The Exhilaration Of A Short Distance Swimmer.

The exhilaration of a short distance swimmer.

The water is so green as to be nearly opaque.

I am so keen to be in the water, I have to remind myself to remove my sunglasses.

Across a salt-water pool, red leaf, the lads are calling to each other.

Breathless I surface, to see the raft still a few strokes away:

I breast stroke to the ladder.

Beneath the weathered wood a view of water lapping hues of green on green sounds through the algae and rust.

Later, I see a fish here, clearly alive and beautiful in the dusk brine.

Thinking on my feet,not my navel.

Some thoughts for free. I am a person who has been diagnosed with bi-polar: specifically type 2 with schizoid effective disorder. This is just a label, but it is a label that brings with it a perspective on life. What the 2^nd part of the diagnosis means, in actual affect, is that I suffer psychoses if I am not on the correct drug regime.  Most of what happens during a psychosis is no one else’s business but those close to me, unfortunately and my own misfortune. Here is where the free advice or the progressive thoughts are pertinent. (Speaking for myself, the distinction between these 2 simple terms is close to ineffable.)

As the 21^st C progresses the brilliance of Charlie Chaplin, undisputed but not necessarily something I grasp, will recede. I remember him for this:

He made a film entitled “ The Great Dictator”, such knowledge is only a wiki away: not, however, the full importance of the film. While Chaplin had the best intentions in making “ T. G. D.” (Sic), with its wonderful final speech for love and humanity, freely available on youtube, he regretted making the film. Of course this was in light of the atrocities inflicted by the Nazis primarily on the Jewish people, regardless of their nationality, but on many others as well. Any person with thoughts that lead to feelings, or feelings that lead to thoughts ,would fight to stop this nightmare repeated.  With out the benefit of historical hindsight, Chaplin felt ashamed to have made light of something too grave to be fodder for comedy. At the time this was a sentient way to react.  We have had time to evaluate his brave attempt to take the piss out of a horrific regime, and to distinguish between Nazis and the proud German people. We should always thank Chaplin for his humane spirit, his love and the courage he showed to battle Hitler with his only weapon: art. 
Chaplin would never deny the rumour that he was Jewish; it was being used as an aspersion but he held true to  humanity. 


Hitler's fascism was not written on a blank page: antisemitism had a long and undistinguished history.  During the supposed enlightenment a good Jew was one who converted to Christianity. Ghettos did not start in 1940's Warsaw. The Dreyfuss affair occurred but a few decades before in that stylish home of racism: France. Eugenics, to stop inferiors breeding and build a cleaner more decent humanity,  (By cutting people's brains in half, or - give or take an inch, and by sterilisation.) was accepted good medicine in the US and elsewhere. The Freedom marches in Australia were decades away, as was the right of first nation people to be included on the census.( ...and on and on...)

   For "kicking against the pricks" in that environment   I say to the remains of Charlie Chaplin:
Bravo you  Quixotic bag of old bones and dust.

To be continued,  with some thought of continuity. Thankfully.


thankyou to the Joel family. I have not yet watched this video fully but it is freely available on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hC2vXjIsi0

“in nonsense is strength”

And worse!

(ps- thanks to the uploader.)

A Night With a Lot of Smiling

Screening of ”Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records” / Q&A with Peanut Butter Wolf @ The Basement.

“…If I don’t like the songs then it is kind of a done deal: I’m not gonna work with it.”

Chris Manak, aka the aforementioned PBW, enunciates the ethos that has won him respect and friends among Artists, Fans and industry execs alike.

 Personally I only knew of him through a couple of appearances at Amoeba on “ What’s In My Bag.”

 Set Up in 1996, Stones Throw Records forms the nexus of the fascinating and mellifluous documentary screened at The Basement last night.   The mood amongst the punters was relaxed, whilst the folk from the club were warm and efficient. So, when the film screening was delayed short minutes it was with complete good humour an audience member greeted his buddy with the line:

“You better go in, I think they’re having trouble with the aspect: ratio.”

The young bar man offers me a glass of water rather than an expensive bottle. The guy next to me checks that I have a decent view of the screen. A beautiful young lady sweetly acquiesces to my request to take a photo of her. In short, the ambience is great.

The film begins to roll. Early on we hear the rap:

“Don’t go swag, just stay cool. Don’t go swag, just be you.”

And we are transported into musical terrain, which is novel for me, and, hopefully, as fun for Mr Manak as it was for the audience.

As the Q & A wound down, I went outside for a surreptitious cigarette.  A smoking woman was marvelling at the film structure.

A buddy of hers ascends the stairs.  (The Basement is, after all, in a basement.)

“ Looks like ol’ PBW may have had a few vallium tonight”,

 Says the ascender of stairs.

“ He does so many….”,

 Says the smoking woman.

I can’t stop myself and jump in:

“ I think he’s lovely”

“ I think he’s lovely, too,” Says the smoking woman, of the not aforementioned beautiful smile, “ But he’s got a girlfriend, so I’m going home.”

I make my way back and ask what turns out to be the last question of the Q & A.

With blood rushing in my ears I am soon on stage taking a selfie with PBW.

I am greeted:

“2 ageing b-boys together.”

PBW

“I hadn’t heard of you until tonight.” ( sic.)

Me.

“I hadn’t heard of you until tonight either!”

PBW

“I know”, say I, "what have you been doing?"

Me

I extend my hand and say, “ Damien.”

We pose.

“My hands are shaking so much, I can’t take it.”

Me

“Here I’ll take it. Let’s get the audience in.”

We turn around

“I can’t use iPhone, did it work “?

                                        Bright lights in an office building near by.

                                       One of many pretty women with pretty hair. Thank you. :)

Ready for a night on the town.

PBW

My selfie with PBW

“Yes.”