live earth concerts

since i can only get AM frequencies in my work van, i've been listening to a lot of talk radio and news during the day. and conservative talk radio at that, since it seems they don't even have "liberal" talk shows airing in these parts, aside from NPR (which is mysteriously elusive on the dial). But i heard an interesting discussion on the live earth concerts the other day which basically reamed the celebrities going out there to "preach global warming" whilst flying in on private jets with crews of 100s, leaving behind their giant energy sucking ranch mansions, garages full of SUVs and Escalades.
I think it is pretty funny that Al Gore chose L.A. and Hollywood to be the face of his campaign for environmental awareness. Maybe that's the best way to get people's attention, but it does seem silly.
I have to post this, though, because i find it hilarious. (Written by a member of the band Mogwai on their official website):

"Live Earth: Everything's OK.

Since the Live Earth concert the other day, everything has changed. In these 2 days since the concert the environment has apparently regenerated up to 68% of the damage done by humans because of the sheer quality of the music played by David Gray and Black Eyed Peas. When Madonna played, the ozone layer hole sealed up, probably to keep the great music from leaking out into space!
Most amazingly of all though, I woke up this morning to find 3 new full grown trees in my back garden with a note from James Blunt which read,"I'm planting trees in your area for the environment's sake, stay beautiful".
How good is that?"

amazing friend

to my utter joy, i returned home yesterday to find an LP sized package at my apartment's front door. it was full of music, with a fantastic note written on the back in Joel's handwriting. whoa. thank you, Joel! music is such a great thing to glue old friendships together over time. shared experiences with people you can't be with. how perfect.
inside was:

laika on myspace

i come home from work today and find out that while i'm gone laika's already totally getting into social networking.

blogger reunites

really great to get back in touch with old friends because of blogger. hi to Randy, whose blog exists here, and to Steve, who i hope will create a blog soon.

july 5th journal entry

Nearly one in the morning, standing at the kitchen counter eating zesta whole wheat crackers with slices of swiss cheese I am cutting for myself.
Having read Hemingway’s “a moveable feast” tonight is keeping me up. I can only think of his Paris and his life, but am too tired to read about more. I have been reading more lately, coincidentally about writers writing and the process of doing so. Don Delillo’s “Mao II” has writers taking the place of terrorists, or the reverse really. And I don’t so much understand the importance of this as understand that it is important, for one reason or another.
My head is flooded with old places, and the painfully motivating sense that time is starting to slip away. I should be up every morning, devoting a few hours to some craft, my craft- it seems to be music. But I have not been. Is this a discipline I can gain? To what end and purpose should I be doing this? Tonight I seem to be coming to the conclusion that even if there is no other purpose, my self fulfillment is involved. At this point in my life I know that I will never be happy unless I am creating something. But the effort and time weighed against the earthly rewards it should/could or does not yield seems inbalanced. And that only leads me to think that it isn’t the process that is the problem, but it is my own lack of talent, or a misguided assumption made somewhere in the blur between craft and “hobby” . Wanting to do great things is much different from doing them. Is it ridiculous to sacrifice time in life that could be spent advancing one’s career or relationships for the sake of one’s own “art”?, especially when the art itself lends no tangible advantage to said life? But any great artist has had to start out un-great. The rewards change the process, and the process is changed by the purpose.
Perhaps, though, the only difference is a matter of a few hours of sleep.

happy birthday, sis

july 4th. julie's birthday.

oh yeah, and some sort of independence day too.