To Whom It May Concern... a polemic

To Whom It May Concern:


Dear Sirs,

With the news of the passing of Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina I though it appropriate to write an open letter and share with you my thoughts and reflections. As I learned of the Senators departure from this earthly realm it occurred to me that although I do not believe in an after-life and neither do I worship a supreme being I do, for the first time in my life, truly and earnestly hope that there is a place, (a very special place), for the good senator to spend his eternity. Hell would be that place.

My only regret being that if such a place does exist and that if he were to be rightly sequestered there, in it's bowels, that we, the people here on Earth would not have the pleasure of witnessing his face as his feeble mind slowly realized the very serious implications of his predicament. Sadly, as of now, there is no under-worldly equivalent of CSPAN.

Unfortunate as hat may be, my thoughts began to turn towards this life. As they did so, I was comforted by several things. I will elaborate. I was comforted to know that all of you shall depart in time. Surely not soon enough, but inevitably. But before that,once you have all descended from your Olympus into the ranks of the citizenry I have but a few wishes. It is my hope that you be harangued, harassed, mocked, and ridiculed without cessation. It is my greatest wish that you, for the rest of your time on our little planet, do not have a moments peace. I understand that this is a lot to hope for.

The likes of you, (and all of your ilk), are probably incapable of such a thing as 'introspection' never the less that would be sweet indeed. Instead, I would settle for never hearing your names uttered again unless there be an expletive eternally and synonymously bound to them.

Ideally your machinations will be investigated, your malfeasance prosecuted, and you in your hubris convicted by the very people you hold in such low regard. It would please me, as it would please many, to watch as you dined upon that fare.

Barring that, it would suffice that you be verbally confronted everywhere you go. Were that to be the case, perhaps you would think it prudent to restrict your travel and remain in exile on your ranches and estates which you attained by fleecing the citizenry (whom you despise). In short, may you once great Titans experience the fall, the frailty, the vulnerability, and the fear that that you have long sought to cultivate in the very human beings you were sworn to care for. These same ones who, optimistically offered little protest as you ascended to your high office under dubious circumstances. An office which, as time has revealed you are unfit to occupy.

My hopes are lofty, true. In the likely event sirs that you escape any or all of these scenarios or any other I have failed to concoct that would deliver upon your ill anointed, privileged, unworthy heads the justice you require, there is however one certainty...

It is this... Death comes for us all. You sirs are no exception. And when it does, you will be rendered inert for all time. This world will benefit from not having to support your parasitic, poisonous, and toxically divisive influence. True, your pestilential kind will continue to exist but you have quickened those who would resist your tyranny, your despotic means, and your usurpation of the common good. We are learning the value of vigilance. To this end, your plan has failed.

It will be my great pleasure, and the pleasure of many, to watch as all of you expire one by one and raise a glass in celebration as life goes on, liberty is restored, and happiness is pursued with renewed vigor.

I look forward sirs, to dancing on your graves... and I am young.

3:09 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Check out this event: Goodbye Champion @ The Falcon w/ The Quills
Current mood: catalyzed

Hosted By: Goodbye Champion
When: Saturday Jun 07, 2008
at 9:00 PM
Where: The Falcon
3295 S Broadway
Englewood, Colorado|6 80113
United States
Description:
Goodbye Champion

Click Here To View Event

11:56 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

our lady duke... farewell

wow... First off, allow me to extend my deepest respects to you brother, and Laurie, and all of Duke's family that I was able to know however briefly. Please if you would Clay, convey to Laurie in particular, my most heartfelt condolences... I am most certain that I am not alone in my sincere gratitude for having, at a profound time in our lives, been the lucky recipient of her gracious hospitality. She was, to me, an 'Auntie Mame'. A creature of a rarefied air, exotic and dignified... made of strong stuff, truly larger than anything I knew... a comforting presence in a difficult time. Please pardon my monologue... I am not one to indulge in hyperbole and I do not exaggerate in my recollection of her person. Please indulge me... I never knew who Erte was before her... she was the only person I knew who had a grand piano ... (and she let us touch it! )... she always said goodnight to us kids... she told us ghost stories ... (I still tell the same ones) ... she was so very different from the people of her generation that I knew ... she seemed to me, relevant and interested in life... and us! ... she once paid me to build something for her ... Although I tried my best and I'm sure I did a poor job of it, she let me try none the less... She was kind to me ... I have thought of her many, many times and I have regret in not telling her these things myself. She was indeed for me, a most Grande Dame... Thank you Clay for including me in that. I am different because of it. I will remember her well. Very Truly Yours..... Aaron

1:45 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

weight

WEIGHT

7 pounds 6 ounces bouncing
later I'll carry the world, for a while
it will get too heavy and eventually
i will realize that i made that whole thing up
and i'll be more pleasant to be around.
in theory.

at certain times i have thrown some around
a mostly self indulgent exercise
being that i'm not a particularly 'important' person
i have had much more success and fun
putting mine behind a worthwhile endeavor
or person.

perhaps someday this will lead those i respect
to give me a monetary value of approximately 91,000 dollars U.S.
depending on the market at the time
this is better than the roughly 12 dollars
worth of raw materials that i am currently made of
the 91,000 dollars U.S. would only be an esoteric value
but flattering nonetheless

i would also subtract the market value ( at the time)
of the 21 grams of my total mass
(that leaves at the very end)
from the 91,000 dollars U.S.
still an impressive sum.

9:03 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

My Machine...

My Machine


When I held her face in my hands and kissed her, I really, really kissed her. For hours. From the tips of my toes to the limits of my imagination.

Although I felt good the following morning I couldn't help but notice a twinge of melancholy. Perhaps I needed more sleep. Maybe it was a combination of dehydration and post- reverie blues. It was quite an evening after all. Anyhow, it passed and after the helpful council of two of my closest, the glass is half full.

Here's How The Machine Werks......
As my machine parts went through their intricate and finely articulated motions: my lips, the kissing, the being kissed; my hands, the touching; my eyes, the seeing the not-seeing, my heart with its compass concurrently giving the nod of approval... yes to kiss her... you forgot to ask her... she knows... she's okay with that... we'll ask next time... yes to touch her face... Sending..... Receiving..... Sending....
My machine is gathering information. All kinds. The visual, the aural, the tactile. I am astride two different places.... I am looking at the painting and then I am in it. I am never quite in the painting I am looking at... wait a sec... no, just looking at the painting. Heisenberg wuz right.
Almost as quickly as this information is being experienced, "I" am putting it together in a way that is 'useful' to "me". Makes perfect sense. It goes on...
As my machine continues experiencing I continue to jump in and out of the painting.There is a conversation going on. I am approving the conversation. I am enjoying this conversation. It is the best one I've had in a long time. Continue...
Doing all of this, some systems are coming on-line. All ghost-like as if conjured by the movements of my hands and lips and eyes and insides... They were! So quietly as to not be noticed at first... and then a low hum. Some sort of background noise...
If I didn't notice them for what they were that evening, I certainly noticed them the following evening. And although I was able to laugh at my foolishness eventually, while my wings were melting and I was arcing over toward my stern rendezvous with my home planet, the humor that is so obvious now, was, at the time, difficult to embrace. So it goes...
I can only guess what she and her machine are doing. I wonder, does she know what her machine is doing?

2:14 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

a letter to the esteemed steve albini

greetings mr. steve...

i've just finished reading your article 'the problem with music'... i concur wholeheartedly with the notion that it is the intention of record companies to thoroughly and systematically fuck us all... i thank you for telling the truth regarding that diabolical machine that endeavors to crush the very souls that they are ordained to protect and nurture... it is, to me the highest treason.
that being said... my name is aaron... i am a songwriter, co-band leader, and co-producer for a group called GOODBYE CHAMPION. we have recently completed an album which took 70 production days and over 800 studio hours to make and we have neither a label nor management, a phenomena that seemed to pique mr. tony visconti's curiosity... that sentiment resonated with me as i read your article... we have, what i think is a relevant document in this record. however, as we have limited resources, we are unclear as to how to proceed... my writing partner steve is a member of citizen cope, who has stepped outside of the abusive label model and is enjoying some success... this leads us to believe that there are avenues which, if pursued might allow me to quit my night job and create art...
several years ago you produced, (or engineered, or both, im not sure) an album for some friends of mine jeff and shannon of 'BRIGHT CHANNEL'... they spoke highly of you then and i have thought of you since... i don't know if you will read this, but in the off chance you do i would really value any insight you may have on these and other subjects...
a few more things... i've sent you a friend invite to listen to our tunes... we have a sonicbids epk link on our myspace page should you be so inclined to hear our entire album... we should be so lucky... and finally, knowing what you know, and knowing what you now know about us, would you ever consider working with a band like us?... would anyone? if so, who?.... ?
thank you again for writing that article and calling a spade a spade... we will use it as part of our architecture as we fumble along in the dark while trying to avoid the shit-filled trench that is the music biz...

i say we give THEM 'the bizness'...

take care... aaron m.

9:15 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

letter to Tony Visconti

Hey Tony!...I'm 36, I live with my mom, (who is a great lady), and I think my band could make it and I'm not a kook!... Would you like to produce our next album? I would offer you velvet lined coffers filled with gold and silver and precious gems and wealth beyond imagining but I'm a little short at the moment... any ideas? I appreciate your work and I've had some cocktails and am being over familiar. have a lovely day sir... do take care... Aaron GC


his response was very complementary and cordial... i'd print it but i don't feel like getting sued.... ha ha ha.... thanks for the heads up legal dept....

9:10 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

roger, we have video.....

limited video but more to come....

12:56 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

get a helmet

a letter to the raven


dude,... i wrote the following in response to your email which did not identify you as the sender. halfway through the last sentence i looked at the reply address and saw your name. so i finished the email with what i was going to send anyway. am i wound up tight or what? anyhow the thing that struck me was the wonderfully placed bit of tomato puree on giadas left breast... most excellent. that and her gleeful countenance... that being said, i will now listen to the roughs of our album and be a weepy mess for a bit while i compose a letter to steve telling him how much i love him and how glad i am that we are making music together. a couple of songs have kicked our asses for couple of days now and making a record is everything they said it would be. i better get a helmet. i'm sure it only gets more difficult. tomorrow i will beseech the gods of the rock and sweat profusely and count my blessings and rejoice and lo and behold and make that my offering and everyone else can just fuck off for once and for all until the heavens freeze and the seas boil and the walls come tumbling down hallelujah!!!!!! i'll call you on sunday, i'm going to weep at the intricate splendor that i cannot comprehend now.... A

3:19 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

letter to mrs. destructo-epstein-barr

glad to hear you're good. how's mr. destructo? a funny thing happened yesterday. i was trying to add people to our profile and, as often happens, i ran across a name that i wanted to add. i mostly go out and get bands that i have loved and poach whatever looks interesting from their page. i saw mike watts page and sent a message. i said 'you changed the way i am with music', which of course is true. i said it just to put it out there, for myself, and what i said is true although i couldn't have said that back in the day... but i recognize that now. no big deal.. lot's of people 'have changed the way i am with music'... and always will. but he sent a message back thanking me... i thought that was neat.
anyhow... i have been making what i think is a good record with my dear friend steve. we started in march and are getting close to finishing. i am excited for you to hear it. we have worked hard and have been brave and tried to make art. it is the best thing i have ever done. i hope you will come and listen to it with us when it is ready. i'll let you know when that is.... take care dear... A

p.s. i feel like more of a pragmatic realist these days but i can't really be totally objective, nor would i want to be since i am merely an ongoing narrative that i tell myself. and if that's the case, i'm going to make it a good one!

3:13 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment