..one tiny moment in time…

I Will Be Light – Matisyahu

Sit back
And in these days
Remember my ways
Oh…Will I get out of my cage?
Yes..I am a slave
Searching for some freedom
So intend to sing them songs
To spark memories
What is a man with no history?
Where am I? Who am I? What is this place?
We’re just spinning in space

I will be light

Time will continue without you
So in the end
Its not about you
But..
What did you do?
Who do you love besides…you?
Many died in the name of vanity
Many die,in their mind’s eye, for justice
We die for you
And still do
So I say to you
This is nothing new

I will be light

YOU GOT ONE TINY MOMENT IN TIME
FOR LIFE TO SHINE
TO BURN AWAY THE DARKNESS

I will be light

Light on the Edge of Darkness

Commercial radio and television are vast wastelands (for the most part). I know many people who are growing weary of the mind-numbing stupidity that commercial media feeds us insultingly labeled as ‘entertainment’. How many news stories must one hear of Amy Winehouse or Rihanna as if they matter? And what is up with the overkill on the radio? Who has not grown tired of the empty, rootless and imitative music that comes out of the speakers every time the radio is switched on? And let’s not speak of the level of narcissistic exhibitionism in many of the popular musicians today.

The following playlist celebrates a different kind of sound seldom heard….

Absorb it.

Some Kind Of Beautiful

OneLove

::MixMasterE::

An Exercise in Irony

Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness – and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we’re being brainwashed to believe. The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons….their notion of inevitability.

Arundhati Roy

TGIF: The Basement Mixer Vol III

(To hear some songs in their entirety, join IMEEM for free)

TGIF Vol 1 & TGIF Vol II

OneLove!

:;MixMasterE::

Examined Life: Slavoj Zizek

A few weeks ago while doing a little research on something I’m working on, I ran across a very interesting philosopher/cultural critic named Slavoj Zizek. I’ve listened to and read my fair share of academic/social philosophers throughout the years, but I have never found any of them humorous (except for Cornel West on occasion). Zizek is not only damn funny in both the content and manner of his presentation, but he has a fascinating erudition as well. He makes quite lucid observations on a broad range of topics from film to the war in Iraq, but through it all, he retains an iconoclastic and acerbic wit that zones in our our most cherished beliefs. From what I have read of him so far, his mission seems to be somewhat Buddhist in nature in that he wants us all to constantly engage the “real” (in Engaged Buddhism, being idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology is dangerous and close-minded. Zizek attempts to break these mind-shackles, I think, by asserting that there is no such thing as absolute truths. In fact, in his mindscape, the world only makes sense if you turn it upside down and inside out!).

There are two books I will have to add to my already huge “must-read” list which are “The Fragile Absolute” & “The Puppet and the Dwarf“. I think exploring the mind of this engaging philosopher is time well spent. Here are a few clips of Zizek:

Zizek on Love:-

Slavoj Zizek about love
Uploaded by Ali_La_Pointe

(This is deep. If one reads between the lines, he seems to suggest that our notions of “love” are deeply flawed and tragic. Love as a violent act, in his terms, may suggest a form of spontaneous non-attachment which is an alien notion in a culture saturated with fantasies and illusions of love…)

Zizek on Freudian Sexuality:-

…and one more interesting piece: Zizek on President Obama

peace

::MixMasterE::

Shooting Stars, Falling Objects

Oh! The games people play! We have all heard or perhaps experienced our fair share of love affairs that started out with so much hope and reciprocity only to end up in smoke & ashes for one reason or another. Everyone’s situation is unique so passing judgment is a foolish venture, but I have to admit, men (sorry fellas) are largely to blame (although women aren’t too far behind in the blame department!).

The notion of “men are from Mars/Women from Venus” has some elements of truth in it as it appears that we see & experience things differently on many levels. Studies on the brains of men and women have proven this. For example, men rank good looks and facial attractiveness more important than women do, whereas women rank honesty, humor, kindness and dependability more important than men do. Men cheat more than women do not because of love, but because of sex. Some women cheat because of sex, but mostly they cheat because of the aforementioned factors (kindness, humor, etc). What I have learned is that the golden key to any relationship is compromise. Conceptually easy to understand, but damn hard to execute as so many factors come into play (class & cultural differences, education & experience, etc)which tend to lean more towards antagonistic contradictions (hell). But what I find lacking in most folks is the art of compromise or sacrifice. It’s as if no one wants to give up his/her selfish desires/inclinations & simply attempt to sweep stuff under the rug (which is why most relationships fail).

I am no “relationship expert” (as those so-called experts with all the answers break up themselves!), but I do know that what are absolute “musts” in any relationship are gut-bucket honesty and no-frills communication every step along the way. Oh sure, feelings will get hurt sometimes, but would you prefer to live in a happy lie or a painful truth? If you answer the former, your ass is doomed.

Your Love Is Black – Kaskade

Look out to the calm sea

I don’t know why that I
Want to cry when I feel this high

Nature seems to know me
So many times She’s been below me
And so I sit and we dream
As my soul She tries to lift

Seems I lost my way last night
But I was reborn by daylight
Seems I get another chance
Another chance to dance away
Now you bring your loving back
But don’t you know your love is black
But now you’re here pouring in the dark
Because you can’t see inside my heart

Look out
Your love is black

Closing my eyes and I can breathe
I can feel what is right, what is true
What is real

Seems you lost your way last night
You were back here by daylight
And now your words are dark and cold
And your lines are tired and old
Nature is calming me
Because your love was harming me
And now I shed that cold and harm
I wasn’t safe there in your arms

Look out
Your love is black

It’s true I loved you once
It’s true you were once mine…..

OneLove!

::MixmasterE::

…a jazz-infused meditation…

I saw the dreamer raise his hand
Into a world of possibilities

I saw the dreamer raise his hand
Into a sky of light and love

I saw the dreamer raise his hand
Into a day of tomorrow

I saw the dreamer raise his hand…

Jose James- The Dreamer

..dive & be released..

::MixMasterE::

Dwele: "How Do I Deal?"

We’re living in some dark times…This video from one of my favorite Hip Hop/Soul artists, Dwele, highlights the pressure many are feeling living/struggling through these turbulent times.

Peace

:::MixMasterE:::

Godspeed, Mr. President

Tomorrow, 1/20/09, will go down as one the finer moments of America’s history. Never have I witnessed such excitement and hyperbole over an inauguration and, I must admit, it has been quite impressive stuff–from the star-studded performances on Lincoln Memorial to the glimmers of hope on the faces & conversations of many in spite of the avalanche of dismal economic news. This brings me to the reason I felt compelled to write this post: Hope.

I have hope, but in all honesty, I am not very optimistic about the future, at least not about short-term possibilities (most notably, the financial crisis, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the prospect of Iran developing a nuclear weapon and the question of Israel’s murderous abuse of power and total lack of concern for the humanity and dignity of the Palestinians).

What I admire about President Obama is his emphasis on hope and change. History is too complex and contingent on too many things to accurately make predictions about where we are heading. One thing that should be clear, nonetheless, is the necessity of keeping hope alive & constantly learning from mistakes & adapting to new conditions. As Obama emphasized, change is always possible, even in the face of great odds. Acting on that assumption creates the possibility of progress. Indeed, the love and sacrifice of so many known & unknown agitators for the cause of justice and equality, many who fought against unimaginable odds & lost their lives in the most horrific of ways, created the conditions which made the election of President Obama possible.

Witnessing the crowd of jubilant citizens on the National Mall grounds today, I was struck by their buoyant joy and collective hope for a better future. Black, white, brown–every stripe under the sun gathered and celebrated. The stirrings of radical hope pulsated throughout the day which manifested the better angels of our nature and our common need for being a part of something bigger than ourselves.

The great Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire, once said: “Our task simply put is to change some conditions that appear to me as obviously against the beauty of being human“. Our struggle continues (it’s naive to think that powerful interests both legitimate and illegitimate will simply disappear), but in the end, through our joy & sacrificial pain, we will arrive closer to the power & beauty of being human, beautifully human.

May It Be – Enya
OneLove

::MixMasterE::

The Gift Of Friends

And a youth said,
- Speak to us of Friendship!
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love
and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger,
and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear
not the “nay” in your own mind,
nor do you withhold the “ay”.
And when he is silent your heart ceases
not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts,
all desires, all expectations are born and shared,
with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most
in him may be clearer in his absence,
as the mountain to the climber
is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship
save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure
of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth:
and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend
that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need,
but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship
let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

-Khalil Gibran

Vacation’s End

It’s a new year and instead of the usual optimism that each year brings, my mood is quite glum. Purposely, I sequestered myself from the news during my month-long vacation abroad. Surrounding myself with the love, joy & laughter of friends and family, the world seemed bright, cheerful and safe. Surely, our greatest potential is one of broad-mindedness, compassion and an acute sense of justice/fairness.

The deaths of the children of Gaza brought me back to the callous nature of reality & marked the end of my wishful thinking…..

It will be interesting to see how Obama’s administration handles this ruinous & demented state of affairs.

“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere.” ~~MLK

Season’s Blessings

MMEs Christmas Songbook

Recommendation

Promise me,
promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:

Even as they
strike you down
with a mountain of hatred and violence;
even as they step on you and crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember and disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not our enemy.

The only thing worthy of you is compassion-
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.

One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.
And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousand worlds of birth and dying.

Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun and the moon
will continue to shine.

-Thich Nhat Hanh, 1965

~Be well & peace to you~

::MixMasterE::

The Painter’s Edge

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion. ~Democritus

Everybody who has ever lived on this planet has, at one point or another, looked up into a clear, star-lit sky and wondered, “Why are we here? Who or what created everything?” No one will ever know these answers with absolute certainty and this to me is what makes this life so beautifully complex and interesting. Looking at the pictures of deep space from the Hubble Ultra Deep Telescope probing the outermost edge of the observable universe, one is awe-struck, speechless…humbled. Out of this infinite space where indubitably other beings exist (& where modern scientific theories become inadequate descriptive/predictive tools), one comes to the realization that we are definitely not what we appear to be or who we think we are.

What our eyes behold may well be the text of life but one’s meditations on the text and the disclosures of these meditations are no less a part of the structure of reality.
-Wallace Stevens

OneLove

::MixMasterE::

On Existential & Democratic Possibilities

Words & Wisdom of Cornel West

Cornel West is indispensible in the quest for intellectual broad-mindedness and courageous honesty. I have highlighted the wisdom of Dr West before, & after reading his lastest book, “Hope On A Tightrope“, I was once again deeply impressed with this modern-day Socrates. Words & ideas become alive and relevant when he expresses himself on any given topic, cross-pollinating various spheres of knowledge with such breath-taking dexterity, vision & passion that few can surpass. The Afterword of the book highlights the books & music that shaped his life which I dutifully noted for further research. I encourage you to CAREFULLY listen to Dr West in the above playlist and be prepared for reinvention (turning of the soul)….

Peace

::MixMasterE::

MME’s Soul Treasures

..being true to yourself..being real…this is what has driven the shift in soul music from the 1990’s to the present.. Although what is marketed as soul music today in the commercial spheres is a downright abomination, the following playlist is testimony to the fact that we are only just beginning to tap the fertile fields of this altered landscape….OneLove!
(NOTE:To hear some songs in their entirety, go here and join the growing IMEEM music community).
MMEs DeepSoul Diving

:::MixMasterE::

Soul Rebellion: The Rastafarians

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t bury your thoughts; put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!” ~~Bob Marley

The image of Rastafarians has always been quite negative. Drugs and violence have become associated with them in the West which, admittedly, is true in a few cases, but in general, it is just another sad, overblown stereotype. In truth, authentic Rastafarians are generally peaceful in nature and live a life of simplicity, critical engagement and an unshakable faith in the oneness of God and Man. In his commentary on the Rastafari, George Lamming concurred with many in the Caribbean community who correctly noted that the Rastafari movement carried with it a certain continuity from the days of slavery, a continuity of resistance and confrontation with white racism.The Rastafari movement, in all its contemporary manifestations, challenges not only the Caribbean but the entire Western World to come to terms with the history of slavery, the reality of white racism and the permanent thrust for dignity and self-respect by black people. I have met a number of them in my lifetime & I have to unbiasedly admit that they all carried themselves with impressive composure & humility. I have read many books & articles on the Rastafarian sect, but the one that sticks out the most was one I read some time ago written by one of the most influential leaders in the Rastafarian movement, Dr. Vernon Carrington (aka Prophet GAD), who illuminated the true nature of Rastafari as follows:

‘It is up to each and every one to find the right path in this time.
Rastafari is not a faith which can be converted to, in the sense that
one can convert to Christianity. There is not one day when someone wakes
up and says,`I think I’ll become a Rastafarian.’ Rastafari is a way of
life which has to be lived. The feeling of the spirit is like a wave
traveling through the soul. A wave which only reveals itself stage
after stage. Rastafari is a life, and as in life, you learn as you
live.

No person can say,`This is exactly what the Rastafari doctrine is,’
because the beauty of the faith is that it is seen through the eyes
of the beholder, not through the eyes of a priest, vicar or pope.
When one declares themselves to any faith, people will always ask
them, `How long have you been a ……….?’ In the case of
Rastafari, people don’t realize how complex this question is. How
long? When was the exact point of realizing my true life’s
foundation?…

As you grow, you learn certain things and your eyes open just that
little bit wider. It’s the same thing with Rastafari. It’s not a
doctrine which people have to memorize and recite in mantra or a
text on which we will be tested. The test is how we live our life,
with Rastafari in our hearts… Rasta is a philosophy which reveals
itself in stages; a feeling, a vibe, a science, a quote, an
ideology, a picture, an outlook, a history, a life…

Rastafari is about learning. We realize that life has many mysteries
and the Creator lets us know as much as we need to know at any given
time. This is how we learn… It is this outlook to which Rastafari
becomes more than a doctrine, religion or even faith; it is a way of
life which, like life itself, continues to grow in mind, body and
spirit… Rasta is NOT a hair doctrine or a race doctrine, it is a
doctrine which is so pure it is open to be embraced by anyone.

Reggae music wouldn’t exist without Rastafarians who injected the form with an elevated consciousness that continues to inspire billions. The following playlist bears witness…
Conscious Reggae

OneLove!

::MixMasterE::

..leave all our hopelessnesses aside…

Thanks to Lola Funkland Android for putting me on to this incredible song. The song, “Just For Now”, is about family gatherings and all the love & warmth, conflict & pain, candor& evasiveness that normally accompany these gatherings (it’s the human condition). The artist, Imogen Heap, has an earthiness & range that touches you deeply. I first heard of her in the group Frou Frou in another phenomenal song, “Let Go”, and I’ve been a fan of her ethereal falsetto ever since. Just listen…

OneLove

:::MixMasterE::

The Disappearing Male

James Brown once bellowed, “It’s a Man’s World”,in full, soulful patriarchal power echoing a long-held belief that we (men) are inherently dominating & superior to everything and everyone (God’s design, it has been argued), but it takes a woman (in a secondary role) to make it all worthwhile. I have never subscribed to this perverse mind-set (truthfully, a social disease of the highest order), but I am not going to elaborate on that now. Instead, I present the following documentary which might have well been called, “(S)he Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best” (in a tragicomic sense). It seems that all the poison we (men) have released upon the physical (and mental) environment has come back to haunt us and potentially sweep us off this artificial world we have created. Our own cleverness has turned against us! It’s a man’s world indeed.

OneLove

::MixMasterE::

…enter the fire…

In complete control,
Pretending control,
With dignified authority,
We are charlatans…
(Or maybe just a goat’s-hair brush in a painter’s hand.)
We have no idea what we are.

O, happy the soul that saw its own faults.

Conventional opinion is the ruin of our souls

If
by Rumi

If you can disentangle
yourself from your selfish self
all heavenly spirits
will stand ready to serve you

if you can finally hunt down
your own beastly self
you have the right
to claim Solomon’s kingdom

you are that blessed soul who
belongs to the garden of paradise
is it fair to let yourself
fall apart in a shattered house

you are the bird of happiness
in the magic of existence
what a pity when you let
yourself be chained and caged

but if you can break free
from this dark prison named body
soon you will see
you are the sage and the fountain of life

Peace

::MixMasterE::

Does Love Exist Without A Title?

What of a Love Unspoken – Tre & Polo
(written by 2PAC)

One of my favorite 2PAC poems is “What Of A Love Unspoken” which lays out a man’s soul to the flower of his desire. Incredible truth-telling:

I know my heart has lied before
but now it speaks, with honesty
of an invisible bond of friendship, that was formed, in secrecy
Coming from me this may seem hard but..but to God I swear – it’s truth
We are friends for eternity and for-ever I will always love.. you..

What of a love unspoken?
Is it with or without a name?
Does love exist without a title
because I dare not share it’s name

All my life I’ve dreamed of
of meeting one with immense beauty and..
and once I found her I would charm her and…
and she’d be mine forever (mine forever)
I found her and, indeed she is all that I, wished for and more but she
is not charmed nor intrigued (not charmed, nor intrigued)
Then I think to myself “what.. can I offer her?”
The tears warm my eyes and blur my, vision I
stick to my stance of bravado and give her
the same uninterested look that she, gave..me
(She was so beautiful) She was so beautiful
But what.. can I offer her?

You say that you’ll love me forever..but
but what about today?
As the dusks become the dawns and the years pass on will you
love me (love me) the same way (the same way)?
If so let us rejoice and bathe in this constant pleasure
If not spare my heart today and I shall recover before, forever
And if my doubts and questions upset you
(forgive my fragile heart) forgive my fragile heart
I just wanted to know if you’d love me forever before today,
would start (would you love me.. would you love me..)

What of a love unspoken?
What of a love unspoken?

Check out other poems from one of the most gifted rappers (in spite of his glaring contradictions) that ever lived here.

Peace

::MixMasterE::

Like A Dew Drop

~~is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?~~

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allan Poe

Valeh – Axiom of Choice

::MixMasterE::

The Writer’s Lens

Two of my favorite writers, Alice Walker and Eduardo Galeano, on their observations of Obama’s White House visit yesterday. Quite powerful

Peace

::MixMasterE::

Youssou N’Dour’s Sufi Soul

When I first heard Youssou N’Dour’s voice on the song, “Bamako”. many years ago, I was hooked and reeled into the mystifying world of Wolof culture and mysticism. That song, with its hypnotic conga drums and Youssou’s soaring, penetrating voice, had me longing for a continent I had yet to visit…and longing for a deeper, more embodied spiritual life. I think I may have stumbled upon Sufism through reading Youssou’s background in his album liner notes, and to this day,I still enjoy the timeless wisdom the Sufi mystics have given Mankind through the ages.

I put together some of my favorite Youssou jams for your appreciation of a living legend. Also, check out this interview he did a few months ago which highlights his deep convictions and expansive consciousness.

The Music Of Youssou NDour

Youssou Live@Bercy (transcendent!)

OneLove!

::MixMasterE::

Hope Springs Eternal

Worldwide—the tears fell
Hope—long-stained, battered and bruised
Craned its jaundiced neck up towards the shaft
Of Light bursting through a formidable darkness
Familiar but hardly adjusted to.
How many lives have been sacrificed up to this point?
From the moment of the first African slave’s footprint on stolen soil
-the scarred backs, raped mothers and torn psyches from which this Empire was built-
To the known and unknown seekers of true liberation and honor who laid
Their lives on the ground for the conscience of future seekers of the same prize
We are now closer to that mountain-top that King envisioned
Closer to that Oneness of Man that Malcolm epiphanized
Closer to the end of that reckless notion of white supremacy…..
So, we celebrate a milestone in human progress
And, in particular, a turning point in the narrative of a besieged people.
Jesse, love him or hate him, understood & felt the weight of history
Standing there in Grant Park observing something of momentous proportions…
That the world wept at seeing the ascendence of Destiny Incarnate
Signifies an essential truth about Truth which Emerson observed:

Truth is our element.

The road is going to be long, dark & meandering, but hope springs eternal…..

:::MixMasterE:::

The Triumph of Democracy

I must admit, I never thought that I would see an African-American First Family in my lifetime, but here we are. No amount of analysis by the Mr Know-It-Alls can fully explain this present moment in American history. One thing is certainly clear though: America has broken through the shackles of its past on many levels. Yes, I know that at some point after the euphoria wears down, the dire realities will come back to the fore & President Obama will be heavily scrutinized. At this time though, let’s all -just feel good about the American electorates’ rejection of 8 years of disastrous neoconservative policies that railroaded everything from the environment to working-class families. So here’s my victory party to President Obama, who I believe will become one of most honest and intelligent presidents this country has ever had.
(To listen to some songs in their entirety, join IMEEM for free)
Obamas Victory Party!!

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Mohandas Gandhi

::MixMasterE::

November 4th 2008: America’s Day Of Destiny

Well done, Mr Obama!

My hope is this:

- That you honor your pledge to help the average Joe and the poor both here and abroad

- That you initiate innovative approaches to challenge the forces of greed and other corrupting influences of power and privelege

- That you end the dictatorial control of labor, consumers and taxpayers and that all those unchallenged loopholes that the rich have always enjoyed are done away with

- That America-as-Global-Cop (or Agent-Provocateur) comes to a long-awaited end (the world has had enough)

- That American politics transforms itself to the public (voluntary) funding of elections and becomes less and less influenced by powerful corporate interests (that could care less about that messy thing called “democracy”)

- That the crusty, old-guard racists/jingoists scatter like the cowards and dumb-asses that they are and come to grips with the revolutionary power of critical engagement aka truth.

- That your symbolic presence (and that of your beautiful family) shakes the foundation of what is possible in America, especially for folks who have been historically reviled and despised

- That the military budget which gets the lion’s share of the national budget, is cut big time & the money siphoned off into more meaningful areas (education, food/nutrition programs, housing & urban development, etc).

I don’t expect the seas to be parted or angels to swoop down from heaven heralding a New Dawn, but, like most people who have grown sick with cynicism and tired with rage, I expect a good dose of fresh air and a realistic change of direction that you embody & anxiously await your historical achievement as President of the United States of America.

A Change Is Gonna Come – Seal

Peace

::MixMasterE::

Harmonic Connectons: The Music of August Rush

There was something about the movie “August Rush” that appealed to my poetical & musical sensibilities. In particular, I recall a line in the movie that crystallized something I have always felt about music:

“You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, every where, even the stars.” – Maxwell “Wizard” Wallace

The soundtrack has a number of gems, but the stand-out track for me is, “August’s Rhapsody”. Many people slept on this movie or ridiculed it for being too schmaltzy (I liked it though), but there is hardly an argument about the superior quality of the soundtrack. Judge for yourself…

(To hear the songs in their entirety, join IMEEM to listen)
August Rush Soundtrack

…music is all around you, all you have to do is listen..

OneLove

::MixMasterE::

***Adobe Flash Player Fix****

Some folks are having issues with playing the Flash content on this site. To fix this issue, uninstall Adobe Flash Player here
then reinstall it from here. Please take note of the following settings if you are using Internet Explorer ( I recommend Mozilla Firefox for ALL browsing, period. IE has too many bugs for my taste):

Internet Explorer ActiveX settings:-

First, check to see if your Security level is set to Medium (In IE, go to Tools–>Internet Options–>Security and slide to Medium).The Default Level will allow you to view Flash content. For any Custom Level, ensure that both the “Download Signed ActiveX controls” and “Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins” options are set to “Prompt”. To do this:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Choose Tools > Internet Options.
3. Select the Security tab.
4. Select Custom Level.
5. Find the section “ActiveX controls and plug-ins”.
6. Set ‘ Download Signed ActiveX Controls’ to Prompt.
7. Set ‘Run ActiveX Controls And Plug-ins’ to Prompt.

Some Internet utilities, such as Norton Internet Utilities, perform functions similar to a firewall and may restrict viewing of ActiveX controls, and in some cases specifically blocking Flash content. You need to ensure that your firewall or utility settings are set to allow ActiveX controls and Flash (SWF).

Please continue to alert me to any other technical issues that may arise.

Thanks!

::MixMasterE:::

Unvetted Consequences

Add Sarah Palin to your page

(Come next week, the village idiot and his coterie of yes-men will be out of here! These folks have been stinkin’ up the place for a while and will get their asses handed to them not a day too soon! Go out and vote!!!)

Peace

::MixMasterE::

..the enemy Is you…

“You are the world, the neighbor, the friend, the so-called enemy.
If you would understand, you must first understand yourself,
For in you is the root of all understanding.
In you is the beginning and the end.”

“If you are very clear, if you are inwardly a light unto yourself,
you will never follow anyone”

-J. Krishnamurti

“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect.. Truth being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or coerce people along any particular path…”

Peace

:::MixMasterE:::