Seven Years have gone after 2000

Do you remember the craze at the millennium change? Well, seven years later we still stand. No computers gave up their "geist" then, nor did other communications collapse. At least the one of the electronic kind. Other sincere human relations in pure form have suffered since.
For the new year I wish for that those later ones will be reestablished.
Peace goes only as far as you dare to go!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

of course there is lots going on

Peoples of fame an fortune killed in Pakistan - looks bad for the Middle East and not so great for the US. Pakistan was the US's wild card during the "fight against terrorism", an ally of sorts. Now this is all in shambles. Not my worries really. Instead I just drive by those fields here to go to that Radio Shack downtown to purchase a 2 Gig USB removable storage device. You might call that the most profane move. But you see, all of these political commotions and the adjoining violence and assassinations don't seem to concern me --- not yet, or maybe not anymore!
So how is it with you? Do you still have trust in the representation of your officials, the clerks and fools? Believe it, I lost confidence for now in public commotions and these elaborate propositions that lead nowhere by politicians of any color. What are we left with, what is there to do? You give me an answer - I will brood.

back to work

What can I say, it's just an other addition. A bit excruciating to start in winter weather. But mister "D" and I put two walls up on Friday, and all the other prep work. So next week will be cool. Yes, the weather forecast shows low temperatures ahead. Don't think that is so cool for our building project plans and works. But we take it as it comes. There is nothing else you can do.

Merry Christmas and Festive Celebrations to you all!

May the angels come close to you,
and you will catch their breath
this season.
There is still so much to do
before physical death.
Light infiltrates each fiber this time of year,
now be merry and denounce all fear.
Let the festivities begin!

prelude

As last nights solstice celebrations continued, there was a woman from the former East German Republic who then witnessed the Berlin wall falling down at the age of 13. During todays festival she managed to show us where angels dwell with the awesome technique of her fire batons swirling around.

Solstice celebration

It took several days to create this. My son did most of it - and then it burned and collapsed within 15 minutes...
The construction of this was almost two stories of a building high!
The Solstice celebration this year was full with laughter, conversation, music and good food - and plenty of wine for those who like fermented grapes.

the clip shows the beast of last years impurities

In the darkest nights of nights

So it was.
Then there was light on the horizon,
your soul perceived the dawn -
creation without poison.
And now, it is so.

The Queen

The present Queen of Britain will celebrate 60 years on the throne in 2012, and thereby break Queen Victoria's record as the longest-reigning British monarch. Ah, five more torturous years to wait until it's a done deal.
During her reign, the Queen's achievements have already included being the first British monarch to send an e-mail, to have a message put on the moon and to hold a public concert in her back garden.
Gosh - I pale. What did I do wrong? Perhaps I should organize a public event on my lawn next spring to make up for it. I doubt I will be able to send a message to the moon though, that's out of my league.
First time I went to England, I was a little boy. But what struck me then was all the different coins in multiple sizes and denominations, an array of continuous confusion. Some were large and others tiny. These were copper, others pewter or even silver. Size didn't present value, necessarily. But what always charmed my mind was the beautiful Queen embedded in some of these coins. I sort of fell in love with her.
So here is cheers to the Queen, an that antiquated institution.
Perhaps the US could benefit from a queen. But I am not sure if Hillary is the right one for me!

picture stolen and not by me

inevitable blockage of mental flow, and conundrum of winter

Inevitable derives from the Latin word vitare- (to avoid) and refers to a situation where only one alternative is considered possible, the inevitable one.
Perhaps I will muse on that theme in the following days....

washers, windows, trains and US fruitless dreams of prosperity

____________________________________________________________________________________

My washer just gave up, "Whirlpool" brand, what a peace of antiquated trash (three years old). You know, there are three things that really annoy me about the USA. That is outdated technology on washing machines, window and door construction stuck in 1880's concepts ... and non running trains, not to speak of high speed trains, that would be an insult to even mention.
The majority of all home washers still use the "rip that shit" cleaning cycle, a spindle in the middle of a top loader that does nothing except systematically tearing laundry apart while using a humongous amount of water. Must be a conspiracy of the fabric manufactures.
As for windows and doors, the only European design available are Velux sky lights since Americans are incapable to do them leak proof themselves. I don't understand why the US is not adopting the concept of triple flanges like the rest of the world ... for ALL it's windows. Anderson, a so called higher end manufacturer still sells double hung sash units which are truthfully remnants of the pioneer days when people had to make them from scratch while moving west. Do you know how much energy could be saved just by applying proper design? I bet you it would astonish you so much, that you wake up the next day and you hear on the radio that oil prices have been cut in half. Someone go out there and make a scientific study.
That leads me to trains. Transportation is a disaster since Eisenhower dropped the egg of prioritizing, subsidizing and construction of the Interstate system in the 50's.
OK, so the highways are alright. It's a done deal. It's fine. I love it. But what about the trains?
When I was nine or ten years old, I traveled to Prague, Czechoslovakia. We had to change trains in what was then the former East German Republic. The locomotive was a steam engine, still fueled by coal. But as we traveled, that thing picked up speed, up to 100 kilometers an hour (sort of 60 miles per hour for your Brit wash woes).
Now, when I use Amtrak to funnel myself down the Hudson Valley to go to New York - the average speed is about 35mph - pathetic! It's worse than rural India (nothing against India by all means, it just came to my mind as a comparison, no punch intended). What I do not understand, is why does the US not invest in medium to high speed trains where the thresholds on the tracks are made of temperature expandable rails with springs and metal fastenings that will function no matter what instead of little peaces of oak trash that will rot away ... next day.
OK, one more complaint, and then I'll be silent.
Why does the US not take a shovel and dig all power lines beneath the ground. In the long run this would be less expensive than having crews repair them each time there is a storm.
But the US never thinks long term.
Those "small neglects" will be the fall of the empire!
And so, my next washer will be a Bosch front loader with heating coil and all.

(by the way, the girl at the washer is NOT my picture, I stole it and modified it - so there!)

24 hours later

The snow is just falling,
nothing you can do.
If you attempted anything -
it would be murderous.
You're shoes would get wet,
in a sling,
so it is not worth a thing
to get overly excited.
Just enjoy the fluffy flakes
while they last.
That's how it is,
no need to move too fast.

the deed needs no ice

I will publish something, trust me I will. It is just darn hard these days to keep things together. You don't know the whole story, and I will not tell you details either.
Perhaps I will just escape with Gary to Mexico, who knows.
I woke up this morning with a poem in my heart, but now that it is evening, all has broken apart. It is just so. It is how melodies rhyme. They fade throughout the day and vanish in the dark. Too bad, it could have been a good poem indeed. Next time maybe.
Where was that damn pencil and this blank peace of paper I was trying to grab in vain when I mostly needed it?
Nowhere.
Oh well.

picture: ice and sun on my branches - it is actually a decent image - click on it to enlarge it if you wish.

The Swiss and the Lebanese

The two countries have several things in common. They are both small in size, have a diverse population, a multitude of religious beliefs, snow in the mountains, and are surrounded by much more powerful states.
What they don't have in common, is that Lebanon can be reached by a sailboat from anywhere in this world while Switzerland remains an enclave only to be reached by foot only. There are some vulnerability issues as well. Switzerland has denied to be part of the European Union, making itself a country with less strings attached. Lebanon on the other hand does not know if it wishes to be "attached" or not. It stumbles into its future rather than walking a straight path.
Unfortunately people in Lebanon pay the price, and the cedar trees are crying.
The deadly assassination to one of the top military generals today becomes an other
story of despair.
I am thinking that Lebanon has to become more egocentric and act like Switzerland did 700 something years ago, namely feel and convert the pride of it's existence to every intellectual, every farmer, every clerk, every shop keeper, every musician.
Only then, Lebanon will arise out of the ashes like a phoenix.
If this doesn't move, the days of Lebanon are counted.
Be well, Lukas.

...images this time stolen from the web - one is the shore towards west, the other snow and cedar trees in the mountains in Lebanon

new post

Israel's PM insists Iran's nuclear program remains dangerous, and calls for unity against it.US rates are reduced for the third time in this quarter.
The US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25% to steer the US away from recession. Wishful thinking. African Muslims go bezerk and blow up anything in sight in Algiers, mostly UN personnel. Bad move.
OK, so I live in a country that has been at war with whoever continuously since it's inception. There was always war. May it be the Brits, First and Second World War, the Koreans, the Vietnamese, various South American entities, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and so on ... and of course now Iraq and Afghanistan.
What does this mean?
It means that 6 million Jews were killed by Hitler's regime and that we (the US) now in response "suck dick" to whatever Israel wants, forever.
This move is sucking this country dry.
Nothing against Israel, but the US has to finally find its own priorities if it wishes to survive as a nation. So the Ohlmar guy, the PM of Israel, shouts out loud about Iran which in response will make the US government spend some more money for that state, mostly weapons - taxpayer money mind you.
The US is selling out.
Fiat, an Italian car maker will establish a factory in America, others will follow suit because the Dollar is worth shit anymore and therefore labor is cheap. All interest cuts from the Feds will not cure that issue. We are now facing a recession, you better believe it.
And then there is the present attack on UN personell in Algiers, but maybe that's an entirely different story. Who knows.
All I know is that if the US is to survive gracefully, she needs to cut off spinal cords with Israel, retract all engagement in the Middle East.
Then, perhaps ... the US Dollar will again be equal the Euro.
Until this will happen, it will sink to oblivion and not only recession but also depression will be on its way.
Face it.
Ciao, Lukas.

so what's this post all about?

There is a guy out there who plays "catch me if you can" - and sends nasty stuff to various people. Well this time around it will not rest as a warning. The FBI will not merely get a phone call, but I will take the leisure to make a personal visit to them. Also, the dirty trash e-mails I receive will be forwarded to Helmuth Hofer's ISP. I would encourage you to do the same if you got harassed. If you need help to do so - let me know. For now all comments on posts will be screened; sorry for the inconvenience!
My internet connection is fixed again, sort off. Used a LAN router for the USB port to make the DSL work on a old Toshiba I got on eBay 9 years ago. Feel like a Russian who invented Sputnik coming home from the dump with odd parts. Ah, just technical stuff. The machine operates on minimal memory ... but it works, that's all I care about.
So now that Christmas is around the corner, we will have to think about wood or linoleum cuts to make greeting cards. An other angel per favor ... or what?

snapshot 2 years ago in Cape Cod

Transition

My main computer collapsed, now I'm typing on an eleven year old lap top and using dial up(28K!) You will not hear from me much until I have corrected above issues.
Cheers, L. (Zee)

ahh, movement, sound and time

It might be of interest to note, that the person pushing the cart was a baby once as well.
That was back in the days when I used to live in Norway. Then I was in love with her mom, and since she then was only several months old, I cleaned her butt and changed her diapers.
Now she lives up the Hudson valley in New York, and changes the diapers of her own kid. Lovely woman, lovely kid - but oh, I can't keep track anymore of how fast time is changing!

a little dribble of nonsense

obviously the clip was taken on a predominantly still camera and not a video machine, sorry. I sound like I have lost all my teeth, but I can assure you, I still have them!

The Sick Rose
O Rose though art sick.
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night
In the howling storm:

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

William Blake

not too far

Only a stone throw away from my house there is "the shack". The pathway leads through a vegetable and herb garden which now is dormant. It leads to the domicile of my son. There you will find a cozy cabin with wood stove and all, well insulated and otherwise pretty much functional. The kids who visit, come and go ... are thinking of Michelangelo. But then, they nowadays have their own ways of expression.













I could ramble on about these niceties for a while and drown the fact that I am a lucky bourgeois country dweller who has not to fight famine, disease, pollution or political terrorism (although that might be an discussable issue).

















So all my petty concerns of how to pay next months rent, how to keep the sharks happy, the money for the food on the table whilst massaging some sense of responsibility into my grown up children - is nothing compared to the struggle of dozens of hundreds of million peoples daily demises all around the globe. You could say I could call myself lucky. Nevertheless, my stomach is rather acidic these days. Something is not right, and my kids feel it too. And at this point it has nothing to do with Global Warming. If instead we orient ourselves to be more spiritual beings and follow an inner core, or a call for sustenance that is not based solely on the game of gain - we all could profit together ... tremendously.

Hurry

Get your things done,
stick to your agenda
be frantic and loud
a message to sender.
Don't even feel proud,
just continue to hustle
on the face of this world
like an ant without muscle.

photo taken at Grand Central NYC

no more virtual fun this weekend

I will have to teach clay modeling, see you all after the weekend.
On the picture, the birds are nesting before they fly south. Wouldn't it be grand to have that mobility?

enough pastel color renderings

Sunsets are very fine, but there is also day and night. Darkness and light. Twilight belongs to romantics. That is good, that's how it should be.
I am tired, sunsets don't enthrall my soul these days. I look at them as an image, nothing else. And now I will go to bed and hopefully catch sunrise in the morning.

... by the way, I put a new player on the sidebar, got rid of the old one (too slow) which will list original stuff of mine. I might even give a little speech now and then: NEWS FROM HOBBITTOWN!

...posted as "phone call". If you press the "POSTS" button, you'll see all of what is on there, including my crazy songs and jam sessions.

let go

Some people say I should let go,
and this could be the final remedy.
It's not that easy though,
and only the future is the test
for the days to come.
Wise woman and wise men told me so.
And I can move fast,
but this will be the last
phoenix arising out of the ashes.
I battled the devil before with sticks and a pole
to redeem my soul
while bandits get their lashes,
'tis what they deserve, just so you know.
Infinity is a concept, and the future is for real
To humble yourself to live in the present,
that my friend is the actual deal!

There is just no substiute for having true friends

snow?

A mile away, on top of the ridge, they are making snow.
Later on, when the cover is sufficient they pull up people on lifts. Down they go, and up again, and then down again. Endless circles.

I used to like that game, but I became tired of running in circles. Nothing against skiing or snow-boarding. I've been there since I was five year old. Difference then, as kids we had to make our own slopes, a group effort. Then we climbed the hill to have that exhilarating drive.
Now it's mostly a bunch of obese fat ass people going in circles. Boring. I wish to ski Colorado



though - they say the slopes and the conditions rival if not surpass those of the Swiss mountains.
Got to do do it before global warming takes all fun away!

after the thanks

All right, so I give you a blurb about Thanksgiving after all.
My daughter despises mashed potatoes, can't be the genes, 'cause I love them. Despite of this, there she is standing in the steamed up kitchen preparing that very dish.
We had a wild turkey, delicious and an organic farm raised one, traditional. The company was great, the host and hostess fabulous. But I am people shy these days. So is my son. So we took a walk down to the falls to avoid further small-talk for a little while.





On that walk we found this shop - very Americana.
End of blurb.

I hate to fix things ... to start of with, and I only crave Chinese art

There are days when you just have to do it yourself, no other help in sight. So I took apart the old Steinway and fixed some keys. Tedious, the wood is very brittle and easily brakes.
Back in "the shire of hobbit-land" days are getting colder and also "brittle"...that's just how the brake of this season is.
Before you know it snow will cover the fields. That's a good thing though.
The "fixing things" title. It is just so that I love when things just work, and if they don't, I agonize about the demise. I guess that is called procrastination. But sometimes... I get inspired. Today was such a day. Patience is one of the higher virtues - yes??? At least this piano was not made in China. That crap from there I just throw away when it is broken. Actually I try to avoid buying Chinese which in itself is not an easy task.
But hey, they will learn. After they figured that led paint on kid toys is not kosher. They will follow the path of Japan. Remember Japanese products in the 60's and 70's? Total bullshit, cheap ass quality products. But then - ha - they eventually came out with the finest electronics and the most reliable cars. I would call that the "silent revenge" against the empire. Pearl Harbor all over again, this time without Mitsubishi bombers, but spread over time replacing those kamikaze missions.
Hell it worked! Detroit, the headquarters of the three big US car companies looks desolate, abandoned and like a ghetto today. I wish I had had a camera last time around. The pictures would have looked like East-Germany before the break up of the Soviet Union, actually worse - more like Dresden after WW2.
But you wouldn't believe me anyway. So just take a flight and see for yourself. Ah, forget it. It's not worth the cost of petrol to go there. Rambling? Yes I am rambling today. But I will get to the point. China will overcome it's technical and other hurdles - refine it's products a few years down the road (just like Japan did) and thereby become the economic superpower on this globe. I sometimes wonder though if anybody will have cash or credit to buy stuff then.
For now I am content to fix my 1958 upright Steinway by myself.
Enough ramblings? OK, you got it ...

the thanks

Half a mile down the road there are these cows, all male suckers (heifers?) I drive by them daily knowing that they soon end up as cheap minced beef on the shelf of a supermarket. I stop and talk to them - nobody ever talks to them. You gotta talk to animals, they deserve conversation and affection even if they end up being cut into pieces eventually.
So I also give thanks to all the animals who sacrifice their life for human hunger.

whatever it is

I used to teach a couple of courses in NYC, during the time they had that installation in Central Park. One pick I modified and sort of put it into my drawer, thinking of using it as a front-page to my never appearing webpage. What do you think? Will I use this , or does it look entirely tacky?

Last night my daughter woke me up 12:30 or so, needed some help with printing her essays. Needless to say, I couldn't fall asleep after that. Instead I went to the studio and recorded some music, in a horse (corse) voice ... 'cause I got a cold. Tried fiercely to put the results of this on this blog today; but I am just too dumb to to so tonight, and tired.
Tomorrow will be a better day!
************************************************

tommorrow is today :)

I decided to use an other player, it's now located in the sidebar below my profile blurp. There you can hear the song and also other original audio I will post in the future.

OK, here are the original lyrics by me:

Far distant
I waited all day long
just to sing my song
now I'm feeling strong
enough, to say I love you.

Since you will go away
baby I hope and pray
that our hearts want break appart.

Far distant love, when will I see you again
a thousand miles between us is giving me pain
you came out of nowhere, now youre gone -
far distant love.

I know in a month or two,
I'll be running to you
forget about the blues
I love you

And if your mind is clear
and your feelings sincere
then I know we'll be together!

Far distant ...

welcome to my mess

As I look around, I glance onto Raphael's picture "the school of Athens" amongst my mess. It strikes me to be some kind of message. All these philosophers, thinkers, artists, astronomers, physicists, statesman ... gathered in one place!
If only humans these days could do the same, congregate and exchange their knowledge instead of fighting for issues unrelated to the common man.

Here are some quotes from the more prominent people in this picture:

Plato:
As the builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.

Aristotle:
Anyone can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not within everyone's power and that is not easy.

Socrates:
If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart.

5 a clock Guinness in Hillsdale

OK then, I'll elaborate.
The guy on the left has a BA from a college in visual arts and is now painting houses. The girl, I don't know her, she is the bartender at the "Mount" (the Mount Washington Hotel).
What's the point of saying this? The painter and her look out towards the second image here, Hillsdale "central", and ponder about their future, each in their own ways. As I was taking the pictures I asked myself the same question. Not so much the philosophical ones like: Where is this world gonna lead to. But more on a personal level, where will the pathways of my life lead me in the next few months?
Heck, I wish I knew!
I guess the myth of the starving artist is not a myth after all.

fall mood

Bare and barren branches
have had a history before they brake, off the trunk.
So no more whining is needed.
Nature took its course and sunk
to the ground what comes to be re-seeded.

Human souls are the same,
most shed history, barren
and broken while memory fades
like nail finger-clippings
lost on foreign soil.
Others - still reach for the sky.

© L. Zay

The frenzy about night shades

As I drive down my road I think to myself, what is this hysteria all about while I was watching the golden leaves scattered on the ground.
Simply put, potatoes, tomatoes and tobacco are all "nightshades" imbued with cancerous stimulants. One and the same family, all of them.
Let's say simply, that "Heinz" ketchup promotes cancerous diseases while advertising the "Lycen" factor to diminish heart disease, which might be correct. What a bargain though.
Now they start to ban smoking within 50 feet of official buildings, post a total smoking ban on campuses - etc, etc....
Who's health are we talking about?
Did anybody ever heard the phrase "mind over matter"?
I personally respect when somebody does not wish to inhale my second hand smoke, and I move away.
But when I then arrive at a parking lot, and several SUV's are idling, and I feel that particular day that perhaps they could shut off their engine during the time their female companions are shopping at WallMart - I only get back blank looks in their faces when I try to tell them that they could perhaps shut off their massive engines for that little while.
So what's that to do with smoking?
Easy, the health benefits gained by smoking bans for the general population is minuscule compared to the obese extractions of fossil fuel pollutants that will hover the whole globe for anyone which has to "inhale" and breathe all these toxins in the air for years to come by the exuberant consumption of western greed.
I mean seriously, a campfire with tofu grilled chunks cooked to perfection, will pollute more than burning four cartons worth of cigarettes.
I guess this legal public exercise is to get the little man down, or get all "the little man's " compliance.
Orwell was dead on, but he was wrong with the title of his book, it should have been called "2007", replacing the "1984".
Little did he know, being self raised on that "Animal Farm."

dogs were barking

Bukowsky once said that dogs were barking,
long into the night.
He stripped the stripper
and plugged his ears with cheap toilet tissue.
What a man.
He is dead now, I'm surprised he made it that long,
booze and general abuse took their toll, end of story.

Dogs are barking, everywhere these days
politicians and crooks want their ways
while we wait to remove cotton tissues
out of our ears and listen to issues
that really matter.
- it's a long way home I would say.