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Collective Fasting. B.Franklin mentions this as something he proposed to the Governor of Pennsylvania when consulted about how the country should be prepared for defending itself. He mentions that a fast is proclaimed every year in New England. Curiously, the Quakers seem to have rejected it. Was this as part of their general abstention from all activities related to war?

Religion in Early America. What were the different sects? How were they formed? How did they differ from the established religions of the time? Was 18th century America as accepting of freedom of religion as is commonly claimed?

At what point does one need to re-evaluate one's morals or ethics? Does it become harder once they are publicly stated or published? The Quakers of 18th century America were publically averse to war. Yet when it came time to defend the country -- first from Britain's enemies, and then from Britain herself -- there was a need to fund the defense. As a religous entity publicly against all forms of war, the Friends had to donate to the government, "flour, wheat and other grain " so that gun powder would not be purchased in their name. Their ethics got in the way of their purposes.

As modern peaceniks, where must we draw the line? How far can we resist violence and still let our freedoms be not diminished?

Discussing the Dark Passages website, Thomas mentioned that Sun City Girls' X+Y=Fuck You was an ideal soundtrack to the images and stories of reckless adventure among decrpitude and decay. I concurred, citing their sense of danger and excitement in the their choices of music and sound, words and travels. Thomas wondered why he lived his life within the safe confines of sports, work and sleep, rather than living each day as if it is the last, experiencing danger and the extreme.

Later that evening, while wondering what the next steps in my life should be -- whether to apply to CUNY, which career path to take, what life to wake up to each day -- Abbey and I struck upon the keystone in the wall keeping me from advancing. I spent my life avoiding risks for fear of failing. Yet, in avoiding any risks, I've also avoided any of the benefits that come along. I've sacrificed happiness, success, love of career, new friends, travel adventures and joy for the gains of comfort, "no worries" and safety. After this realization I received an email from Thomas that acknowledged his and my "state of craving safety." But now I am prepared to take the risk. I will take risks wherever possible: in conversation, in the way I dress, in how I play and write.

The musicians of Miles Davis' electric period reminisce in Electric Miles: A Different Kind Of Blue about their leader's quality as a listner. Keith Jarret dubs him the best listening band leader. When these young guys were making sound, creating a mass of rhythms and vibrations they often felt lost, wondering what it was they were doing, where it all was going. And then Miles would play a phrase or melody which would illuminate the chaos, revealing the pieces and pointing the way. And the music made sense; the musicans were once again en ensemble. B.Franklin's autobiography coems to mind again, and for two reasons. One is the virtue of patience. Miles knew what he was doing, he understood the tension in balance between form and free expression. His musicans may have felt lost, perhaps confused, but they had the patience -- and foresight -- to rely on their master musican band leader. He had a vision and direction to pick the pieces of music and give it meaning. The other virtue, and the one that allowed the patience of the musicans, was Miles' keen ability to listen. To not always be talking and playing over everybody, feeling and following a groove far out beyond others' perception. He was interested in working with others as a team, as a band. Miles was open to the ideas and the playing of his younger bandmates; in truth, he relied on them. His music is great because he listened to where everyone was coming from and where they were going. And then he gave them all a vehicle to travel in, one that would accomodate all of their points of departure and all of their destination. Creative improvisation with a strong common voice.

Guy Davenport Books and Pamphlets (All)

1963 The Intelligence of Louis Agassiz

1964 Carmina Archilochi The Fragments of Archilochos

1965 Sappho Poems and Fragments

1966 Cydonia Florentia

1980 Archilochos, Sappho, Alkman Three Lyric Poets of the Late Greek Bronze Age

1981 The Mimes of Herondas

1983 Maxims of the Ancient Egyptians

1994 Charles Burchfield's Seasons

1995 7 Greeks

1996 The Logia of Yeshua The Sayings of Jesus (with Benjamin Urrutia)

Benjamin Franklin, in his Autobiography, sets out a list of principles, or virtues, that he intends to follow. These virtues he finds in various texts he has read over the years; he accumulates, categorizes, reduces to essesnces and then places them in an orderly list. And from this excercise he goes on to transform his character, public and private, into one he feels more destined for. While reading his process, I remembered Managing Your Mind -- with its lists, excercises and root idea of improving ones character. ANd now I am remnded of my promised activity of continuing my Cognitive Therapy on my own. I am to inspect my life, my feelings, thoughts and actions on a weekly basis. Franklin's scheme made use of a recording mechanism, and it was this that kept him on track towards his goal of self-improvement. If I am to reach my goal, I must revisit and devise a similar recording and review scheme, one regularly consulted and evaluated. My first step will be to look to Managing Your Mind for a recommended plan of action.

Douglas Bowman's Stopdesign | Staying organized

sections in my CSS files that are almost always present:

+ page structure
+ links
+ header
+ footer
+ lists, etc.

Those sections are always demarcated by commented text and lines created by dashes. This way, I almost always know where a certain rule should go, or where to find one when I want to edit or troubleshoot.

order of properties within each declaration block.

+ Backgrounds always go first
+ position or float information
+ width/height measurements
+ margin/padding/border
+ text formatting and color.

Not every one of those properties is always present, but that%u2019s the general order I usually try to follow. I%u2019m usually not even conscious I%u2019m doing it by now.

While walking by the Jehovah's Witness ladies -- usually a couple of older black women, a constant fixture at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station -- I saw the image on the front of the literature they distrubted. It was an island scene, apricot sun set, palm fronds and a lagoon, frozen in its ever lapping serenity. The message of this piece of literature was the attainment of paradise, seemingly a promise for following the religion these women were tirelessly handing out to overtired rush hour commuters. What caught my attention was that paradise looked vaguely familiar to me. I visited somewhere similar, an island awash in beauty. The paradise they promised, the one earned from hard work for a deity, actually exists in the here and now, only a short plane ride away. It is attainable and available to mortal flesh. These women could easily save up the money needed to get and settle there. How are the Jehovah's promising an afterlife that already exists on earth? The question remains, do these women consider island beauty Paradise? Many people consider NYC paradise. If you are looking for the fast-paced high culture of late 20th century America, NYC is, or was, it. Some find paradise in the redwoods of California: the stillness, the larger than human-form life, the fresh damp air. Others still find it in the small communities of New England. Perhaps the question to ask is: where is your paradise? If you can imagine it, does it exist in our reality, attainable by foot, plane or train? Wth Franklinian patience, maybe it can be found and settled in.

Though made by white men, the 1974 film Space is The Place featuring cosmic jazz man Sun Ra, is not a blaxploitation movie. Ra is working against the stereotype of the downtrodden African American of the 1970s. His is a message of empowerment, enlightenment and a promise of spaceways salvation for black people. The arkestra sounds the call as funky space music, enticing people to follow their lead away from the racism and anger of Earth to Ra's outer space. Sun Ra's music is folk music, and this is featured best in June Tyson's performances. Powerfully sung, but fun songs, she is bridge between the Arkestra's roots in avant space jazz and soul funk as protest music. The message: Get with Ra's groove and get on his space ship for an escape from the oppressions of late 20th century America.

1. Cynic comes from the greek for canine, "baring ones teeth", Diogenes being the UrCynic
2. Walt Whitman's last word was shift
3. At Charles Olson's funeral, Allen Ginsberg stepped on the lever to inter the coffin while in a strange trance