Abigail Washburn Rocks

October 09, 2008

What a treat! I got to see Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet with me super-cool friend, Nancy, a couple weeks ago. Washburn is a banjo-playin'goddess extraordinaire, and if you happen to be familiar with Bela Fleck, well... he's just the cat's meow when it comes to playing anything on banjo, including jazz and classical. The evening's music was nothing short of masterful, and being introduced to the music of the cellist (ben sollee) and violinist (casey driessen), was an enormous treat.

What makes Abigail so unique is her blend of American and Chinese folk music. She lived in Bejing and was going to study law there, but kind of fell into becoming a full-time musician. Fluent in Chinese, she spoke to the audience in Mandarin and sang songs from a variety of provinces. This group is so enormously creative... I was blown away by the risk-taking in their compositions. She plays a special clawhammer style, which I really want to learn to do myself, and the voice! The voice of this woman is so authentic, and at times haunting. I can't begin to say enough nice things about the concert, the evening... the whole experience. It was a welcome rest from the political hash we've all been immersed in and we both walked out ooing, ahhing and laughing with each other.

Posted by vincent at 09:01 PM | Please share your heart's comments (2)

Roots Exposed

October 08, 2008

susan_preston_rootsExposed.jpg

Roots Exposed ~ Canon 30d

When you hear 'Repent for your past,' realize it's a great religious distraction from waking up. Wake up! That's what repent means. Not 'weep for your sins.' Wake up! Stop all the crying. Understand! Wake up!

~ Anthony De Mello, 1931-1987 (Jesuit Priest & Author)


I love this quote because it's just so fresh and void of condemnation. Anthony De Mello may not agree with me on the definition of "wake up" and all its nuanced meanings, but I do think we'd agree that seeing ourselves as we are in this moment without identifying with what we see is a good thing. By not identifying, I mean not taking it personally when we open our hearts to what is – not judging the Self as "bad" or "not good enough" – these negative identifiers motivate us to run and hide from our personal truth. Maybe you've done some selfish things. Maybe you've been kind of greedy – the mistake we all tend to make is coming to the conclusion: I AM GREEDY, or: I AM STUPID, instead of the gentler and more realistic, "I did a few not so smart things." As long as we judge ourselves and grasp onto the story our judging creates, the less inclined we are to see ourselves through the eyes of compassion, take steps toward constructive change, or "repent," as Anthony De Mello puts it.

I think I'll run with definition 2b for "repent" from the online Merriam-Webster dictionary: to change one's mind. All it takes to get right with the world, simply put, is "Right Thinking". Interestingly enough, Buddha's term for it was Right Mindfulness – same thing. Definition 2b implies choice, personal power and responsibility. Actions follow thought, so change the way you think.

Change the way you think is a radical assertion – if thoughts are changeable, then thinking can be inaccurate, so stop buying into every self-sabotaging idea that blips off of the mental computer chip, which is at the mercy of a lifetime of conditioning, desires, and emotional impulses. Grasping hold of thoughts is like holding onto the tail of a wild tiger or hugging the wind.

The kicker is, it's impossible to change what we refuse to see, and societies have just as hard a time fessing up to their shadows as individuals do. As long as the sharp edges – the motivations behind the low self-esteem compelling us to be consumers instead of creators is unacknowledged – living, real living, can't begin.

But make no mistake, changing one's mind is rarely an overnight sensational thing. This kind of think-repenting takes practice and changing life-long thought patterns is a gradual process... not to mention turning our collective ego-driven desire for enormous houses and over-consumerism. The mind of this country, and the hearts of the individuals within it will need to wake up from a decades-long slumber to the reality which has always been there in the clear light of awareness, but which we've refused to face.

We've brought this upon ourselves. It doesn't mean we're evil or despicable. No... our humanity, our vulnerability... our fear and disconnection from nature and those things that matter the most has caused this mindless and reckless behavior. May these heavy burdens begin calling us take a long hard look at these bitter roots and inspire us to repent – there is no time to waste.


Image: The roots of an uprooted tree here in DC. Perfect symbolism.

Posted by vincent at 01:32 PM | Please share your heart's comments (2)

That Constitution Thingy – VP Debate Recap

October 06, 2008

Awww shucks, I just can't give it a rest because golly gee whiz, it's just too doggone important for us folky folks not to check the facty facts.

*winky-wink-wink*


Thanks to Mark for sending the linky-link.

Posted by vincent at 05:20 PM | Please share your heart's comments (1)

Crazy.

October 01, 2008

mikemoore.jpg

My dear friend, Nancy forwarded this article on the bailout by Michael Moore. No matter which side of the fence you stand on, it's the only "plan" I've read that makes any sense. Click here.

Also of note, I received the following article excerpts from my friend Rob:


By Brendan Murray, Bloomberg, Oct 1
Read full story here.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the $700 billion bank-rescue proposal under negotiation in Washington is crazy, with potentially awful consequences for the world's largest economy.

"Doesn't this seem like lunacy to you?" said O'Neill, who was President George W. Bush's first Treasury chief, from 2001 to 2002, in a telephone interview today. "The consequences of it are unbelievably bad in terms of public intrusion into the private sector."

O'Neill's objections mirror those of Republicans in the House of Representatives who rejected the plan in a Sept. 29 vote. The former Treasury chief said he's lobbying for an alternative solution that would offer guarantees for troubled assets, stopping short of purchasing the debt.

"Is anybody thinking there?" asked O'Neill, who also served as deputy budget director in the Ford administration. "It's too late, it's not going to make any difference and it's aggravating as hell when there's a better idea and you can't even get it in play," he said, recognizing little success so far in pitching his own proposal.

"None of them are returning phone calls," O'Neill said. "I honestly don't think they really understand it and they're so much in a bubble that it's impossible to penetrate it."

Meanwhile, the Senate is set to vote tonight on a modified version of the $700 billion rescue plan the House rejected two days ago. The House may vote again Oct. 3.

"If they pass this thing, it's awful what the consequences are going to be in terms of an ongoing federal relationship that doesn't need to exist with the institutions," O'Neill said. "Are we going to insist on having a federal representative on boards of directors to protect our investment?"

The main component of the legislation now under consideration is giving the Treasury secretary authority to purchase distressed mortgage-related assets with an amount of money equivalent to about half of Canada's annual gross domestic product.

"We have no capacity in the federal government and it's not possible to create a capacity to manage a $700 billion property portfolio," said O'Neill, who was chairman of Alcoa Inc., the largest U.S. aluminum producer, from 1987 to 2000. "It's crazy. It's like we've lost our moorings."

Ummm, when a former Secretary of the Treasury can't get his phone calls returned by Senators who are facing the worst financial crisis in recent history, it's worth raising an eyebrow... no two.

It's amazing to me that politicians are standing in front of cameras saying they're doing this for Americans on "Main Street," especially without considering alternative options. I know one thing for sure, we're in for a not so comfortable ride in this country, and politicians will opt to do "something" because doing nothing is deadly for them, especially just before an election. Hello! It's CREDIT that got us in this mess, and they're trying to increase CREDIT. You don't put out a fire with more fire. I don't have a problem with freeing up credit for small businesses, but I've heard a number of politicians say we need to get Americans buying cars again! That's what got us in this mess, people! The dire warnings on the part of the Bush administration leave me suspicious. Bush's and his sidekicks didn't do anything as the storm clouds were rolling in – why the heck would anyone believe them? They did zero to minimize the impact of this – why would we trust them with a plan to get us out of it?

If my Buddhist practice has taught me anything, it's to refrain from the Blame Game. We're all a part of this greedy mess, and dipping into fear and accusation prevents wiser solutions from bubbling to the surface. If we refrain from succumbing to financial Shock and Awe, maybe we'd find a safer landing for the 747 that's on fire we're all flying in.

And, for anyone out there who thinks I'm blindly following Obama – I'm dismayed he voted for this bill... very dismayed.

For more on the power of shock politics, you might want to watch the following Democracy Now interview with Naomi Klein... it's pretty interesting.

This interview aired just last week.

... and part 2:


Posted by vincent at 10:44 PM | Please share your heart's comments (2)

Yes We Can

September 27, 2008

Thanks to Lisa at Earthfin Studios for sending this along to me. I was at a concert last night instead of watching the debates. I must say, Abigail Washburn beat out politics hands down – first time I've heard Elanor Rigby played on banjo, wow! The band quipped they had seriously considered "suspending" their concerts until the financial crisis had been solved, to which the audience busted out laughing. It was a much needed break, and a holiday for my heart.

Posted by vincent at 03:33 PM | Please share your heart's comments (3)

Sometimes it's Hard to Believe

September 25, 2008

I found this lovely song over at Jen Lemen's blog. I'm new to Jonatha Brooke's music, but since hearing this song, the hope and inspiration in her voice have kept drawing me back to listen... sort of like a prayer, come to think of it.

There is faith, trust and pixie dust, but clinging to them at the expense of seeing the blemishes of our system is a perilous thing, don't you think? I'm struggling and growing with this notion that being a compassionate and spiritual person doesn't dissuade me from seeing the uncomfortable mess, it invites me to take an undefended look at it, see it for what it is and remain present and compassionate in the midst of it. It feels like an advanced meditation practice these past weeks, trying to be a responsible citizen by reading articles, posting here and contacting my "shadow" congresswoman. (I live in DC, don't get me started.)

I'll fess up, I've gotten consumed by the apparent peril of the moment... become identified with the anxiety that sprouted in my stomach a day or so ago. But you know what? It's a miracle I can look at all of this and not run away from it and pause to find the miracle of life in this perplexing moment.

The "world" is vaster than our limited human existence. We think we run the show, especially in this country, but I question that line of thinking. I hope I can allow this to sink deep in my heart so it's not just my spiritualized intellect talking. The entire country might go off course, and we might make a dire decision in the upcoming election, but as long as I have love in my heart, family and friends whom I adore and adore me, who or what can "touch" me? We all have lights within us and nothing can prevent them from shining... it's our decision.

We only see a sliver – only in part – what forces are at place here. Please, join me for a moment of contemplation, remembering how many times you and I have thought our present circumstances were monumentally bad, but time revealed the discomfort, chaos, and pain ultimately led to good. Maybe our system is so messed up, it needs to fail to return to some semblance of order. Maybe a miracle will occur. All I know is miracles require truth and time and sometimes, quite a bit of faith and testing.

Sometimes, it's hard believe, but that's what faith is all about – not getting swept up the stories and remaining true to our connection to Spirit.

Drop by Jen and Jonatha's site if your spirit is in need of some realignment. And, if you've not been to Superhero, hop over there too.

Posted by vincent at 06:02 PM | Please share your heart's comments (3)

Why?


Watch CBS Videos Online

Why would anyone think this woman is ready to lead us at any time in history, let alone through the worst financial crisis since the depression and 2 wars? There's no doubt in my mind why they've been shielding her from the press. This is a question she should have been prepared for. Truly, this is frightening.

Posted by vincent at 05:13 PM | Please share your heart's comments (2)

You Go Girl

September 24, 2008

Campbell Brown comments on sexism in the McCain campaign. Interesting.

Posted by vincent at 10:36 PM | Please share your heart's comments (2)

Weaponry

September 23, 2008

susan_preston_rosehand.jpg

Conquer the angry man with love.
Conquer the ill-natured man with goodness.
Conquer the miser with generosity.
Conquer the liar with truth.

~ Buddha


There's a symbolic dagger in Tibetan Buddhism. Three scary-looking figures appear on the handle representing charity, chastity and patience. Although these may seem a strange form of weaponry, these powerful creatures are always within our grasp to help us through adversity.

Imagine living in a world that honored such brave and selfless concepts. Imagine a stock market, government, and financial system that honored these precepts. Be careful... speaking the truth out loud might upset some people... it's too contrary to the current stream of thinking, but that change and is changing as more of us become Truthmongers and Peaceseekers, please.

Posted by vincent at 07:17 PM | Please share your heart's comments (1)

You're the One

September 22, 2008

The present moment has a way of conditioning the quality of our future moments. So take care of this moment by paying attention and if there's something that could change for the better, have some faith and step out and do something. You are the one you've been waiting for.

Got this from a Joan Borysenko email today... nice message.

Posted by vincent at 08:37 PM | Please share your heart's comments (1)

Categories

Most Recent

Monthly Archive

Syndicate this site (XML)

Powered by
Movable Type 3.11