Thursday, June 03, 2004

Re-mixed vertigo for idiots.

Hi all. I'm currently making a mix tape for work. That's right, a mixed cassette. This really is a lost art, I think, at least for me. It's been decades since I made a really good one, and most of the ones I've made for work seem somewhat off. The last tape I made I went with a two song in row from each artist format, which somewhat worked. This tape I might put the same artists on both sides, if I can work it. Currently I am listening to Sleater-Kinney's The Hot Rock to see which song has the right blend of energy, harmony, and non-offensiveness (note-wise) for work .
I finally had a non immediate sense datum dream last night. I was on the top of a cliff, which was fairly smooth and level, but it ended abruptly to drop sheer down at least a kilometer. I was running along, about fifteen feet from the edge, enjoying the clear blue sky, the wonderfully fresh cool air, the general openness of the scenery. Then I saw a crack in the cliff that I had to jump over. It was only about two feet across, something that I could easily step over, but as I jumped over it I saw that the crack went all the way down, that if I fell in I would fall a kilometer to my death. I kept running, still somewhat exhilarated, but now also nervous a little, very much aware of just how freakin' high I was. I came to another crack in the cliff edge, and this time when I jumped it wasn't nearly so easy, my stomach clenched a little, my legs would barely jump at all. Still I ran, compelled god knows why. When I came to the next jump my gut clenched so forcefully I couldn't jump at all, I was so completely focused on the view down to the blurry green trees below (yes, I know, focused on something blurry). My momentum carried me over to the other side, but I couldn't move, I lay on the sun warmed rock, my diaphragm so clenched I couldn't breathe; this is how I woke up: in the grips of intense vertigo, my mind convinced that I was going to fall off the edge of my bed to my death.
Now if only I had actually fallen, I probably would've floated down or something, then had an opportunity to fly. But no, just stupid useless dizziness and fear.
I'm currently reading a somewhat nasty book by Francis Wheen called Idiot Proof. His goal is to reveal the stupidity of the media, of those in power, of us for supporting them, of fad religion and spirituality, fad economics, fad diets, whatnot. As he was detailing what was wrong with Thatcherism and Reaganomics I was with him, generally; at a certain point he turned irrelevantly mean and nasty: "Why [Deepak Chopra's] longevity formula failed to work for Princess Diana, with whom he lunched shortly before her death, remains a mystery." He grossly miscaricatured (this word looks wrong) several things that I know rather well. I really want to tear into this guy, but currently I am very tired. I think that I will wait until the next time I post; by then I will have finished the book, and he may redeem himself. I am guessing he willn't, as his main point seems to be that humanity isn't smart enough to avoid doing stupid things; big deal.

3 comments:

Elan Morgan said...

Can you say "willn't", or did you just use that contraction because you liked it? "Miscaricatured" ain't bad, either.

starcat said...

I'm surprised you haven't noticed this before. I've been writing "willn't" in my emails to you for several months now, albeit sporadically. I forced my spellchecker to learn it, too.

Anonymous said...

Since I've less than no desire to start up a blogger account, you don't get to know who I am. That's utterly retarded. All I wanted to say was that making mixed tapes *is* a lost art (it's not quite the same, making CDs, is it?), and the love of it can dangerously lead to a passion for doing one's own music show on community radio.

Which is also fun, and gives one quite a lot of fuel for the day, but is impermanent. Which is also okay, as long as you don't mind transient mixes.

It is good to read you. It's been too long since we had a good long talk or flew kites off the rail bridge out by the weir.