MTTO
(More thoughts that occurred)


We could all save ourselves a lot of time, heartache, pain and suffering if all politicians had to undergo a screening process that mandated an oral interview before a panel of 12 children (between the ages of 6 and 12) wherein the pols would be evaluated and graded on the basis of honesty, directness and a sense of humor.

When I eat fruits and vegetables, I often wonder how many animals were killed, poisoned or rendered homeless in order to prevent them from eating them before me.

A really good bowl of rice and beans is a really good meal.

How is it possible that the NHL can still maintain that the jury is still out on the negative effects of brain concussions? Are there any positive effects from concussions? Did the commissioner suffer one?

Making a movie all in 3D is a very one-dimensional way of doing things.

Is humor a way of deflecting the truth or a way of revealing it?

Is there anything funny about the previous question?

When I read that some Hollywood studio was releasing a movie called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter--- I still didn’t believe it.

…until I looked it up and read the synopsis: President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers. It is now official, the entire culture has “jumped the shark”.

I have never seen Gone with the Wind all the way through without dozing off…in fact I’ve never made it past the first twenty minutes. I don’t know what it is, but I suspect there is something about the old Technicolor process combined with that maudlin score and fake southern accents that acts like a sedative on my nervous system.

I have been thinking about trying Yoga for years and intend to continue thinking about it for many years to come.

Do the Homeland security/airport security folks really believe it’s actually possible to make a bomb out of a few ounces of shampoo? And if so, would it be activated by a hair trigger? Sorry, couldn’t help it.

Did you know?... that Stevie Wonder wrote the music for Tears of a Clown? And recorded the entire track before there was a single word of lyric? Wonder asked Smokey Robinson if he would like to put lyrics to it. Go to Daryl Hall’s very cool website: www.livefromdarylshouse.com and you can hear that whole story straight from Smokey…and check out the rest…it’s a very musical and down homey blast.

I rarely anymore think: “ I wish I was….”.
And I much more frequently think “ I’m glad I'm not…”

Making a conscious effort to be conscious of when you’re not being conscious is a sure-fire way to remain conscious of how un-conscious you are.

Remember R. D. Laing? Remember those clever little word game riddles and poems he called Knots? Remember how glib and annoying they were?
Well, the previous item reminds me of that…and now I wish I hadn’t written it.

New Year’s resolution: Despite the ease with which I can post something here and then go back at any time to edit or amend it, I will resist the urge and henceforth let my sleeping dogs lie.

…memo to self: go back and lose the inapt metaphor in the above.


We tend to regard something as “original” when we neglect/cease to acknowledge or remember the influences that led to it –and “originality” is really a knack for disguising or dissolving the connection between influence and reinterpretation.
Case in point…I only thought of this because I was reading obituary on Helen Frankenthaler which mentioned her relationship with Clement Greenberg who I subsequently looked up and found something that he said that is virtually the same thought as the “original” one I had above.

Many years ago there was a series on PBS (imported from England) called Connections with James Burke. Great stuff and all about history of technology and the endless stream of connections that tie everything together.

Some musical cases in point…

First…Rufus Thomas




The Rolling Stones.


Big Mama Thornton…with a young Buddy Guy


And whatsissname



Whoever is running the Obama e-mail campaign has got to stop trying to make us believe that we are friends with the First Family and that with a donation of 3 dollars we would be welcome as their dinner guests. It’s demeaning, immature, insincere, and for those of us who would love to get a big hug from Michelle ….heartbreaking.