As usual, Ron, you suit my mood to a 't'. And that's 't' for trouble, right here in river city.
The BEST I can hope for is to die in my sleep? This really is a depressing song. Never take advice from old, broke gamblers. If he knew all that much he'd be able to offer a drink and a smoke rather than cadgin' em off dewey-eyed youngsters, Yours, + On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 5:07 PM, X Acto <[email protected]> wrote: > On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, > I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. > So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness > 'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. > > He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, > And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. > And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. > For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice." > > So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. > Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. > And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. > Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. > > You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, > Know when to walk away and know when to run. > You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. > There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. > > Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' > Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. > 'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, > And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep." > > And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, > Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. > And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. > But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep. > > You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, > Know when to walk away and know when to run. > You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. > There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: John Carl <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Mon, February 1, 2010 12:43:05 AM > Subject: Re: [MD] The Last Temptation of J.C. > > Ron you babbling idiot you are going to have to join me soon in the K > class. > > > I mean it dude. You are seriously getting in my head. > > Let's talk. > > Soon. > > What was running through my head today was Kenny Rogers. Remember Kenny > Rogers? Man he was big! Had hits comin' out his ears. You gotta know > when > to hold em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to > run. > > > The thing is, that's all the negative options mostly. I mean "holdin' em" > ain't so bad, there's hope for the future but it's certainly not winning. > I > asked Lu today in the car, where's the winning? When do you lay your cards > on the table? He never mentions the sheer guts it takes to just plunk them > cards down, sydney or the bush. Here they are. > > What a sad song. > > > John > > On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 2:05 PM, X Acto <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Whats interesting is the psychology of the bullshit artist, > > where being an ex cardplayer, knows how to read people, > > let them fill in the blanks...allow them to come to their own conclusions > > a confidence man > > > > > > I would have been tempted to drop trou, just to call 's bluff..... > > > > I have had some luck with a methodist pastor, really enjoyed his surmons, > > mostly about experiences hes had , thoughts about circumstances, what > > he faced...very open honost matter of fact fella, young guy. > > What I feel lacks in church is open dialog..bible studies were > > interesting.. > > but in the end, they were waay too seriouse about the absolutist > > demand of accepting christ...not me... > > > > like most churches.. they are really fun average folks, a social group... > > then they go all "pod people" on ya..see church is fun..it's the > religouse > > crap thats a drag..the unconditional blind acceptance of some one elses > > word > > the surrender to an authority...and me ...I surrender to authority all > the > > time > > socially... but I'll be damned if > > I bow to intellectual authority..I posses me..and I'll suffer no master.. > > > > no labels for me man > > > > go naked > > > > an intellectual nudist colony is what would be ideal.. conceptually > playing > > dress up with philosphic positions for fun and insight.. but labels.. > > > > -Ron > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: John Carl <[email protected]> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Thu, January 28, 2010 1:16:17 PM > > Subject: [MD] The Last Temptation of J.C. > > > > "The fact is, what I hated in the Church was what I hated in society. > > Namely, authoritarians. Power freaks. Rigid dogmatists. Those greedy, > > underloved, undersexed twits who want to run everything. While the rest > of > > us are busy living - busy tasting and testing and hugging and kissing and > > goofing and growing - they are busy taking over." > > > > Tom Robbins > > > > > > Me and religion just never got along. The only time I was able to stand > > religion (or more to the point, religion was able to stand me) was a year > > and half when I was involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and > I > > think the only reason I was able to get along as long as I did was > because > > it was interdenominational in structure, and thus communally open-minded > in > > orientation. Plus > > I was lonely and they had girls. > > > > But every once in a while I get an invitation to join the warm communal > > religious embrace of my fellow beings, and I test the waters with my toe. > > I'll tell you about the last time it happened, because it was kind of > > interesting, and a funny story to boot. > > > > Who can resist a two-fer? > > > > This adventure with what I call, "Justinanity" came about because of a > good > > old friend of mine, JD. > > > > I've known JD longer than just about anybody. My second-oldest friend. > > I'll tell you about the first-oldest sometime because he used to be part > of > > this very forum and so gives me an MoQ tie-in as excuse to describe what > > happened with him, but that's quite a long story I'm not ready to tell. > > > > This story begins with a book that JD gave me. He lives, (like my > > first-oldest friend) right here on the Ridge and so I see him pretty > often. > > He got caught up with a sort of commune he called, "The Santa Barbara > > Group" for the simple reason that a bunch of people moved up here from > > Santa > > Barbara with the idea of buying a lot of land and living together, > commune > > style. > > > > This group of people centered around a teaching, from a book, a pretty > good > > book, actually, called Another Heart In His > > Hand< > http://www.amazon.com/Another-Heart-His-Hand-Spiritual/dp/1885420110 > > >, > > by J.Jaye Gold. On the front cover is this quote: > > > > “ All true stories aren’t necessarily about truth. > > All stories about truth aren’t necessarily true. > > > > This is a true story about truth." > > > > "Although the author and his teacher never mention Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, > or > > neo-Gurdjieff exposure, this is clearly the tradition in which this > sojourn > > happens. The storyline itself is about a poker player who has his > ordinary > > experiences turned into remarkable opportunities." > > > > That's from a review I found when I googled the name of the book, but I > > don't feel qualified to comment since I only read Tertium Organum once, > and > > that a long time ago and I never really absorbed its dense but poetic > > prose. > > > > But this book by Justin (The "J" in J. Jay Gold) was pretty good, like I > > said, and easy to understand. > > > > My favorite metaphor that I got from the book was an analogy of a rocket > > and > > a launching pad. Every rocket needs a launching pad. A gantry, a > > platform, > > a foundation. We are the rockets, our homes and jobs and various > > accoutrement compose the pad. But so many people think life consists of > > improving and tweaking their launching pad, that they've forgotten that > the > > pad has a purpose. They put off their countdown, waiting for something > to > > tell them what to do and tweaking the pad in the meantime. > > > > A profound and scathing indictment of modern materialism, imho. > > > > > > The book promoted strongly the idea of creating intentional community - > a > > big thing with me. So I liked it. And it was intriguing to me that this > > community and the author lived so close to me, about 10 minutes from my > > house, and my old friend JD was part of the group and kept inviting me to > > come to a meeting sometime. Whenever I asked about it, he'd be all > evasive > > and wouldn't answer me at all, so it took me a while to muster any > > enthusiasm. I ain't in for just anyone's EST, if you know what I mean. > > > > But one Sunny sunday, the weather was nice, and I'd been promising JD for > a > > long time that I would go and Justin, who travels a lot, was going to be > > there this weekend and so Lu and I agreed we'd go and check him out. > > > > We took Lu's little red car, and pulled into a circular driveway which > > circled around a very large lawn with a stand of trees and some 40-50 > > chairs > > set up at the top of the circle - nearest the modest ranch-style house, > > with > > an AV system and a table with a pitcher of water and a vase of flowers. > > Pleasant music came from the speakers and Lu and I, befitting our > tentative > > toe-dipping attitude, took our seats in the very back and waited, with > > about > > thirty people, pretty quiet, just waiting for the great man himself to > come > > out and dispense his wisdom. > > > > We whispered back and forth to each other, surprised by the lack of > > friendly > > greeting you usually get when you're the new people at a group meeting, > and > > surprised by the lack of banter as everybody just sat, some with reverent > > looks, some with eyes closed, meditating, praying, who knows. Not > > conversing. We waited for about 35 minutes like this, whispering > amusedly > > when out came the great author himself, Justin Jaye Gold. > > > > He looked about mid fifties, very fit, nice looking, well dressed and > thick > > white hair, carefully coifed. He took a seat in front of the table, a > > beatific half-smile on his face, looking out over the audience. Just > > sitting. > > > > And just sitting. > > > > And sitting. > > > > Nobody spoke, barely moved. The expression on the faces around us was > that > > of open adoration. It was a little creepy to me, but whatever. Lu and I > > continued to whisper and snicker behind our hands to one another, and we > > caught a glare from one especially adorational lady a couple rows in > front. > > And then, Justin spoke. > > > > He described how he had been a professional poker player for a while, and > > went into this story about a poker game at someone's house where there > were > > attractive women and the suggestion came up to play strip poker. He said > > he > > told those women the same thing he had to offer to us, and with this > > comment > > he looked right at Lu and took off his sunglasses, and said, "I'll show > you > > mine if you show me yours." > > > > And with this bald declaration, he kept looking straight at my wife and > > didn't say anything for about 5 minutes. > > > > Well, I'm not saying he was hitting on Lu, but there is an element of > > sexual > > dominance in any group or community that turns into a cult. It's > > practically the dominant feature of a cult - the alpha male gets to breed > > with whatever members he chooses and usually it's the aspect that drags > > them > > down in the end. > > > > Lu just sat there, staring back. Not removing her glasses. Lu isn't > real > > prone to social coercion. And she has a thing about eyes. She herself > has > > one brown eye, and one blue and the most prominent feature in most all of > > her art is the focus upon the eyes. It was a bright sunny day, she's a > > sensitive (and stubborn) redhead. Her sunglasses stayed on. > > > > Mine too, but mine are prescription and I can't see very well without > them. > > > > After the awkward silence, Justin launched into more exposition about the > > fear of vulnerability, the hiding behind our shell, the dropping of > masks. > > Blah blah. Yeah, I know. But such things don't disappear just because > > some charismatic guy manipulates using peer pressure. And I hadn't > bonded > > with any of these people, they weren't my peers. So our glasses > continued > > to stay on. > > > > I also bristled a bit at another man trying to dominate my wife. > > > > And I had to take a piss. We'd been sitting for a while. > > > > So as he's going on and on about SOME people's fear of "showing theirs", > Lu > > is seething and whispering to me and the reverential lady a couple rows > in > > front of us turns around and goes "SHHHHH. Some of us are trying to > listen > > and learn." > > > > I smiled, nodded, and said to Lu, let's go. This guy didn't have > anything > > I > > want. The first tendency to be overcome in a communal group is the > > tendency > > to hero-worship the leader, and if he didn't know this and take himself > > with > > enough humor and grace to diffuse the tendency, he wasn't anyone I wanted > > to > > hear. > > > > Besides, I've read his book and I've read others more profound on the > > Community Building process which was his main shtick these days. > > > > So we quietly got up, and walked toward the car. Nobody called out > "wait!" > > Nobody so much as glanced at us. It felt awkward, like farting in > church, > > but we got back to our car and I noticed I had about 3 inches in front, > and > > 3 inches in back, and it looked extremely shaky as to whether I could > > maneuver my car out of the space it was in, the other cars parked in a > line > > behind and in front blocking my swift and painless exit, stage left. > > > > I thought for a minute about going back and shouting, "Hey, I'll let you > > see > > my eyes for a second if you'll let me out of here" but what I did was > back > > and forth, back and forth, back and forth, about 25 times till I slowly > > eased my car out of there, feeling somewhat foolish and silly, but at the > > same time relieved to be leaving and kinda amused. > > > > Since it was taking me so long, I decided to milk the situation. I > > couldn't > > screech out with tires spinning? Fine. I inched along, slowly and > > carefully. Somewhat in keeping with the mood of the whole meeting with > its > > long, meaningful silences and reverential stillness. > > > > The structure of the circle was such that we had to pass in front of the > > grouped chairs, which was very near that end of the circle and thus as we > > passed, not more than 10 feet from Justin's back. And I drove very, > > slowly. > > As we passed, not a single eye glanced at us for even a moment. Not a > > single head swiveled to notice that a car was driving away, virtually > > through the very middle of their worship service. All eyes stayed glued > in > > rapturous attention upon the fearless leader. Even my friend JD dared > not > > look other than where he was "told" to look. > > > > Lu and I laughed our asses off once we were clear. I told her "Just > > inanity. Get it? They worship Justin like Christians worship Christ, > > they're a cult of Justinanity" > > > > I offered my definition to JD next time I saw him. He didn't like my > term > > and I asked him if anything had been commented about our departure and he > > said not really, just that some people are too afraid to venture from > their > > shell. > > > > He keeps inviting me back. He says I should give it another chance. I > > always laugh. > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
