to build the suspense or anything. We're still getting the chemistry down and working out the songs, so... yeah, it's a little green, but I can at least share with you what's going on and hope it grabs your attention enough to say "I want to keep my eye on these guys and see how they improve over the next few months. :)



Time for shuteye! Happy Easter and/or Passover!

Where Have All The Haikus Gone

Folks,

Bloggers
Slackers
Rubba' Neckah's!

Your friend Haiku Lou has been neglecting his position at the wheel of the Areacode575 blogspot joint.

Fear not! I am not dead! Nor incapacitated!

Since late January, I've been working diligently on songs for my new band. Don't Google us. We don't exist on the web yet. We have a MySpace page which currently sucks lint from a dryer hose. I'll post the url when we get half-way decent sounding audio clips loaded, just promise to add us as friends or we'll get a complex. We sound like the kind of music I liked in college and still like to this day: Dinosaur Jr., Sugar, Superchunk, Buffalo Tom... throw in some newer Son Volt and some vintage Neil Young and you get the idea. So, thus, the blog has been blank as of late. It looks like the vines on the siding have become overgrown and the gutters are full. I'll try to tidy up and get motivated.

Stats:
Currently:
At: Work weighting data and drinking a shot in the dark from Mighty Joe Espresso.
iPod: Cinders and Smoke by Iron and Wine
feeling: sick of this stupid cold or pollen-induced era of allergy (not sure whether to blame a virus or a tree)

blogslacker and the virtue of iPod

Wow.

I've been slacking.

Perhaps for lack of interesting things to talk about. It seems like the state of the nation is constantly on my mind, and my head is in a constant state of cognative dissonance and I'm unraveling it like yarn. I imagine if I was ever to knit something, I'd want to unravel my yarn before making something with it.

Clever metaphor guy that I am. :)

No, tonight I'd rather talk about my iPod. I bought one about 3 weeks ago. It has revolutionized the way I listen to music.

No, I'm serious.

I bought the iPod Nano. The brand doesn't so much matter as compared to the service it provides. Whereas I used to carry cd's with me to work, I can now store gazillions of songs on this one little unit. "Hype!" I thought, "Nothing but pure unadulterated hype for Steve Jobs to finally get back into the limelight."
Mr. Jobs gets a hearty round of applause from this music lover for putting such a wonderful invention into the marketplace.

With the ease in which I can now carry music, I am rediscovering cd's I bought years ago and have been sitting in the bottom of my cd bin. Chamberlain. Swervedriver. Lifetime. No Knife. Bands that I never tired of, but never seemed to be in my hands as I left the house to go to work. Somedays I'm back in 1996, other days as far back as 1990 (which is the year I think I finally got a CD player). I love how music can go so far beyond the objectivity of notes in rhythem to create melody, and can be so subjectively interpreted. One might be able to tell me the chords and lyrics to "5 Year Diary" by Chamberlain, but no one can define for me memory of going across country on the Amtrak in December, looking out the windows at night and seeing the soft lull of suburban lights swirling in a Christmas eve snow flurry. No one can ever take from me the memory of watching the fireworks from Bel Hill on New Years Eve when 1999 became 2000 and the first song WBCN played was "Its the End of the World As We Know It" and we danced in the purple-red afterglow of the celebration. Music is an art form, in my opinion, that exists in time unlike any other art form. Music defines the very seconds it inhabits. You can't pause it to take it in, like you would a painting or a sculpture. You live it and it takes you in....

The way I like my steak

Haiku_Lou pre-read warning: the following post contains material that some might find offensive. Please take it in the intended manner: not to be overtly in your face political, but to spin a different perspective on a touchy subject.
*ahem*

Well, seems much of the national syndicate radio shows have finally settled down a little bit in terms of this whol Samuel Alito confirmation case. He's now a Supreme Court Justice of the US, having replaced Sandra Day O'Connor, about whom I remember a great amount of pride that then President Reagan had nominated a women. Alito didn't seem to get a warm welcome from the left side of the political spectrum, which is a shame because ultimately I don't believe a supreme court justice should be affiliated with a particular political ideology. That said, though, who is it that really is most threatened by Alito?

The pro-choice groups.

Can Alito get Roe v. Wade overturned? Perhaps, but if he did I believe there would be little less than a bloody civil war in the nation. For me personally, because we live in the society in which we do, I don't think it should be overturned.

That's right, I don't think it should be overturned. I'm a conservative Christian. Isn't that blasphemy to say Roe v. Wade should be left in tact?

My reasoning is that changing a law can do nothing to change minds.

I used to be very pro-choice, and I felt my position shift even before I embraced any kind of faith system. I was challenged and I want to offer up this challenge - not to anger anyone, not jump into a big political fist fight or even entertain a lot of the junk I hear on tv and radio. I simply want to use a buzzword I hear from the pro-choice side all the time: rare.
Make abortion rare?

How many people agree with that? How many people who are pro-choice would agree with that statement? I hear it a lot. I talk to people who disagree with my stance, but they say "yeah, abortion should be rare"...

My question, and its a good one to think about... why should it be rare?

If there is nothing wrong with it in a moral sense, why should we relegate it to something that is rare? If there is truly no vice in it at all, then shouldn't we see it as a great solution for foolproof birth control? It could be as common as going to the dentist? Why make it rare?

I submit that those who say it should be rare do have a moral opposition to that practice. I think its a contradiction to say it should be legal but rare. If it isn't moral enough to be common or typical, why is it moral enough to be legal?

But that's pie in the sky. As I said, I'm not into trying to change the Row v. Wade decision, and I don't foresee it happening. I just wanted to give that little bit of a different perspective.

We now return to our regularly scheduled program.


From Haiku_lou's corner:

Perhaps snow will fall
to cover the thorny fields,
Make footprints softer