The Heavens Open Up To Cover The Rock With A Beautiful White Blanket Of Snow (And Kick The Arse of Wall Street)

Photograph © Alex Kraus/Bloomberg News

Tao Jones'n
Wall Street
February 28, 2007

An old, miserable guy goes down to the banks of the river. He raises his arms to the heavens. He beseeches the angels. He calls on them to make things better for him. They show up, but their mood is ugly. They tell him he has a scrawny neck, that they're tired of guys like him. When he complains, they knock him down. They beat him with their thick fists. They roll him into the river. They walk off stolidly through the mists, not saying anything, breathing hard. Under their robes their shoulders are big and violent, under the great horns of their wings.

Angels, from A Man Jumps Out of an Airplane by Barry Yourgrau.


(Oh, and Wall Street, if you're reading this — Get a friggin grip!)

•••

Angels
(Buy: Robbie Williams: Life Thru A Lens)

He Needs Me
(Buy: Harry Nilsson & Shelley Duvall: Punch-Drunk Love Original Soundtrack)

Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
(Buy: Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings and Food)

Shambala
(Buy: Three Dog Night: The Complete Hit Singles)

Fun's Fun, But That's Not Fun!

Red Squirrel
Rockport, Maine
December 2004

"Fun's Fun, But That's Not Fun!"

You know what, I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, but Bernard tells me his Moms always used to say that to him when he did something he wasn't supposed to be doing. I guess if you can attach a mother voice it, it starts to make some sense. Any way, this post has little to do with that.

I hit a squirrel today — with the car.

I don't know if you've ever hit anything with a car before, but there's this sick feeling you (I) get in the pit of my stomach when something like this happens. (Although, this has happened only one other time before. But I remember that feeling. I do not like it.) I'm not one of those people who sees squirrels (or seagulls, or pigeons, for that matter) and has one of those little 'I wish I could kill those little effers! Rats with tails (or wings — in the case of seagulls and pigeons)! That's what they are!' moments — freaking the person, that thought they knew who you were — out just a little more then maybe you ever wanted. (Or they wanted to be, by somebody they thought they knew.) You know what I mean?

The squirrel lived. I think. I saw it run off to the side of the road and into the woods before I turned the next corner. I want to belief that I just grazed the little thing. I hope I'm right.

Drive carefully, and love the little animals. Outie!

•••

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Roadrunner
(Buy: Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Roadrunner, Roadrunner: The Beserkley Collection)
Joan Jett: Roadrunner
(Buy: Fit To Be Tied: Great Hits of Joan Jett and The Blackhearts)

The Great Architect (Office) of the Universe

Masonic Hall, St. Paul Lodge #82 (Built 1835)
Photograph taken in 1969

Having never had the desire to join an organisation of Freemasonry, I have no idea what goes on in an ornately painted, darkly shuttered place where a throne and kneelers are involved (aside from my six years in the Catholic school system). My boss insisted on having an exorcism performed before he let us move our office here to clear out any 'bad vibes' that may have remained behind. Now if we can only stop him from refering to himself as the 'Great Architect of the Universe' or the 'Grand Geometer', we'll be all set.

Extra Action Marching Band: Fat Sexy Guy Dance (Buy It!)
Thievery Corporation: Strange Days: The Doors (Buy It!)