Dreams are a funny thing. Somewhere between fantasy and memory, they are as 'real' as you want them to be when you experience them. Yet, so ephemeral are they that they fade from the mind in but a short time after you awaken. I'm told that we all dream, every time we go to sleep. If that's the case, then we don't remember everything we dream. Sometimes, I remember nothing of my nocturnal psychodramas in the morning. Void, blackness, emptiness. That scares me, for reasons I can't put my finger on.
Lately, though, I've been having vivid and, quite frankly, confusing dreams, night after night. And when I wake up, I can recall them with near perfect clarity. So, for no other reason than that they confuse and/or interest me, I thought I would post them here for reflection.
The follow is true; the names and dates may have been changed to protect the innocent.
* 16-12-08 - This one baffles me. Apparently, I found a bunch of rodents frozen in blocs of ice outside. All shapes and sizes - mice, rats, hamsters, jerboas, guinea pigs, porcupines. I started thawing them out in a big tub and trying to rescue them. I also was trying to find one that would be friends with my pet rat Sandy.
* 18-12-08 - I was in JJC, except it was mostly abandoned. Also, it was sort of film noir, with dutch angles and in black-and-white. I met an older maShona woman in the hall. She told me that they were serving traditional Zimbabwean food in the cafeteria because it was a holiday, so I went there. There was also strange music coming from the speakers.
* 20-12-08 - There was some sort of post-Apocalyptic world and I was in a grocery store buying stuff. There was also a magician in a black mask, and then a pregnant bellydancer in a red costume came and did a cabaret-style dance. She had a tattoo of a farohar (Persian winged disk) on her butt, and of a tiger on her back. Interesting use of symbolism, I think.
* 21-12-08 - Characters from Heroes were in my dream, and Dr. Suresh wanted to 'discover my powers.' Also, I went to a hospital and there was some guy in a padded cell who was speaking in an unknown language. When I went to see him, I had visions of some sort of isolated glen in Greece at night. Either inspired by watching too much Heroes and/or reading paranormal message boards.
So, take of those what you will. Some of them use rather obvious symbolism. Dreams are, I suspect, a doorway into the collective subconscious of mankind, and while one might think me foolish for posting things that might reveal my hopes, fears, ambitions and weaknesses in such a public setting, at the same time, I feel compelled to offer them for reflection, if nothing else. A man who is honest with himself has nothing to fear. I shall ponder over these some more, I suspect...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Fresh New Beats on al-Jazeera's 'Playlist'
Wow! So I was surfing the web, looking at various bands that I like and seeing what new music I could find when, by nothing more than sheer chance, I stumbled across some videos from Doha-based media outlet al-Jazeera's Playlist. Apparently, it's a music show that goes around the world finding fresh new sounds from different artists - they've got some great selections from the US, the Middle East, Britain, Europe, Africa and beyond. And alot of artists that I really like have been featured too! Dengue Fever, Balkan Beat Box, Rachid Taha, Gogol Bordello, Hanine y Son Cubano, Toumani Diabate, M.I.A., Akli D, Tony Hanna and the Yugoslav Brass Band, Justin Adams, Tinariwen, Soap Kills, the Chehade Brothers....
Man, I am in LOVE! And no, thats not a reference to anchorbabe Ghida Fakhry. I absolutely love it when I find stuff like this, because it gives me a whole bunch of new artists to explore and see what I might like or want to experiment with. Plus, it makes me feel so cutting edge... knowing about all the cool new music before all of my friends and associates, you know. Its like the good old days, when I would discover some really obscure random band who would become big later... This show is AWESOME, and so up my alley. Really pisses me off that it's so hard to get al-Jazeera out here in the Midwest. People have gone to GREAT LENGTHS to suppress it out here. But at least you can still watch it online, and for free nonetheless. Plus, there are a bunch of clips floating around on YouTube. Looks like the current show is focusing on some of the new talent coming out of South Africa (one of the powerhouses of African music, in fact).
Given that their selections mirror my taste in music pretty well, I think I am obligated to look up some of the other artists on their site. I get a feelingsome most of them would be right up my alley. Also, Michelle, if you are reading this, check it out. I know you like some of this music too (Gogo Bordello, Rachid Taha, M.I.A., Balkan Beat Box, Calexico, etc). I get a feeling this might be a good show to watch. Time for some internet surfing and sampling of bands on Amazon and iTunes....
Man, I am in LOVE! And no, thats not a reference to anchorbabe Ghida Fakhry. I absolutely love it when I find stuff like this, because it gives me a whole bunch of new artists to explore and see what I might like or want to experiment with. Plus, it makes me feel so cutting edge... knowing about all the cool new music before all of my friends and associates, you know. Its like the good old days, when I would discover some really obscure random band who would become big later... This show is AWESOME, and so up my alley. Really pisses me off that it's so hard to get al-Jazeera out here in the Midwest. People have gone to GREAT LENGTHS to suppress it out here. But at least you can still watch it online, and for free nonetheless. Plus, there are a bunch of clips floating around on YouTube. Looks like the current show is focusing on some of the new talent coming out of South Africa (one of the powerhouses of African music, in fact).
Given that their selections mirror my taste in music pretty well, I think I am obligated to look up some of the other artists on their site. I get a feeling
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