june twenty fourth

I will always appreciate somebody proverbially (or actually) slapping some sense into me, especially when my outlook sways into the 'doomed'. Recently, the pile of books in my room have come to include Derrick Jensen's 'Endgame: Volume I, The Problem of Civilization', Jared Diamond's 'Collapse', and C.S. Lewis' 'The Great Divorce'. Its been making for some arduous reading, enlightening in some regards, but specifically 'Endgame' has been dragging at the core of my more positive being, thinking about the future of being human. Yes, civilization is destroying the earth. And I am killing myself with tainted and perverted food, drink and technologies ferried to me from profit hungry corporations that exploit animals, earth and media. We should all be aware of the preciousness around us - and the waste and greed that juxtaposes this. People are being 'forced' to be holing up in cities and sucking resources from around the globe. But it doesn't have to be so depressing. Yes, I'd like to live closer with the land someday; but for now we can inspire each other and help each other out, try to live simply, right? I want to be able to trade honey and eggplants with the potential raw cheese maker/programmer down the road, of course! We feed off each other, but its not always abusive. We can try our damnedest to undermine those in power, but it may just take a disaster (either man made or natural) to change things. Life sucks if you worry about this future so much - And I am even starting to write like the guy now. Jeeze.

In Jensen's vein, but thinking of solutions... I admit I tried to interpret the recent BP/USA Oil-F-Up with a visual reaction of those resource guzzling technologies we all depend on, sketched up and conceptualized as recycled in a world where there is no use for them anymore (I felt like I was in high school again, thinking I knew what was what) ; airplanes upside down, half submerged with masts and booms a fixed to the wheel slots, as docile small sailing communities, schools of fish swimming by the passenger windows, the planes tied to oil & shipping rigs converted into floating, anchored living quarters, with recreation areas above deck. On land, car doors and other sheets stripped from them, providing the backing for levees and other structures, wal-marts converted into living spaces or places to beat the heat. When all was said and done, I looked at the drawing the next day not too pleased, and decided to scrap it as I normally do with stuff that I wouldn't want to see anyway. Its kind of obvious that we will find ways to re-use what can't be used in a new time. We can all choose to be dreamers or just focus on whats going in front of us, for real.

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Now the run down, with links, to follow whats going on with fun shtuff in my life, if you so care. I don't update this thing too often, and when I do its usually out of some sort of anxiety to feel overly productive outside of the mundane and routine of work and life. 'Why worry?' I must ask myself again...

As of this summer, AOI is anticipating some 'busking' to occur at a few renaissance festivals, along with our native basement callings.

Visiting James Christy in Philadelphia to collaborate on some new ideas with Yets, soon. Maybe completing more recordings and perhaps making a split with earlier documented Pots & Powercells jams from Caitlin's living room - an anticipated CDr titled 'Hungry Ghosts' to be released as soon as possible. Taking my time, guys! Long live Fart Rock!

Also, power-party-instrumental band and would-be-considered-a-Load-Records-rip-off project, Aram Fingal, has been offered a few gigs in the Netherlands for September - high-school buddy Josh and I are enlisting Tahler for drums as Steve Viegas is getting too old to play drums, casio and occasionally sing at the same time. I'm psyched to finish up some prints for the flyer artwork.

and... Thanks for prescribing cold showers Noah & goya coconut water, these runs in the heat are taking it out of me!