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The Nexus of Concerns

This weekend I listened to a talk given by Terrence McKenna where he expounds upon his path to “Intellectual Freakery”.

“I began to pursue this vast area of interlocking disciplines that really has no name, but we can name the disciplines…

  • Botany
  • Ethnography
  • Chemistry
  • DNA Function
  • Cultural Dynamics
  • Shamanism
  • Linguistics
  • Theories of Natural Magick
  • Relationship of Man to the Environment

The Nexus of Concerns that clusters around the questions: What are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going?”

As I have begun to write this blog again, I have been searching for some kind of rubric for topics I would cover. So for now, The Nexus of Concerns will serve as my guiding editorial principle.

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I recently attended an Evolver event entitled: The Singularity Is Where? Dialogue with Jason Silva & Daniel Pinchbeck

I thought the evening was interesting, though the conversation meandered all over the god damned place (as you might well imagine). One thing I have noticed about these two is that they speak almost entirely in references. This is not condemnation, it is one of the things I love about them.

During the evening I jotted down every reference I could snag and then spent some time looking them all up.

Below is a kind of bibliography I suppose of their conversation. I have to say that my brain literally hurt after going back and learning about all of these wonderful people and references. I am extremely grateful to these two wonderful men for tuning me into so many important frequencies.

I apologize in advance for anything I lifted off the internet without referencing properly.  Please know I basically did not write any of this.  I will include as many links to the people’s official webpages as possible. When in doubt assume I took the text from wikipedia (unless it ends with a quote about them, in which case I probably took it from their TED page, or if it is a book, most likely from Amazon). Enjoy!

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I was asked to talk about being a Mormon and doing drugs on the Unbelievable Podcast:

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Conversation

I don’t really follow the simple reason on this American Atheists billboard that is going to be positioned outside of the Presidential Debate tonight. I get that god is a space alien. But are they saying he does baptisms for the dead and that makes him a bigot? Maybe it should have been a checklist?

Anyway, clearly the focal point of the ad is the magic glowing underwear. I’m not a graphic designer, but I think the rest of the stuff on the billboard detracts from the image. I would have just gone with “Do you really want the genitals of your president covered with these!?!?” I think that would have gotten the point across.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said a thousand times: If you are an Atheist but not a Nihilist you are just being a pussy.

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He Hates This Chair

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I am writing for a new blog called Fucked in Park Slope. Don’t worry, it won’t disrupt the madcap pace at which I post on this blog! But head on over and check out my inaugural post.

THESE RED VELVET PANCAKES FROM BROOKLYN

COMMUNE REQUIRE A SIDE OF INSULIN

Just saw this animation of my fave podcast, Uhh Yeah Dude. I’ve been listening to these guys for about 5 years now. They have been instrumental in shaping my views opinions and pectoral muscles.


Interesting thought from Radiolab today – The reason that Iago is arguable the most horific character in Shakespeare is because all other bad guys before they die explain why they did what they did and confess to knowing it was evil. When given the opportunity all Iago says is “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” So the audience doesn’t get any kind of closure to his evil. it is never fit into their moral world. To quote Alfred referencing the Joker: Some men just want to watch the world burn.

The sentiment reminds me of the last line from Okkervil River’s most horrific and beautiful song “Westfall” about a man being arrested for murdering a girl. The final lines of the song: “Evil don’t look like anything” land with a nihilistic smack on the rump of the supposed order of the universe.

Some dark thoughts for a fairly beautiful Tuesday morning. Hope all of you are not being evil today.

This is the first non-Russia Christmas I have spent away from my family, and even though I got to see them all just a few weeks ago, I am sad not to be with them today, but so happy for all the joy and progress in their lives.

I thought John Dehlin could express it better than anyone (I even like his macabre aside towards the end).

I love you all and have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Sending rays of love from the heart of Brooklyn.
(I apologize profusely for the budweiser ad, what can you do?)

The Mountain Goats cover “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

I am going to see The Weakerthans tonight. I was going through their new album which I don’t know so well and was entranced by this simple yet devastating little tune called Bigfoot. Enjoy this live version and the lyrics and I promise I will enjoy them as well this evening.

Bigfoot

I changed the oils and oiled the squeaks,
Patched the holes and fluid leaks,
Left dusk beneath a diabetic moon

And way to take the TV crews across the creaking ice
The news is howling to the timber wolves and soon

I’ll go through it all again
Watch their doubtful smiles begin
But the visions that I see believe in me

So praise the things I can’t forget with burgers and a silhouette
On t-shirts at the council general store

I’ll listen to the south winds sigh with rumors and regrets
And I don’t want to talk about it anymore

I’ll go through it all again
watch their doubtful smiles begin
When the visions that I see believe in me

Or the visions that I see that will believe me.

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