Ummagumma

Back in the 80’s, just after my return from India, I read a series on the history of western philosophy by the Jesuit priest Frederick Copleston . At the time, I didn’t care much for the Greek or medieval periods of philosophy. So, I began my reading with volume 4 and Rene Descartes , proceeding through Jean-Paul Sartre in volume 9. A volume 10 and 11 also exist. They, respectively, cover Russian philosophy and compare logical positivism with existentialism . I don’t own either of those. Copleston’s reason for the study is stated in the Preface to volume 1. “My chief motive in writing this book…has been that of supply Catholic ecclesiastical seminars with a work that should be somewhat more detailed and wider of scope than the text-books commonly in use and which at the same time should endeavour to exhibit the logical development and inter-connection of philosophical systems.” (page v) So, there is clearly a Catholic bent throughout. Nevertheless, Copleston’s grasp of western philo

Ready to burn. Dead stuff from our woods provided some youthful entertainment last night . My daughter wanted a bonfire. So, yesterday she, Jennifer, and I spent about 3 hours hauling cement blocks, kindling and fallen trees I cut up with my chainsaws. It was another beautiful autumn day, clear and sunny but with a gusty breeze that felt cool if not in the sun. Later it became party cloudy. Hopefully, we will get some rain tonight. When we first bought this property in 1993 I spent virtually every winter trimming trees and cutting vast amounts of privet hedge. I burned many brush piles in those early years at Freebird, the adopted name of my modest 10-acre estate. I would burn them on Saturday afternoons or sometimes take a day of vacation to enjoy the country and burn brush. My daughter carved this pumpkin and put a candle in it to help give the party a pre-Halloween theme. She and Jennifer decorated things. But, until last night we have never had a “public” burning at our home. As I

This bench served as a pew in an old, local tabernacle from the late 19th century. In our carport there sits an old church bench which Jennifer and I moved from my grandparents’ porch several years ago. The bench is actually a pew from a Methodist tabernacle that existed before my grandparents’ church was built near the turn of the last century. Our best guess is that it was built and in use around the 1880’s. The bench is simple, nothing special really except for its age and design. Its wooden slats are angled such that, when you sit in it, you are in a proper, upright posture that is surprisingly comfortable. We use it for outdoor parties and gatherings and many of our friends and visitors have commented on how pleasant it is to sit upon. Of course, “comfort” is a relative term. The bench is in no way “cushy” or soft. It simply is easy to sit in, not tiresome, obviously constructed for long Sunday afternoons when the preacher would be getting his second-wind, as it were, in the exten

Woody Allen recently quipped that he is against old age . There’s no advantage to it. While I don’t feel “old” per se , I cannot deny the fact I am aging and most likely somewhere in the prime of my life. As regular readers know I am an avid jogger. I always have been, dating back to the time I used to run marathons in my late-teens and early twenties. A few months ago, my right hip began to bother me. It wasn ’t a persistent pain, but a sudden, sharp one that would come and go without apparent reason. I figured this had something to do with arthritis. On top of this, my knees are not what they used to be and I started getting this kind of bloated feeling in them often after I ran. While I’m listing complaints I should throw in that for the past 18 months the first knuckle on my right hand was also hurting in a dull, continual fashion, often making it difficult to open smaller twist-off containers like those on bottled water. I don’t complain much (at least about what I consider to be

The Atlanta Braves and Bobby Cox celebrate winning the 2010 NL Wild Card spot on October 3, the last game of the season. Well, Bobby Cox put himself in a league of his own when the Braves made it into the 2010 NLDS against the Giants. He became the first and only manager of the Top 100(!) winningest managers in baseball history to end his career with a postseason appearance. Talk about going out in style. But it doesn't really help in the Now. The Now hurts. Four great games in the NLDS against the Giants. Four one-run ballgames. The Braves hurt themselves with shoddy fielding, poor hitting, and even injuries. That has been the story all year but, somehow, the 2010 Atlanta Braves always found a way to come back in the end. Until there was no end to come back from anymore. Their resiliency was perhaps their most amazing fact. You certainly can't say they did not handle their share of adversity . Was. Past tense. Because it is over now. A lot of things are over. Cox's last

Former Atlanta Braves pitching coach great "Rockin'" Leo Mazzone and me before the start of Bobby Cox's final regular season game today. Well, it wasn't exactly the poetry I'd hoped for, but a win is a win. The Atlanta Braves faced a determined, red-hot Philadelphia Phillies team today and beat them 8-7 . With some help from the San Francisco Giants , Bobby Cox now has one last go at the postseason to cap off his great managerial career . Now we have to go thank the Giants by beating them in San Francisco this coming Thursday . A few games ago Cox got his 2500th career win , a milestone only three other managers have ever reached in baseball history. But, while posterity might remember that stat more than our by-the-skin-of-our-teeth victory today , I'm sure right now making it to the postseason again means more to Bobby, the team, the Braves fans, and certainly to me. Jennifer and I were there along with our 'Dillo friends Mark and Eileen, Brian and

Neil Young’s latest record, Le Noise , has been playing in my ears a lot over the past few days. It was released on September 28. Neil, of course, is brilliant. I’m not sure this particular CD is going to impress the listening market any more than Fork in the Road did. You just don’t hear that many tunes on Pandora or whatever that consist of only unaccompanied amped-up electric guitar and solo vocals. This is Neil on his own terms, experimental, not giving a damn if anyone listens. Which, of course, is exactly what rusties love and worship. This album is a true collaboration . Neil ruled the roost, as usual, but his creativity was aggressively handled by renown producer Daniel Lanois . Though the sound and feel is definitely Neil, there is plenty of soundboard mixing and effects by Lanois. The CD is definitely a mutual effort . Having seen Neil live in this format back in May (see May 30 post) I am familiar with the material he was considering for Le Noise . I also watched Lanois on