A little prattle on perspective

Interestingly enough as I sit here on a Sunday night/Monday morning I find myself finishing up some work and listening to Last.fm. (*go ahead and add me, CrioKnight). I like to occasionally pick the "Recommended Station" because 5 years from when I first started using Last.fm at this point it knows my musical taste pretty well. (*sorry Pandora, I like your suggestions but I like my library.) As I'm listening expecting another stoner/Sublime band to come on I get Johnette Napolitano. For those of you who don't know who she is, she was the lead singer for a little band called Concrete Blonde. Granted, this band isn't everyone's "cup of tea" but after a few listens to some of the band's tunes you will have to admit that Johnette's voice is one of a kind. I digress. I just wanted to share that I heard the most beautiful version of Coldplay's "The Scientest" sung by Johnette Napolitano acoustic with her on guitar.
Three words, I understand you.
Interesting how a song you have heard a dozen times can be re-interpreted and again bring a tear to your eye. Cheers for a song that has meaning, again.

It's all perspective.

Johnette singing at a live performance at Sundance 2008.

and here is a beautiful live version from Coldplay in Tokyo 2009.

Watching End of the Century: The Ramones. Reminds me of drinkin' with Joey Ramone at Coney Island high back in the 90s @ a Dickies show.

Jag vill inte arbeta, jag vill bara spela hela dagen. Pengar är frihet! 私には終日プレイしたい仕事をしたくない。お金は自由だ！

私はちょうど一日ロマインしたい。私は水だけで楽しい必要はありません。

I don't know how much more Entourage I can take. Marathon goes till 4 am EST!

“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.”

Muere lentamente (a slow death)

NOTE: It seems that this poem might not actually have been written by Neruda, but rather a Brazilian poet named Martha Madeiros. Either way, it's good!!

Muere lentamente quien se transforma en esclavo del
hábito, repitiendo todos los días los mismos trayectos, quien
no cambia de marca, no arriesga vestir un color nuevo y no
le habla a quien no conoce.

Muere lentamente quien evita una pasión, quien prefiere el
negro sobre blanco y los puntos sobres las "ies" a un
remolino de emociones,
justamente las que rescatan el brillo de los ojos, sonrisas de
los bostezos, corazones a los tropiezos y sentimientos.

Muere lentamente quien no voltea la mesa cuando está
infeliz en el trabajo, quien no arriesga lo cierto por lo
incierto para ir detrás de un sueño, quien no se permite por
lo menos una vez en la vida, huir de los consejos sensatos.

Muere lentamente quien no viaja, quien no lee, quien no oye
música, quien no encuentra gracia en sí mismo.

Muere lentamente quien destruye su amor propio, quien no
se deja ayudar.

Muere lentamente quien pasa los días quejándose de su
mala suerte o de la lluvia incesante.

Muere lentamente quien abandona un proyecto antes de
iniciarlo, no preguntando de un asunto que desconoce o no
respondiendo cuando le indagan sobre algo que sabe.

Evitemos la muerte en suaves cuotas, recordando siempre
que estar vivo exige un esfuerzo mucho mayor que el
simple hecho de respirar.

Solamente la ardiente paciencia hará que conquistemos una
espléndida felicidad.

-Pablo Neruda

***

English version:

He dies a slow death who becomes a slave to habit, repeating everyday
the same paths, who doesn't change the mark he leaves, won't risk wearing
a new color, nor talk to people he doesn't know.

He dies a slow death who avoids passion, who prefers
black on white and dotted i's over
a whirlwind of emotions,
especially those that bring a shine to the eyes, rescue smiles
from yawns, hearts clumsy with feelings.

He dies a slow death who doesn't upend the table when he is
unhappy at work, who won't risk a sure thing
for the uncertainty behind a dream, who won't allow himself
at least once in his life, to flee from sensible advice.

He dies a slow death who doesn't travel, nor read, nor hear
music, who doesn't laugh at himself.

He dies a slow death who destroys his love for himself, who won't
let himself be helped.

He dies a slow death who spends his days complaining of his
bad luck or of the neverending rain.

He dies a slow death who quits a project before
starting it, not asking about what he doesn't know, or not
answering when asked about something he does know.

Let us avoid death by gentle insallments, remembering always
that being alive demands an effort much greater
than the simple fact of breathing.

Only firey patience will allow us to conquer
a splendid happiness.

A piece of lyrics for the forlorn

Youre obsesssed and distressed
Cause you cant make any sense of the ludicrous nonsense
And incipient senescence
That will deem your common sense useless
This aint no recess!

I want to believe in you, but my plan keeps falling through
I knoe I have to face the harshnes, grin and bear the truth
And I have to walk this mile in my own shoes
(and Im no fool!)

[chorus]
Im materialist
A full-blown realist
(physical theorist)
And I guess Im full of doubt
So Im prone to hear you out and refuse
Im materialist
There aint no fear in this
Its for all to see, so dont talk of hidden mysteries with me...

Mind over matter, it really dont matter
If the streets idle chatter turns your heart strings to tatters
Flatter hopes dont flatter and soul batter wont congeal to mend
A life that is shattered into shards
Was it in the cards?

The process of belief is an elixir when youre weak
I must confess, at times I indulge it on the sneak
But generally my outlooks not so bleak
(and Im not meek!)

[chorus]
Im materialist
A full-blown realist
(physical theorist)
And I guess Im full of doubt,
But Ill gladly have it out with you
Im materialist
I aint no deist
Its there for all to see, so dont of hidden mysteries with me

Like rome under nero, our futures one big zero
Recycling the past to meet the immediate needs
And through it all we ramble forth with perservere and climb
Our mountains of regret to sow our seeds

Im materialist
Im materiliast
Im materialist
Im materialist (hold)

One day. I will leave Facebook and return to the blog

Interestingly enough how I have migrated from blogging here to sharing links and prattling off on Facebook.
One day, I will return to blogging. Probably when I have something important to say that is more tha 140 characters or something that doesn't come with a "comment" or "like" button.
Even more interesting is that anything that I post here on blogger pops up on my facebook page under my RSS feed.

Anyone else having this issue besides me?

A Prayer from Guillermo Álvarez Guedes

Señor,concédeme la serenidad

para aceptar las cosas que no puedo cambiar,

el coraje para cambiar aquellas cosas que no puedo aceptar,

y la sabiduría para esquivar

a todos aquellos que intentan joderme el día

Concédeme la tranquilidad para escuchar

a cada comemierda que venga a hablarme,

cada sugerencia pendeja que venga a hacer,

y cada manera creativa de joderme.

También, ayúdame a cuidarme

de los que tuve que mandar al carajo hoy,

ya que estos pueden estar bien relacionados

con los del culo que tendré que besar mañana

Ayúdame a dar el 100% de mi al trabajo:

12% el lunes, 23% el martes, 40% el miércoles,

20% el jueves y 5% el viernes

Y Señor, cuando este teniendo un mal día

y parezca que la gente se ha puesto de acuerdo para joderme,

ayúdame a recordar que se requieren 42 músculos para sonreír,

y sólo cuatro para extender mi dedo

y decirles que se caguen en su madre.