Writing and Editing

I have recently going through my books, getting ready to give a bunch away. I am finding that many writers of fiction are in need of a ruthless editor.

An editor should prevent a writer from falling in love with his own writing. We all do it, getting hung up on the beautiful images and profound messages we write. The problem is, the imagery is, usually, only effective if it doesn't interfere with the story. Otherwise, it rapidly grows tiresome and distracting. Messages should be apparent from the story line and character development. If you have to explicitly spell out a story's message, your story has failed.

There are exceptions, although I know of no one among current writers that I would include on my very short list. Faulkner,  Melville, Lowry, Kesey, Dickens, Kerouac. Guys like this were brilliant and, they had the advantage of writing for a very literate audience. Today, their style of writing would not be popular and, to be blunt, most readers would not understand what was being written.

When it comes to non fiction, be it book, blog, news story, or instruction manual, editors must be in short supply. Spelling and grammar mistakes are common, and when faced with the option of using a few, well-chosen words or long rambling, barely comprehensible presentation, most choose the latter.

As a rule, unless you are a literary genius, keep things simple.

Happy New Year

Frankenstein

I recently reread Mary Shelly's classic novella, Frankenstein, and was deeply shaken. The book is nothing like the movies. They were great fun, but lacked the depth of the book By the way,  the scientist is Frankenstein. His creation is simply called the Monster.

And, in an odd way, he is not so monstrous. He is a huge, immensely powerful being and, unlike Boris Karloff's movie creature, is very intelligent and becomes far more articulate than most men. He is. however, hideous in appearance. For this reason, he is shunned by humans. He is, at heart, a reasonable and gentle being, living on acorns and berries. But, he is possessed, when treated unfairly, as he generally is, by horrific rages and terrible violence.

The real monster is his creator, Victor Frankenstein is a genius who is far too enamored of his own brilliance. He creates this creature and immediately, out of fear and loathing, abandons him to a world the poor thing in no way comprehends. As time goes by, and the monster learns the ways of men, his rage at his creator grows. I'll tell no more of the tale. You really should read the story yourself.

I find the story disturbing for 2 reasons. First, our modern scientists and industrialists all have a belief in what is called trans humanism. Basically, they seek immortality through the merger of human and machine. To do this, they must know how to build a truly high function robot, conscious and self aware, a metallic version of what Frankenstein created. This is not in the least a good idea and, if they are successful, they will regret it. Fortunately, as of this moment, the robots made are about as intelligent as an especially stupid house fly. Still, the efforts continue. They wish, as Victor Frankenstein did, to be God, They are not.

That brings me to my second disturbing point. The relationship of Frankenstein and his creation is similar to the way some, I suspect many, view our human relation to God. As a result, a lot of people are really, if they were honest, are very angry toward their Creator. This is behind many atheists, and some religions. Gnosticism, in many of its permutations, posits an evil and/or stupidly incompetent Demi-urge, the creator, not of all Creation, but of the physical universe. This stems from a very poor and limited view of life and its Creator, but it is an understandable misconception, and I fully believe that this is the metaphysical root of the stunning violence in the World. However, this is not the time and place for an introductory lesson on Gnosticism.

All such side issues, while interesting, do not justify the novella unless it is a good, well told story. It is. Shelly tells a fine tale, and I urge you to read it. It  any trigger some thought in you and even if it doesn't, it is an entertaining read.

A Christmas Carol

Tis the season for some Dickens. A Christmas without his A Christmas Carol would seem lacking to me. It was my Dad's favorite and it was part of our Holiday when I was growing up.

It is a fine book. Short and very readable, it is funny and dramatic and a bit scary. Yes, it is also corny and sentimental, but that is a big part of traditional Christmases.

There have been many film versions of the story and all are worthy, but the best is the 1951 version starring Alastair Sims. He was a comedian and plays Scrooge with a certain humor that I believe Dickens would have loved.

This is my only post this week on this site, so until next week, Merry Christmas, and as Tiny Tim said, "God Bless us, one and all."

Christmas Carols

I hope you live somewhere that has some kind of group that will be doing Christmas carols. Hearing live caroling is one of the Holiday's great joys. Whether it be a group of kids, going door to door (is that still done? if not, it should be) or a Church choir or some community group, Hearing carols sung is the best way to put the Season's joy in your heart.

If nothing else, why not sing them around your house. Have the family join in or treat them to a solo performance. Can't sing? Who cares? It is the thought and joy that counts.

Listen to them on the radio on CD or even on TV shows. Why not? The Season only comes once a year.

Gathering and singing is one of mankind's oldest and loveliest pastimes, as old, if not even older, than story telling and the Christmas season gives us all a chance to relive this ancient tradition.

Not religious? Why let that stop you? There are countless secular Christmas songs and it is really that feeling of specialness that makes the season glow.

Christmas is more than shopping. I know, every year people say that. Try actually living that truth and you will have a more fulfilling and joyous season. Merry Christmas

Heroes

The days of heroes, human, not sandwiches, have passed. As an adult, that's fine, but for kids, it's a shame.

As you grow, hopefully, you come to accept the frailties and flaws of your fellow men and women. Children are not aware enough to cope with the various shades of gray. I, for a few episodes, watched the TV show Gotham. It wasn't too badly done, but to call it morally ambivalent would be a huge understatement. It is a view of Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a young man, and it places his adolescence in a nightmare world.

In days past, Batman was a heroic character, a righter of wrongs. He existed in a black and white, dualistic world, almost Manichean.. He was right, the criminals were wrong and he had a lot of really cool gadgets. He has been transformed into a near psychopath, determined to recreate the world in the image he holds in his severely twisted mind. Interesting for adults, disturbing for kids, and yet that show is broadcast at 8 PM, prime time, the family hour.

All throughout TV, heroes are at best semi-heroic. Same with movies. As an adult, I can and often do, appreciate that, but it seems that children cannot benefit from such a nuanced portrayal.

This does not mean that kids can only relate to Barney the Dinosaur, but they would be well served by entertainment that had actual heroes. Such humans can, of course, have flaws, but showing heroes who are almost as psychically warped as the villains, cannot be a good thing.

Humans walk a fine line between  good and evil. Most of us, by far, lean to the good, but it is sometimes a razor's edge that we travel on. It's hard enough for adults. Let kids be kids. Give them at least some clear cut pictures of good. They will slowly learn the subtleties of human life,, so let them be young for awhile. Too much moral ambiguity is not a healthy thing for a kid.

Musicals

When I was a young lad, too many years ago to count, Musicals were looked on askance by manly young men. There was just something distasteful about them.

After all, how often, in real life, do folks, walking in the streets or at their jobs, suddenly break into song and highly choreographed dances. That actually would be fun, but it rarely happens.

As I got older, I still did not like most Musicals, but there have been a few, and if you get a chance to see their film versions, or better still, a live production, rake advantage. The better ones are wonderful.

Recommended ones include, The West Side Story, Sound of Music, Camelot, The Man of La Mancha, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and Damn Yankees.

The two best are:

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This Musical movie is delightful. It manages to be darly, very darkly funny, and touchingly sweet at the same time and the recently deceased Gene Wilder is amazing.

Second, Cabaret. Based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Diaries, this tale of a very odd romantic triangle. present a picture of Germany in the 1920s, as The Weimar Republic was fading and the Nazi Party was just beginning to rear its hideous head. The movie very clearly shows the decadence that had become the cultural norm at that time and place. I look around at America's current culture and see striking similarities and urge you to watch this film. History can, and usually does, repeat itself. 

The Art of Conversation

Here, in the USA, we just elected a President who once wrote (well, had ghost written) a book titled The Art of the Deal. Well, human interactions should not, must not, be reduced to economic shell games. I am proposing that we revive one of the most pleasant of human pastimes, conversation.
From the oldest days of human history, conversation has been our primary form of entertainment.


Now, here in America, I see that we have lost the ability to talk with each other. I have been told that such is not the case in other countries. I have no first hand knowledge of that, never having had the chance to travel abroad, but if this is true, you are to be congradulated. Here, between computer games, TV, and texting, talk between people has become a series of short sound bites. I worked in a restaurant for a while and saw families come in  for a nice dinner, only to see phones come out of pockets. Children started twitching their fingers in a frenzy of texting and grown ups were immediately blue tooth connected and talking business, or internet connected and checking news and stock quotes. This was not an isolated occurrence; it was the norm.

It would be a fine idea to change this, return to that simple and disappearing act of conversing. Turn off the TV, shut down the gaming, cut yourself off from the internet, for at least an hour or two and just sit and talk. That's all. Let the talk drift where it wants. Let it be serious or light or a mix of both. Let it be topic oriented or simple, silly, stupid babbling. Just talk. You will learn, or relearn that conversation is a wonderful, entertaining way to pass the time. Humans can be a lot more fun than flickering pixels and sound bites.

TV Live Human Cartoons

Occasionally, when bored and nothing else is on, I watch Burn Notice and NCIS LA. Both are exceptionally stupid shows if you try to take them seriously. I do not believe that you can go about shooting countless people on the streets of LA without being called to task by the local police. True, the LA PD has a less than spotless reputation, but even they won't tolerate countless, public, multiple homicides, even by government agents.

I grew up in S. Florida, and while I have no admiration for the Miami PD, I know that they would not tolerate that antics presented in Burn Notice. For sure, in the 80s, the days of the Cocaine Cowboys, the streets were often littered with bodies, but the Burn Notice gang seems intent on blowing up huge chunks of Miami, and that is, even there, a no-no.

So, both these shows, if watched seriously, are inane, however they are entertaining if viewed as nothing more than cartoons with real human actors. After all, in cartoons and comic books, action heroes can do anything with no consequences. The only problem is that some of our less balanced citizens take the whole thing seriously.

On the whole, both are pretty enjoyable action cartoons. NCIS LA has an added bonus, the background music. Normally, I am not much aware of that, but NCIS LA has its music dome by Jay Ferguson, who back in the 60s was lead singer for an incredibly good and incredibly underrated band, Spirit. He does a fine job on the show's music.

Holiday Entertaining

This is the season for parties. There are a few things to keep in mind.

Know your crowd. Are they all of a certain religious belief, are they varied,  or do they celebrate the holidays as secularists. If all are devoutly Christian, things are easy, since, Christmas is obviously a Christian holiday. If Jewish folks are invited, you may want to tone down the Christian vibe,
If most are secular, the same holds although most folks are tolerant of some acknowledgement of the religious heritage behind the Holiday. I really am none too sure what to do of guests are Moslem or celebrants of Kwanza. If anyone can tell me, please leave a comment.

As far as drinks, if you serve alcohol, make sire you have some non alcoholic options, for non drinkers and designated drivers. Also, realize that some folks have problems with drink. No one should tell such a person, 'oh, one won't hurt.' Respect their resolve to abstain.

When it comes to food, again, have options. Some don't eat meat, so you want to have at least one tasty, hearty option. Same with sweet; some cannot eat them. Never encourage people to overeat; some have diets they need to stick to.

Of presents are to be exchanged, make sure everyone knows the ground rules, such as price limits. You do not want anyone embarrassed.

Your holiday gatherings can be a memorable joy or an equally memorable nightmare. A little planning reduces the chance of the latter.

Dickens

I have recently been reading Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. When I was in high school, we read a bit of Dickens and I hated it. I had an English teacher who was so boring and so obsessed with picking everything we had to read to pieces, that she almost killed my love of reading, and did ruin Dickens for me, for a long time.

Years later, for reasons that I don't recall, I decided to read Bleak House, and quickly discovered the way Dickens should be read. Most of his novels were first published in monthly installments in a magazine he published. People waited eagerly each month to get the next installment and find out what was happening to their favorite characters. When I learned that, I realized that Dickens was writing a print version of soap operas.

Once I realized that his novels were nothing but an early version of the soaps, I became fascinated with them. This is no knock on Dickens. The plots are great, the characters interesting and the writing was superb. He also had quite a few important observations about life in his times.

More and more, as I grow older and, hopefully, a little wiser, I realize how much teachers kill literature for their students with over analysis. In college, I had one professor who taught literature who could make that sort of analysis interesting, but most, especially in high school, do not have that talent and listening to them drone on and on is a sure way to turn kids off to reading for a long time. That is a shame because there are great stories that they are missing.

If your high school teacher made literature as boring as a watching your lawn grow, go back and try some of the old books. You will have to adjust a bit because the style of writing is different from modern writing, but, be patient, and when you catch the rhythm, you might find that you love the stories.

Thanksgiving

I have always believed that Thanksgiving should be a day dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. Of course, we should all take the time to express thanks for all that we have and those we love, but I can think of no better way to express that than by relaxing and enjoying the day.

From morning wake up until the last sip of eggnog and last nibble of pie, simple enjoyment should be your day's motto. Eat whatever and however much you want (unless, of course, you have some medical restriction). If you want to veg out and watch football, great. Want to play touch football, great. Shopping, movies, games, reading, whatever you want is just fine. Remember though, everyone you are around has the same right to pursue their own particular pleasure. You do not have to spend every waking moment of the holiday together, although if you both want that, do that.

There is some work involved. Help with what you can. Realize that whoever is doing the food prep also wants to relax, so do not insist that they create some fantastically complex dish that requires 4v hours and a culinary degree. Simple and easy should be the key words.


In short, have fun. Happy Thanksgiving.

Dracula

I like horror stories. It is hard to make a good horror movie because, no matter how good the effects are, they look like effects, and that makes it difficult to suspend disbelief. In print, it is much easier to let your mind roam free.

There are some fine horror stories: Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Poe's Fall of the House of Usher, Henry James' Turn of the Screw, Lovecraft's The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward, King's The Shining. But, there has been none better than Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The novel, posted in the 1890s, is written as a series of diary entries and letters, and they lead you slowly, allowing your mind a chance to turn off the overly critical logic we live with. Slowly, but relentlessly, it draws you into European society of the era, complete with the hyper-rational, scientific modernity that dominated.

At the same time, we are presented with more and more data that shows that there is something, a monster lurking, a remnant of older times. And, given the era the novel is set in, it is not surprising that there is a sexual element in the monster's activities.

One of the things I like about Dracula is its presentation of the monster, not as a drooling idiot, or a raving lunatic, but as a rational, sophisticated, highly intelligent being. Heartless, cruel, yet somehow charming, at least when the blood lust is not ruling him.

There have been countless retelling of the basic vampire story throughout the near century and a quarter that has passed since Stoker wrote Dracula. Some have been pretty good, most have not. The movies have been pretty good but none, with the exception of Francis Ford Coppola's attempt (which was fairly good and fairly faithful) have come close to following the original plot line.

Dracula's prose style may put readers off as it is far more ornate than say, Stephen King's, but you get used to it quickly, and, in fact, such a style is crucial to the story of such a creature. The different style is why Stoker's Dracula is a far more effective tale of horror than King's 'Salem's Lot ( an entertaining story but not in Stoker's league. Dracula is a great novel to curl up with on a rainy evening. Just, leave the lights on and remember; a vampire cannot enter your house unless you give the monster permission.

TV - What Happened?

I seem to be in a complaining mood these days, so let me get this out. What has happened to TV?

Now, TV is not a really big thing in my life, but, like most people, I enjoy watching good programming. The thing is, I cannot find much. The networks put out a few silly comedies and, a few dramatic shows. The dramatic shows are mostly of the continuing series sort. I do not want to get wrapped up in them because I cannot always tune in. I the past, shows were stand alone episodes mostly, but, no more. In addition, many of the dramas are idiotic superhero programs or even more inane crime dramas.

Much of the other programming is the most inane of all, reality shows. They have nothing to do with reality. In fact they are just cheap programming. The producers get away without paying actors and writers.

There is sports programming and I watch some, but stop and think, A football game has a one hour time limit; that is the rule. In days gone by, A game took, with time outs and stopped clocks, about 2 to 2 and !/2 hours. Now, with pregame and long half times a game takes 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours. In that time, you are actually seeing only a very few minutes of action. Same with baseball. I have seen games that were played in less than two hours. That was in the days when pitchers threw strikes and were expected to go 9 innings; relief pitching was minimal. Not long a go, I put on a game that had been on over 2 hours and they were only in the 4th inning. I turned it off.

Cable channels are the worst. They seem to only own a few bits of old programming and a few movies, and run them repeatedly.

I suppose that if crumby TV is my biggest problem in life I am very blessed. Still, it would be nice to be able to sit back and watch something worthwhile. Oh well, that's why I read so much, and I gyess that's better.

Two More Artists Gone

I was greatly saddened over the last few days to learn that 2 fine artists have passed away, Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell. I, long ago, came to grips with the issue of mortality, so, I am not saddened because it brings to mind my own mortality. I am sad because these were 2 fine, original minds, and we have too few of those left.

Cohen was, at heart, a poet, who took up song writing and became one of the best. Dylan, deservedly, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, but you could make an equally valid case for Cohen. Dylan was different. He wrote in a funkier, folk-country-blues style, and, mostly, kept his lyrics grounded in those forms (excepting his surreal period of Gates of Eden, etc.). Cohen wrote on a more literate level, but he never was overly academic, nor did he talk down to his audience. He never wore the mantle of poet. He simply wrote songs that dealt with human life. His works were erotic, sad,  funny and, often,  brutally honest.

Leon Russell was a completely different sort of artist. He spent years as a studio musician playing in records by people as divers as Sonny& Cher, The Beachboys, and The Byrds. Without Russell and a group of other studio musicians known sometimes as the Wrecking Crew and sometimes as the Oklahoma Mafia, many of the era's great pop and rock albums would not have been made. He then organized a tour with Joe Cocker,, the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour. Ultimately, he took over the tour when Cocker started showing up too drunk to perform. He then went on to a great solo career. He was gifted song writer, good guitar player and a great pianist, who played rock, pop and country. His voice was unique, and, admittedly took a little getting used to, but it was wonderfully expressive.

I hear little in todays pop, rock, and country that has any sort of originality. That's being kind. In truth, most of it is watery, insipid slush. Is there no one out there with a true original musical thought? Or is it just that those running the music business just refuse to hear anything that does not fit the accepted modes? Either way, the loss of 2 such original and talented artists is a sad thing.

What Are You People Thinking?

Today, I am going to act like a grumpy old man, but I have to get this off my chest. I have written about my dislike of rap, hip hop, whatever you want to call it. I have, since the first time I heard it, considered it a childish attempt to make music by people with no musical talent. I go out of my way to avoid hearing it.

Recently, while watching a little campaign coverage, I caught a bit of Jay-Z's act at a  Clinton event. It was despicable. It was loud, droning electronic squealing, backed by simple minded percussion, and interspersed with strings of idiotic profanity.

I don't mind loud. I grew up with Hendrix and Cream and Zeppelin. I do object to loud with no point. I do mind simple percussion, but I can overlook that. I do not mind profanity in its place. I read many authors who use a lot of it and, on occasion, have let fly myself with a string that would shame a drunken sailor (apologies to all drunken sailors). I do mind mindless repetition of nothing else? Don't people even remember how to use words anymore? Is this what we are reduced to?  

These idiots are not musicians and they are not artists. At best they are con men who have figured out a formula for getting rich off of the publics ignorance. At worst, they are vicious thugs who are spewing their hatred for everything and getting rich off the bile they vomit up. Hearing that nonsense made me feel like I was being assaulted, and in fact, that may be the point, to make the Audience feel afraid and edgy. It is complete crap and anyone who listens has some serious mental issues.

Board Games

Way  back in the age of the dinosaurs, before, computers and video games, folks often entertained themselves by playing board games. They were all fairly simple and required no great strategy and, as such, were suitable for the whole family. Instead of crowding around the TV or the computer, families, friends, and groups of kids, played board games.

Checkers, Parcheesi. Rook, Risk, Chinese Checkers, Monopoly, The Game of Life, were a few popular games. You could spend hours playing them and they were a great way to pass an evening or a rainy afternoon.

They basically all had the same goal. You moved pieces toward a goal and your opponent tried to block them, and, of course, they moved and you blocked. Moves were set by spinning a wheel, throwing dice, or hopping over pieces in a set manner.

True, you had no flashing lights or electronic squeals, but, you had the pleasure of passing the time with fellow humans. I find that more satisfying.

I saw on Antique Roadshow that some of these games, in mint condition, are very collectible and have some value. But, the real value is in the playing. I do know that one game is still played by very powerful people. The folks running various nations seem to be constantly playing Risk, only they play with real lives. Maybe they should all sit down with the board game and decide things that way.

Dylan's Recent Works

After  his 2 great acoustic albums, Dylan seemed to hit a new level in his songwriting and performing. Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, Modern Times, and Tempest are all excellent.

In these albums Dylan's voice is perfect. These are songs of a man who is getting old, his voice is lived in, worn to a nice comfortable growl. And, while he may be old, he is not ready to act that way, at least not all the time. He is looking at the World and his relation to it in about as honest a way possible. The songs are spiritual without preachiness, serious without morbidity, and, often laced with an almost tender humor.

Dylan has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. This surprised me to no end, but, the more I think of it, no one deserves it more. Taken as a body, his songs, with their exquisite lyrics, are the story of an age. I loathe the term 'baby boomers,' but I will use it as a generational label this once. Through our adolescence in the 60s, to our clinging to survival in the 70 and 80s, to our, at last coming to some level of maturity in the 90s and early 2000s, to now, dealing with aging and mortality, Dylan has been there, chronicling the whole mess. He has been honest, funny, bitter, sweet and, at times downright weird. In other words, just like all of us. He deserves the honor.

Dylan - Back to the Roots

In the 90s, Dylan did 2 albums of traditional music. He did this, in part, just to complete contractual obligations, but they turned out to be much more than that.

Good As I Been To You and World Gone Wrong are just Dylan, voice and guitar, doing a selection  of traditional songs. Mostly, they are blues, old songs by Blind Willie McTell, The Mississippi Sheiks, and some so old, like Delia, that they are just marked 'traditional.' His voice is ragged and so is the guitar playing and that is perfect for these tunes. The musicians who first did these were rough and largely untrained, but they had feeling and knew how to play their music. To play these songs with polish would just undermine their meaning. It would be like rewriting Huckleberry Finn with the grammar corrected.

At this point in his career, Dylan had turned out some fairly lackluster albums. O Mercy was good, the rest, just so so. For another artist, they may have been thought exceptional, but much more was expected of Dylan. That is not at all fair, but that was just the way things were.

It was almost like he had to dig back into his roots to find his voice. The three albums he did after these were very good and I will write about them in the next post  I urge you to listen to these two fine albums of acoustic songs. My favorites are the traditional ballad, Jack-a-roe and a song my Grandfather sang to us kids when we were little, Froggy Went-a-Coutrin'.

Blood on the Tracks

After John Wesley Harding, I kind of lost interest in what Dylan was doing. He put out a few albums which were not too bad, but I expected more. Then I got it.  Blood on the Tracks. I was talking to a friend on the phone and he told me how good it was. The next day, I was in a store, the album was on sale, so I took it home.

When I got home, I poured a glass of wine, put something tasty in a pipe, and settled back to listen, When I heard the opening lyrics of Tangled Up In Blue, I though, wow, it's story time, put up my feet and settled in. I'm a sucker for stories.

Tangled Up In Blue sets the tone. It is a fine story of love lost, and love, possibly regained, set against the atmosphere of the era. Your a Big Girl Now is a song to a lost lover, who the singer realizes has come into her own; a sort of bitter sweet congratulation. If You See Her Say Hello has a similar theme and one of the prettiest guitar backings you will ever hear.

Meet Me In The Morning is an odd song, just as the title suggests, it is an invitation to a get together, in which the singer seems hopeful, but not too sure and, not really all that concerned about the affair. Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome is one of my favorite songs ever. It is a break up song, but the singer, while not wanting to separate, realizes that it is inevitable and refuses to be sad. Instead he chooses to celebrate the time he and the woman were together and the fact that he will have fond memories, He also accepts at least some of the responsibility for the break up. It is a joyful song and a truly mature response to the end of a love affair.

In Shelter From the Storm, the singer finds at least temporary refuge from the travails of his life.

Idiot Wind is a brutal attack on modern society in which the singer spares no one, including himself. Buckets od Rain, has a similar theme, without the vitriol. It is a gentle, almost whimsical song. The singer seems to be using his view of life's woes ("life is sad, life is a bust") as a seduction technique.

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts is a western tale, In fact, it very closely follow the story line in Marlon Brando's fine Western, One--eyed Jacks. The song moves at breakneck speed, Dylan is obviously having a great time telling the story, and it is very funny. People too often forget how very funny Dylan is at times.

That leaves one of my favorite song ever, by anyone, Simple Twist of Fate. Dylan tells a tale of a one night stand, and the pain of the man who wanted more from the night. The song is beautifully played and the vocal is perfect, heartbreakingly sad, the lyrics are honest, but it is an honesty that longs for a more romantic World. The song is about as good as anything Dylan has ever done. It is a song for grown ups, but the grown up remembers the hope of romantic youth. Things just don't work that way, but it would be nice if they did. I cannot tell you how much I love this song.

No one but Dylan could have written this album. He is at the top of his game as a writer and performer here, and it would be a while before he again reached that level. Next post, I will write about his later high point.    

John Wesley Harding

Dylan's John Wesley Harding was an absolute masterpiece and one of the most surprising albums I have ever heard. In the era when music was becoming more and more bizarre, more and more 'psychedelic,' This was an album of absolute simplicity, on the surface.

Musically, it was about as stripped down as you can get. Drums, bass, acoustic guitar and harmonica, that was all of the instrumentation and the forms were simple folk/country/blues. The playing was excellent and the simplicity was a welcome retreat from howling guitars and screaming singers. Dylan's voice was, well, Dylan's voice. Either you love it or can't stand it. Personally, I think it  is the perfect voice for what he sings.

On first listen, the lyrics almost seem simple, but, as you listen again, their strangeness comes through. John Wesley Harding is about an outlaw who is sort of a Robin Hood character. The real life outlaw, John  Wesley Hardin, was nothing of the sort. he was a violent thief and a killer. I think, and trying to figure meanings in a Dylan song is a daunting task, that the point of the song is how a man's reputation can be manipulated by how you tell his tale.

All Along The Watchtower is a kind of apocalyptic tale. Civilized man, in his fortress, sees the forces of Nature closing in. Dear  Landlord and I Pity the Poor Immigrant are moving songs about the plight of people just trying to get by. I am a Lonesome Hobo and Drifter's Escape are just what they seem, songs of a traveling man. Wicked Messenger is a scathing attack on the news media and their fascination with gossip and disaster.

To this day, I have no idea what As I Went Out One Morning is about. It is a rollicking tune and Dylan seems almost to be choking back laughter as he sings. I suspect it was never meant to have meaning and was intended as a goof on people who always search lyrics for symbolism and messages. In truth, I almost think the same can be said of I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine, a mournful tune that has little to do with Augustine.

But then you have The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, a long talking blues. Talking blues is a wonderful old form that is perfect for story telling. The story is weird, a gambler and a tempter act out a storyline that has been acted out by man countless times, a story of trust and betrayal and the always present risk of disaster when you don't use your head and when you believe gaudy lies instead of plain truth. It is a fantastic song, full of haunting imagery, a dream of deceit. The song tells of what happens when the chickens finally come home to roost.

The album closes with,  what seem at first to be throw away songs, Down Along the Cove and I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. They are simple little love songs, fun and light hearted. But, these songs are actually the whole point of the album. After all the strangeness, after all the temptations, the betrayals, the despair, publicity both good and bad, what comes through as real and of value is love and good times. The real and simple pleasures of life are the most important things in the World and all you can count on.

John Wesley Harding was a statement. In the face of all of the weirdness, the shoddy politics, the misplaced mysticism of the mid 60s, it was a condemnation of the direction the idiocy of what was
called the counterculture had taken and a reminder that when all is said and done, the old values work because they have stood the test of time. At the same time, there are reminders that there are problems that need to be addressed within those traditions. It is an album of joy tempered with warnings.
 

Bob Dylan and the Nobel Prize

Not much really shocks me anymore, but the announcement that Bob Dylan was the winner of this years Nobel Prize in Literature floored me. Not that he doesn't deserve it, he is a master wordsmith. I just never even thought of him in Nobel Prize terms. Dylan, of course, is being Dylan, and pretty much ignoring the Nobel Committee,

Dylan, in his autobiography Chronicles, makes it clear that he does not think of himself as a poet because his words don't read well on the written page, they need the rhythms of the music. He is correct. But, using words combined with music is an art form older than poetry. It is the form of the bards. The works of Homer were sung and in Celtic tradition, the bards were the true artists.

I want folks to think a moment about Dylan's work. I was not a huge fan of his early work, but in the mid 60s, he did three albums that perfectly captured the era. Bringing it All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and the epic Blonde on Blonde. There is none of the Beatle's flower child hippy crap, none of the Stone's science fiction Satanic Majesty's Request, none of the Door's over the top theatrics, just song after song honestly showing just what was going on.

Politics, existential doubt, drugs, alcohol, sex, business, and love are all dealt with. In these albums, there is devastating pain (Just Like A Woman0, sheer insane joy (Rainy Day Women), and plenty of raunchiness (Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat). There is humorous seduction (I Want You) and romantic longing (Visions of Joanna and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands).

There are two songs that show the World through the eyes of the era, the amphetamine-marijuana-alcohol-acid tinged era. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and Memphis Blues Again are the essence of the madness of the day. They are honest, displaying the sometimes pain of those days but also the bizarre unfettered joy that sometimes burst through.

And, there is nothing, nothing like the magnificent Like A Rolling Stone. It is perfect with its images of freedom and the cost of that freedom.

These are just highlights. All the songs are great: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue; Tambourine Man, Gates of Eden, Desolation Row, Highway 61 and more.

Very rarely does and artist so perfectly capture an era.  Dickens in his portraits of Victorian England, John Dos Pasos in his snapshots of New York, Joyce in writing of his native Ireland, Malcom Lowry in Under the Volcano's descriptions of pre-WW2 Mexico, and John Steinbeck's moving vision of the impoverished Okies in The Grapes of Wrath, all of these managed to show a no frills, no illusions view of the era and people they chose and they are all great writers. Dylan did the same with the mid 60s. No frills, no illusions are the keys to great art and they result in a wonderful blend of the sublime and the ridiculous, of the tragic and the very funny.

These are just three of Dylan' work, from one era. Next time I think I will write about one of the strangest albums ever recorded, his fine album John Wesley Harding.

Thank God for Books

I have not written for a while. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, we ere without power for a day and a half, without cable for 8 days, and without the internet for 10 days. Without books, I would have been a wee bit crazy.

I had not been reading a lot for awhile. I relaxed and read, slowly and with great pleasure w fine books James Ellroy's Perfidia. Thomas Pynchon's Bleeding Edge, Frank Herbert's Dune (a reread, but worthwhile) and Clive Barker's The Scarlet Gospels.

It was a true delight to settle back and ease through these very different, but very fine novels.

Reading does something movies and TV can't do. They release the imagination. The words paint pictures which your mind's eye makes visible. It is a fine form of entertainment.

So, I would hearitly recommend that, from time to time, you turn off the electronics and settle back with a good novel.

The Band

Graham Parsons, a fine songwriter and singer, said that he wanted to create a 'great, cosmic American music.' Well, unfortunately, he died young, but another group did just that. The Band. Ironically, The Band had only one American member, drummer, vocalist and mandolin player, Levon Helm. The rest were Canadian.

When they first came to attention, I had friends who derided them for playing 'country music." They didn't. Their music blended rock, country, folk, pop, gospel and jazz. It was the true, quintessential American music, and it was a joy.

Helm, Richard Manuel (drums, piano), Rick Danko (bass) were all fine instrumentalists and wonderful singers. Each voice was unique and it was a joy to hear them trading lines throughout their songs. The keyboard player, Garth Hudson, did amazing things with the organ and was also a good saxophonist. Robbie Robertson, their guitarist, was a gifted soloist who hated soloing; this led him to limit his playing to short riffs, each of them perfectly effective.

Robertson wrote most of the song and they are a wonderful mix of sad (Whispering Pines, Unfaithful Servant), rollicking (Cripple Creek, Jemima Surrender), socially conscious (King Harvest Has Surely Come), and downright weird (Chest Fever). There are songs with a spiritual edge (To Kingdom Come, The Weight, The Shape I'm In). All can be summed with the title of one of their best, Life Is A Carnival.

I want to mention one of their songs in particular, We Can Talk. Were I running for political office, something that will never, ever happen, I would use this as my theme song.
We can talk about it now
It's the same old riddle, only starting from the middle
I'd fix it but I don't know how
Well, we could try to reason, but you might think it treason
One voice for all, echoing along the hall
Don't give up on Father Clock
We can talk about it now

Unfortunately, reason has left the building. But, it is nice, once in a while, to look back at a time when such hopes seemed possible.

The Ryder Cup - We Win!

America finally won another Ryder Cup. It was a fine series of matches. The golf was excellent and I have seldom seen so much enthusiasm, both from the participants and the crowds/

For once, the American team was able to put their differences aside and function as a team. The Europeans always seem to manage that, but we Americans are such an individually oriented society that we generally can't do it. It generally is not in us. But, for once, we managed.

Golf is an individual sport. You have to be self centered when on the course to play well and team play is unnatural. But, it can be done. It's just a delicate balancing act/

To be fair to the Europeans, they had 6 first time players on the team. This matters because the pressures of the Ryder Cup are extreme. You are playing for yourself, your team and your country. In addition, the crowds are rabid. First time players generally don't do well. This year, Thomas Pieters and Brooks Kepka, both rookies, are to be commended for excellent play.

If you missed the Ryder Cup, you missed a great show.

The Ryder Cup

Friday, the Ryder Cup begins. There is no other sporting event that yields so much excitement, with the possible exception of a big time heavy weight fight. Even if you are not wild about golf, there is something about the intense rivalry that is captivating.

Golf is an individual sport. If you follow the game, you sort of get to know the players, since, whether in triumph or defeat, it is hard to hide who you are on the course. A player's strength, weaknesses and character are laid bare for all to see.

Usually (for those who do not follow golf), the matches are stroke, or medal play. The lowest number of stroke at the end of the round, wins. Thus, if on the 5th hole, for example, you make a 6 while your opponent makes a 4, you are 2 strokes down and can easily make that up before the round ends. In match play, which is used in the Ryder Cup, if you lose a hole, it doesn't matter if it is by 1 stroke or 7. The hole is lost, you are 1 down, and that is it. Lose 2  holes, and you are 2 down. There is no making up strokes because they do not matter. This creates a lot of tension and each shot, on every hole, is vital. Concentration is at a premium and there is not let up.

Add to that, the rivalry. In the Ryder Cup, the American team plays the European team and many of the matches are played as foursome, 2 Americans against 2 Europeans. In some, best ball wins, with each player playing every shot. In some, players on each team alternate shots. This sort of team play in professional golf is seldom seen, and it is fascinating to watch the strategies. The final day, singles matches, 1 on 1, are played. Two sets of matches on each of the first two days, and the singles on the third. This requires stamina, both physical and mental.

The Americans, for long years, dominated these matches, which only happen every other year. For the last several meetings, the Europeans have won, and America is beside itself trying to figure our how to win. The rivalry is civil, kind of friendly, but that does not lessen the tension.

This year, the matches are played at Hazleteen, a long, difficult course that has hosted major tournaments. The American team looks superior on paper, but many of its players have not been playing well of late. The European team, while good, has several rookie players who have not been through the pressure cooker that is the Ryder CUp. This should be fun.

The Godfather - Moral Ambiguity

The Godfather, Parts 1 & 2, may be the finest productions in America film history. That is arguable, but I know of no one who denies the films greatness (Part 3 is another issues all together). I have seen both parts countless time and in the last couple of watchings, I became aware of the dangerous power of these films in particular, and films in general.

The characters, Don Corleone, Michael, Sonny, Fredo, and the rest are compelling. They are thugs, vicious killers, thieves, extortionists. They are power hungry, not content to rule the criminal underworld, they set out to control politicians and supposedly legitimate businesses. They are despicable. I have known several people in my lifetime who had at least some connection to la Cosa Nostra, 2 were fairly high up the chain. The movies were pretty much spot on. These folks were, one and all, warm, generous and a lot of fun, usually. But, you quickly understood that crossing them, in any way, was a very bad idea. I never did business with them; I just knew them. That was the closest I wanted to get.

The characters in the Godfather are just like that, warm, funny, and generous, and it is genuine. They really are that nice, at times. But, the other side is brutal, vengeful and greedy. They are humanity at its best and worst. There is the moral ambiguity.

People watch the Godfather and, in a twisted sort of way, see these folks as heroic. Family values are supreme to them. Loyalty rules. But, why is loyalty to such a stupidly thuggish group admirable? In reality, loyalty bred from fear is not a trait to be admired. Fear is how the Nazi's ruled. Fear is how the Communists ruled. Fear is what is motivating many in our current world. It does create a certain loyalty, and from that. oddly enough, deeper ties can develop ( look up 'the Stockholm Syndrome'), but, at the base of any emotions that so arise, even fondness, even love of a sort, there lies the negative, Fear.

My point? Beware the power of films. The better made they are, the more power. It is certainly right to portray brutal men as human. That is all they are. But, the underlying depravity, the psychopathic violence, must be shown clearly. In The Godfather, the negative is shown, clearly, but the acting is so good and the characters so appealing, that the 'good side' of the Mob very nearly outshines the 'bad.' That is a tribute to the craft of actors and of Francis Coppala, but the audience needs to keep its head and never get caught up in the glamor.

Why is this important? If you get a chance, watch Triumph of Will, the brilliant film dealing with Hitler's Nuremberg Rallies. Despite the fact that we know of the madness of the Nazis. the film is so powerful that it is almost impossible not to get caught up in the excitement.

Films are powerful. You must keep them in perspective. 

The Power of Orchestras

A few years back, we went to a Pops Concert done by a Symphonic orchestra. I had not heard an full orchestra for many years and I was floored. I spent many a day during the years of my strangely spent youth, attending rock concerts. They were, universally, loud.

But, loud is not necessarily powerful. There is something about a full orchestra, with the intertwining of all of the instruments, that is overwhelmingly powerful. I believe it is because, with the various sounds, the orchestra is more effective at creating a kind of sensory overload. The music just takes over your mind and emotions and sends waves of vibrations through all of your body.

Rock, which I love, is more of a visceral experience. Powerful, yes, but somehow limited, both by the nature of the music( rhythmically simple), and the fact that you can only get so many sound out of one drummer, a bass, a guitar, and maybe a keyboard (even with electronic attachments and enhancements).

Hearing a live, full orchestra is not an option available everywhere, but many larger cities do have symphonies. Now, if Classical music is not your cup of tea, fine. However, many symphonies, especially around various holidays, put on Pop Concerts. They are a bit less formal and a lot of fun and, best of all, frequently the ticket prices are lower. If you have a chance to attend either a Pop Concert or a full on symphony and can afford it, by all means, go. I promise that you will be amazed at the sound.

The Yearling

If you have read my blog before, you know that I love stories, especially human stories. The novel was written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and published in 1936. A movie was made of the tale in 1946, starring Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. Here you have the rare case of both the novel and the film being excellent.

The story is set in North Florida, shortly after the Civil War, among the dirt poor farmers who worked that land. The Baxter family has had six children born and only on a boy named Jody lived. His Mother is understandably bitter and his Father, well, he just works.

The boy adopts a stray fawn, despite his Father's warning that things will not turn out well. They don't. I will tell you no more details about this story because I really hope you will read the novel, see the movie, or both.

I will say that you will never find a better coming of age story. Jody is forced into hard decisions and learns how difficult it is to become a man. The world the Baxters live in is radically different from our world but, humans are still humans, and the lessons Jody learns are still the lessons young people  have to learn. It is hard growing up, very painful and as hard as it is for parents to watch them struggle, you have to let them go through the pain. You do them no good by shielding them.

The Yearling is a beautiful story and the novel is beautifully written. The movie is equally good and I hope you set aside a little time for this lovely old story.

Batman

One of our cultures iconic figures is, oddly enough, Batman. I was struck by this today, for some odd reason that I can't figure. It seems that this weird comic book character simply won't go away.

The comic books of the 50s and 60s were kind of fun. Batman was an excuse for the writers to turn their imaginations loose and invent all sorts of exotic technology for the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. It was cool to have a super hero who was just a man, no super powers or alien origin. Sort of Sherlock Holmes on steroids.

Then, in the late 60s, we had the wonderful TV series with Adam West as Batman. It is still around on TV and I urge you to watch it. It is incredibly funny and, really should have been the death knell for the whole super hero genre. The Batman TV show was high satire presented as low humor and it completely devastated the whole idea of crime fighting heroes. Or should have.

But, some things die a hard death. I never gave the character another thought until, in a relatively short period, back he came, multiple times. Alan Moore did The Killing Joke, Grant Morrison did Arkham Asylum, and Frank Miller did The Dark Knight series. They were all good efforts but, them we had the films starring at various times Michael Keeton, Val Kilmer and George Cloony. A motley bunch of movies (although I did think Danny Devito  did a great Penguin). Well, I figured that would be the end of that.

Nope. Then we had the Christian Bale version which  might have been good if only I could have understood what he was saying. Why do some actors feel that mumbling is a good technique? I will say Heath Ledger's Joker was the best; so good it seemingly was too much for the poor guy; it is not a healthy character to immerse yourself in. Well, I thought, surely that will be the end of it.

Wrong again. Ben Affleck is the latest to take a stab at it. I will not be watching. Are there simply no new ideas anywhere? Perhaps we should declare a moratorium and vow to abstain from movies sequels. And, we probably should add to that, any movie based on any super hero.

Oddly enough, I sort of like TV's Gotham, but I really question the idea of putting a program that deals explicitly with mind control experimentation (the Doctor Strange story line) on at 8 PM for the little ones to watch. Gotham is grim fare, a bit frightening in places, but, at least it's pretty well done (the ones I have seen, at least, maybe 4 total).

Alan Moore's The Watchmen  should have killed the whole super hero mythos, It was a devastating deconstruction of the whole mad genre and that should have been it but, super heroes won't go away. That must say something about the audience but, this is not a psychology blog, so, I'll leave things there

Ken Kesey, Sometimes A Great Notion

I have read a lot of books and I read all types. I am not a book snob reading only 'great literature.' I love genre fiction, mystery/suspense thrillers, westerns, historical fiction, horror, sci-fi. Just tell me a good story and tell it well. That's all you need do to get my attention. However, today, I am going to write about a great work of literature.

Kesey's first novel was One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, a fine novel about a psychiatric ward that expands into a commentary on the struggle between individual freedom and the controls society forces upon us. It was a good novel, but, over time, I began to see it as too simple. The world does not divide so neatly between good and evil.

Well, Sometimes A Great Notion does not make things that simple at all. The entire story is an interplay of forces that are so mixed up that good and evil simply do not factor in. What's good for someone at one point is bad for others and turns sour for the person it first benefits. In other words, it's just like life, a confusing blend of choices and risks, of unintended consequences, and the twistings inherent in family dynamics.

It is a story of family and neighbors. In short, in the logging country of Oregon, a union is about to go on strike against the big corporation. A family run operation, outside the union's grasp, strikes a deal with the corporation to deliver the logs they need, thus undercutting the union. Of course, this means that they are undercutting friends and neighbors, and the story revolves around that conflict. At the same time, the superman-like guy that runs the operation needs workers and sends for his younger brother who is being educated back East (keeping things in the family is how they keep the union out). These brothers have a twisted history, full of secrets and the blend of love and hate common to brothers everywhere. How these conflicts play out is the story and I'll tell you no more because I don't want to spoil the story.

Add to all of that a cast of relatives, friends and neighbors, all of them carefully developed, all of them strange, mix in some of the finest descriptive writing you will ever read, and a deep understanding of how everything we do and have done, reflects on and influences everything else, and you have one hell of a book.

The novel was not especially well received when first released and I believe that was because of its politics. In the mid-60s, when it was published, the Literary Establishment was decidedly left wing (it still is), and to write a novel in which the union was not the hero was not a popular move. In recent years, the novel has begun to be recognized as the brilliant work it is.

It is not an easy novel to get into. The first 100 pages are taken up with scene setting. Characters are established and a great deal of family history is presented. This is necessary to the understanding of the intricate web of the community. Also, the river that flows by the community is of vital importance, almost becoming a main character, and Kesey takes his time describing  the natural setting of the story. Just relax and take your time because, in those first 100 pages (it's around 800 total), you will enjoy some of the best descriptive writing you will ever see. Then, when the setting is firmly established, hang on, because the rest of the story just explodes and, from there on, it is an all out run.

Kesey also plays a bit with time and, here and there, uses multiple stream of conscious techniques. Don't let that throw you, he always gives clues that let you know what's happening, and the passages work wonders, reminding you of how tied together everything is.

He said, after completing the novel that he would never write anything better, and he was right. Kesey became famous as the leader of the Merry Pranksters, infamous LSD promoters of the 60s, went to jail for a marijuana change, and settled into life as a family man and dairy farmer. He continued writing and turned out some good work, a book of essays ( The Demon Box), a kind of screen play ( The Further Adventures), and a pretty good novel (Sailor's Song), but nothing to touch Sometimes A Great Notion. That is not surprising. He put a lot into that novel and such work takes its toll. It is a great, great novel.

What's Happened to TV

With the exception of news and a little sports, I find that there is little on TV that I care to watch anymore. Maybe my taste has changed, but I honestly don't think it's changed that much.

Now, I am probably better off not watching as much, but there are times, rainy days and days when I don't feel well, that I would enjoy watching anything decent, but I just don't see much on. I remember (God, I sound like an old man, but it's true) when I could almost always find some good drama or comedy. When I was growing up, we had programs as varied as Westerns (Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Wagon Train, Maverick), Science Fiction (Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits), Mysteries (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ellery Queen, Perry Mason), Comedies (The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke, and Lucy) and Dramas (Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, The Fugitive, Playhouse 90).

In later years, we had the great comedies (All in the Family, Bob Newhart, Mary Hartman) and fine Dramas ( Hill Street Blues, Kung Fu, Masterpiece Theater), and incredible mini-series (Shogun, Lonesome Dove). We even had great live music shows (PBS's Soundstage and Austin City Limits)

Closer to the present, we have had programming as good as House and The Simpsons and the various Star Trek spin offs.

Now, we are stuck with drivel like The Voice and Real Housewives and a host of simple minded comedies that seem to thrive on sexual double entendres that are on a junior high school level. Cable channels that used to have good programming like The Learning Channel (now devoted to dating and wedding shows), Bravo (Real Housewives from various cities), and USA (your choice of Law and Order SVU, NCIS, The Crissleys, or Modern Family), and Discover (oddly devoted to Commercial Fishing programs) are loaded with programs that they show over and over and over again.

Movies? From what I see, unless you want to pay for premium channels or Net Flix, and let's face it, not all of us can afford any extra costs, you are stuck with endless repeatings of drivel like Fast and Furious or a plethora of sophomoric romantic comedies.

I know that a lot of folks watch TV on their computers and that is fine except that staring at a computer screen is a bit hard on the eyes. Oh well, as I said earlier, I suppose I'm better off not watching so much. Still, on days like today, when I have a little virus playing in my intestines and it's going to be cloudy outside, it would be nice to settle back and watch something decent and entertaining.

The Disappearing Art of Doing Nothing

We all have things we enjoy doing. I love writing, watching movies, reading, and watching some sports. I love talking, walking, dining out, and even shopping, here and there.  When I run into people often the first thing they ask is some variation of 'What have you been doing?' Perfectly valid question that can lead to fine conversation. I ask it myself and get responses ranging from just working to watching TV to playing with the kids. All great answers and all certainly things worth doing.

I have noticed, however, that I rarely hear someone answer, "oh, nothing," and when I do, that person usually seems a might sheepish, as if doing nothing is a source of embarrassment. No one should be embarrassed to admit that they are doing nothing, unless that's always their answer.

Actually doing nothing is a fine art and, I am afraid it is becoming a lost art. Now, by doing nothing, I do not mean sitting watching TV or playing video games. If that is what you are doing then you are, indeed, doing something. I am talking about a completely passive activity wherein you just turn your mind off, find a relaxed posture and let the world come to you. I don't mean sleep, although, during the course of doing nothing you may doze off.

Just sit, or stretch out, or stand, if that is comfortable, and let your attention wander where it will. Don't try to focus your attention, just let it be drawn where it will. You will be surprised at the little bits of beauty and interest you normally miss. And, doing nothing is not necessarily a visual thing. Allow all of your senses to engage. I have a poor sense of smell, but, even I can catch a captivating scent every now and then ( I sometimes wish, that just for a little while, I could, like a dog, experience the world through smell) Sounds may grab your attention and, if you let them, the mix of voices and traffic and birds machines, will blend into a grand, though unusual, symphony. Here and there, I have spent long periods just enjoying the way the sun and the wind feel on my skin.

I grew up around people who were the first generation to have TV and they were not captured by it. Thus, we often spent hours sitting outside. Sometimes, we would talk, or drink, or play games, but often, we simply sat. It was wonderful, sort of an informal meditation. Personally, I find informal meditations much more fruitful than formal types. But, alas, I fear that doing nothing is becoming a lost art. Well, after I do a few things, I believe I may just spend a few minutes or so, trying to keep that art alive

Comic Books

When I was a kid, all those many years ago, we pretty much all read comic books. It has taken me years to refer to some of them as graphic novels. There are a few I can refer to that way, some of Alan Moore's work, maybe Grant Morrison and Neil  Gaiman, but you know, I still think they should be called comic books.

We read the funny ones, Bugs Bunny, etc. and they truly were funny, but the ones we loved were the super hero comics. I was never big on Superman or Wonder Woman. Batman was okay. but I was especially fascinated by The Flash and The Atom. I think they were the most science fiction of the lot. There were also military comics, such as GI Joe, and a lot of Westerns, which I loved. Then, of course, there were Romance comics, for girls ( at least I never knew a boy who read them, although, who knows?).

Among the best were the Classic Comics. These were bits of classic literature, illustrated beautifully and using bits of the text from the book. It was in this form that I first read Moby Dick, A Tale of Two Cities, and Treasure Island. These were a fine way to get kids used to the idea that great literature contained great stories.

Then we, on occasion, got hold of the grand and gory EC Comics like Tales From The Crypt. These were truly scary and a bit gross, but we loved them and I don't think they did us any harm ( on second thought, as I look around the world, maybe they did, but, too late to worry about that now and besides, they were fun)

I have no idea if there are still comic books available for kids and if there are, can kids afford them? We used to get them for a dime a piece and big, bonus editions for a quarter. Not only did they get us used to reading for pleasure, they got a lot of kids I knew interested in drawing and painting. Not bad for the price. Just think, if I had all my old comic books, in good condition, I would be worth a small fortune. If you ever find any of the old comic books around, give them a look. They were fun

The Passing of Gene Wilder

I have long thought that comedies are the hardest sort of movies to make. I write a bit and read a lot, and writing funny lines and scenes is very hard. Laurence Olivier said that comedy was much harder to play then drama. The world lost one of its finest comedic actors this week and we are the poorer for it.

What amazed me about Gene Wilder is that he could do so many comedies  now considered classic and keep up such a high standard throughout.

His work with Richard Pryor, the Silver Streak and Stir Crazy, are great fun and Pryor, who died way to young, was at his peak. Great movies.

Wilder's great film with Zero Mostell,  The Producers is amazing. The subject matter, a musical comedy being staged that has Hitler as the protagonist, should be offensive to everyone, but the movie is hysterically funny.

Blazing Saddles is a great spoof of Westerns and Young Frankenstein is my all time favorite comedy.

Finally, we must never forget Willie Wonk and The Chocolate Factory. This is fantasy at its best, edgy, almost scary, very funny, and, oddly, at the same time, rather sweet. Gene Wilder was remarkable as the weird but ultimately lovable, Willie Wonka.

Blessedly, we have many fine films by Wilder.

Arthur C. Clarke - Childhood's End

Arthur C. Clarke was certainly a prolific writer. This author of many science fiction novels and short stories was what is now called a 'hard' science fiction writer. meaning he based his stories on established science. Yes, his works were speculative, but based on accepted 'reality,' unlike, say, Ray Bradbury's use of science fiction as a take off point for flights of fancy.

As a result, I often found Clarke's characters a bit stiff, although the stories were great. A prime example of this is his brilliant 2001, A Space Odyssey, where the most interesting character is HAL, the super computer. By the way, Clarke's novel is better than Kubrick's movie and, since the movie was great, that shows you how much I loved the book.

Childhood's End is different. The characters are still a not very deeply drawn, and much of its presentation of the future lifestyle is still drawn from hard science, but, there are a couple of wonderful deviations from this usual pattern.

First, The Overlords. Clarke draws from human mythology to create a race that has been watching us for long years and what they look like, is hilariously ironic. What they do, is less funny but, surprisingly in the realm of possibility. Just watch any of the wildly funny and completely ridiculous Ancient Alien episodes that turn up on the History Channel and realize that if the beings they talk about turn up, they will be somewhat like The Overlords.

Second, the children. I will not give away the slightest clue about them because I really want you to read this outstanding novel. What happens is a shock, beautiful and horrible at the same time. I never thought that Clarke, the hard scientist, could display such a poetic and mystic portrait of what just might be our future. I will give you one suggestion. After, not before, reading the novel, spend a bit of time researching Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit monk, paleontologist, and geologist, and his concept of the Omega Point. I love the direction Clarke and de Chardin think the human race is evolving toward. Is it correct. Who knows? Only time will tell, and really, who cares?  The idea makes for a great story, one that Clarke tells masterfully.

Pearls Before Swine, a Quirky Band

I have said before that I like to remember forgotten artists. I doubt that too many remember Pearls Before Swine, a band that appeared in the late 60s. They had a few albums and were known, but not super popular. Most of their work was good, but I want to write about 1 album they did, a masterpiece.

The album was called Balaklava, which was the scene of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The Charge of the Light Brigade ranks right up their with Custer's Last Stand when it comes to military actions that were both incredibly brave and amazingly stupid. The theme of the album is war and it is a harsh critique of war's insanity.

The music itself is basically a gentle folk rock; it is made lush and strange by the addition of odd little sounds. Birds chirp, leaves rustle, waves crash. There is even a musical saw played in the background of one song ( for those not familiar with this, you can take a regular hand saw and play it with a violin bow, bending to to vary the pitch; a technique used by very old country musicians). The overall effect is extremely psychedelic. In fact this, without using waves of feedback, electronic sound effects or synthesizers, is one of the trippiest albums you will ever hear. Oddly enough, at the time it was recorded, the main writer for the band, also its lead singer, Tom Rapp, had never touched psychedelics.The music just sort of teases your brain until it takes hold; then  it is hard to forget.

It is not often you hear a band quoting Herodotus or setting Tolkien's Ring poem to music. The album messes with your mind, beginning and ending with a recording taken from an ancient Edison cylinder of the Light Brigade's trumpeter, an old man when recorded, playing their call to charge.

Balaklava can be found at Amazon and it is well worth a listen. It is a beautiful, sweetly sad album that will stay in your head for a long time.

Last Thoughts on the Olympics

The Games are over and, for once, I enjoyed them. I am surprised by that since usually I don't even watch them, but they went very well and NBC did a fine job presenting them.

I really thought having them in Rio was a bad idea, not just because of Zika, but because of the cities unsettled politics, heavy pollution and poverty, but, they pulled it off. Sure, there were problems but there are problems everywhere and they showed no more difficulties that you would find in any urban area.

I have come to the conclusion that, all too often, we, myself included, give into negativism, and, in doing so, lose out on chances to enjoy ourselves. If the individuals who ran these Games, in concert with the people of Brazil and all the athletes, from so many diverse backgrounds, can pull off something like this, then all of us, if we have the will, can make a lot of things work. If we display this same will, we can solve a lot of the World's problems. It just takes will, work and a determination to succeed.

Tom Robbins

Occasionally, often in my case, a good laugh is needed. There are not many writers that are good at writing humor. Twain was probably the best, and certainly Shakespeare displayed a keen sense of humor, but, all too often, writers are too concerned with being profound  or displaying their mastery of style to be funny.

One of my favorite writers is a guy who manages to fill all of his writing with great humor Tom Robbins. Robbins has been deeply influenced by the existentialism that characterized the Beat writers but that is crossed with a fine sense of cosmic absurdity more characterized by the acid days of the 60s. In short, his books are hilarious. He does make statements about the world and its problems but he has a dogged way of simply refusing to let all of our messes bring him down, at least in his writing. I have no idea what he is like personally because he has done an admirable job of keeping his private life private.

If you want to read some exceptionally well written novels that will actually make you laugh out loud, I can heartily recommend 3 of his. Another Roadside Attraction manages to deal with a hot dog stand and a theft from the Vatican (what is stolen will amaze you). Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, set on a ranch run by lesbians, is a brilliant analysis of sexual politics and gender roles that says more on the subject than any academic analysis can and does so with great and gentle humor. Still Life With Woodpecker is a wonderful love story that manages to encompass pop culture causes, radical politics and  messages from Aliens.

Robbins is a fine wordsmith, a true lover of the flow of the English language and the subtleties. That he manages to write so well and still be hilariously funny is amazing.

The Animal Olympics

I have been enjoying this years Olympic Games. The athletes are truly amazing but, this morning, I saw great displays of athleticism in the back yard.

I stood in awe, watching the squirrels chasing each other, leaping from branch to branch, scaling tall trees and darting across the grass and over the rocks. I saw birds flitting through the air, at full speed, twisting and darting between branches not 6 inches apart.

I watched closer and began to appreciate the flight of bees and butterflies, hovering, suspended over blossoms, of ants carrying many time their own weight over mounds of sand that must seem to them like the Rocky Mountains, and watched a grasshopper making astounding leaps.

We humans are great athletes, in our own ways, but our efforts are dwarfed by those of the animal world. All we have to do is stand quietly and they put on a fine show.

The Olympics

I have surprised myself by watching a fair amount of Olympic coverage. I suppose it's because of golf's return to the Games. I am a huge golf fan and have been impressed by the play. I had thought that, due to many conditions in Rio, the Games would be disastrous  So far,  all is going, well, okay, in that there have been no calamities.

That is not to say things have gone well. The athletes are doing alright, mostly, but spectators are having a few spots of bother. Cybercrime is tapping bank accounts, serious violence is breaking out in the slums, stray bullets have found there way into the media center and the equestrian ring (no horses were there, thankfully). and there are food shortages.

There is a noticeable lack of volunteers since many are not showing up again after receiving their gift of a watch for volunteering, and some are not receiving notice of what to do once there.

Then there are water issues. Rowers are livid over the pollution they are rowing through and some of the pools have turned green and are stinging the eyes of competitors. One swimmer's hair has turned green. Officials declared this 'mysterious,' until today, when they admitted that they simply did not have enough chemicals to properly treat the water, an unforgivable oversight.

But that pales into insignificance when a recent news alert reported the shooting, in the head, of an Olympic official who made a wrong turn into a slum.

Still however, nothing completely disastrous has happened, although there are still 9 days left. But, again, oddly enough for me, none of this is spoiling a bit of it for me. Maybe, as I age, I simply do not expect any better or, maybe, I just don't care as much about problems, at least not enough to let them spoil things.

I have watched a little basketball, swimming, and rowing, a lot of golf and tennis and have become totally addicted to rugby. I hope to see a bit of boxing and weight lifting and maybe some wrestling. Maybe I will be lucky enough to catch some of the more obscure sports, those are always fun. Any way, I am going to enjoy this and hope that nothing goes any worse happens.

Card Games

Do people still play cards? Not on line poker and such. Real games with a physical deck of cards and a live, in the flesh person sitting with you. I highly recommend it.

I know a lot of folks gamble at poker, black jack and such, and that is fine, if you don't get carried away and gamble next month's rent money. But there are many fine and fascinating card games that are a great way to pass time and interact with friends, a fine way to socialize.

We used to play all kinds of rummy, They are simple games; you can learn how in minutes (look for Hoyle's Book of Rules for Games) and can be played by all ages. Hearts is a fine game. I guess the first games I learned were War and Go Fish and Old Maid. Then came Gin Rummy and finally, my favorite, Canasta. Canasta is a complex game, full of strategy and a complete game take a very long time to play. On rainy afternoons and evenings we would play for hours. It can also be broken up into sessions. Play awhile, keep the score sheet, and get back to it later. There are many other games to choose from. My Grandfather loved Pinochle and an Uncle loved Cribbage.

I am thinking of learning to play Bridge, a game my folks played that I never learned. Those who play love the game because of its complex strategies.

I know, card games don't come with flashing lights and wild sound effects. You are not fighting inter terrestrial demons or blowing away demented criminals. Instead, you are sitting face to face with other human beings, and for my money  and a deck of cards cost almost nothing)s, that is a lot more fun than video games, and far better for you, mentally and spiritually.

Dave Grisman - Dawg Music

Everybody has some days when they just don't feel right. Not depressed or even just sad, not sick, not tired, just not right. Well, I can recommend the best remedy for that, music, especially Dawg Music.

Dave Grisman is a mandolin player who spent years playing bluegrass music. You can hear him on a couple of Grateful Dead tunes, Friend of the Devil and Ripple. As time went on, he grew interested in the "hot jazz" as played by Stephen Grappelli and Django Reinhart in Paris in the 1920s. he also developed an interest in "klezmer" an import from Eastern Europe brought by Jewish immigrants, a dance music, sometimes very sentimental, and quite pretty.

In the 90s, he put together a band, and they put together these influences, and called it Dawg Music, Dawg being his nickname. The music is wonderfully performed, light, intricare a lovely.

I have never known anyone who could listen to this music without smiling. It is simply full of life and light. You can listen to a bit on line and can easily buy it through Amazon. I urge you to give it a listen; it is addictive.

Dawg Music has my personal guarantee; it will bring a twinkle to your eye, a smile to your face and a bounce to your step. It beats anti depressants and is safe for all ages to use.

Phillip K. Dick

I do not advocate the use of psychedelics, however, some insights may be gained from the experience. Those insights are few in number and, since others had them, let them share them with you. Saves you all the chaos that comes from the drugs. The experience is easily conveyed through music and through visual arts, but hard to write about.

Phillip K. Dick, henceforth known as PKD, was a science fiction writer who took LSD a couple of times in the old VA Clinic trials, as did Ken Kesey and the Grateful Dead's lyricist, Robert Hunter. Already a user of amphetamines, the experience had a deep effect on PKD's perception of the world and he was one of the few to turn that into fine writing.

His stories, and he was prolific, often deal with the mutability of reality and personality. Characters seem to slide from one reality into another in an unpredictable manner and people seem to warp from one personality into another. Time also becomes slippery. The effects are mind altering in the reader; you begin to notice how flimsy your own sense of reality, and especially your persona are. Science fiction was the perfect vehicle for his thoughts and he is one of the genre's masters.

I would especially recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Man in the High Castle, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, Ubik and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. All of these are wonderful, thought provoking and trippy.

In his later life, he died in his 50s, PKD experience a series of visions, not drug induced, and developed a sort of Gnostic Christian viewpoint, although he thought of the spiritual entities he encountered more as living computers than the classic idea of gods and demons. He write a semi-autobiographical novel about this, VALIS. He also did a more formal presentation of his beliefs in The Exegesis  of Phillip K. Dick.

I do not want to leave you with the wrong idea. His works are not sober explorations of complex ideas. The ideas are there but the stories themselves are fascinating and, often, hilariously funny.
So, give your mind a stretch and read a few of his weird stories.

Scarecrow

I would like to recommend another near forgotten movie. As I have said, I have a thing about fine artistry that is in danger of being forgotten. Scarecrow, a 70s movie is just such a film.  I have also said that I like movies about real life situations. This movie also fits that description.

It stars Gene Hackman and Al Pacino, both of whom were at the top of their game when this was made. They are 2 guys who meet hitchhiking (yes, there was a time when you could safely do that and get rides). Hackman's character is an ex-con with a bit of money in the bank, on his way to Pittsburg to buy a laundry mat, which he feels is his path to security. He is an ill tempered man who, reluctantly, grows to like Pacino's character, an ex-sailor on his way home to see his wife and his young son, a child he has never seen.

The 2 decide to go into business together after detouring to see Pacino's boy and, as to be expected, experience a few adventures along the way. So far, I know that sounds sort of mundane, but that is the point. They are ordinary guys. However, they are ordinary guys played by extraordinary actors. Both are hilariously funny and the incidents ring very true to life. It serves as a reminder of just how incredible ordinary life is.

For the most part, the movie is extremely funny, and, then, as is so often true in life, it isn't. The end is heartbreaking but, it also shows a noble and compassionate side of humanity, the tenderness toward friends that men are all too often afraid to show.

If you get a chance, get hold of this movie. You will find it well worth your time.

What Happened to Radio?

I am often puzzled by human behavior. I admit to being woefully behind the times, in some ways, but I cannot understand why radio has died out. I have tried to listen a bit and I am stunned at how lousy it is. Why?

Radio, once upon a time, was a vibrant, even unpredictable media. The hosts were eccentric, funny, and reasonably bright. They still had some control over how they ran their shows and even programmed their own music. I, and I am showing my age here, even remember 'free form' radio. Yes, on a goodly number of FM stations around the country, hosts did exactly what they wanted. They said what they wanted (the one exception - no profanity) and they played what they wanted. Even on more restricted station, there was a lot of leeway in what they played, which means that when they played an artist, they might play anything from an album, not just the one or two 'hits.'

Slowly, that has left u,s until now, radio is a morass of crap. Stations that play the same songs, again and again, talk shows by hosts who are just shy of being raving lunatics, with an occasional near-fascist thrown in. News programs that recycle news, over and over. A smattering of "Christian' stations that either preach a frothy 'New Age' kind of religion or the old style, damnation and brimstone faith.

Yeah, I know, there is satellite radio, but why do we have to pay for that when we used to get great programming for free. The stations made their real money off advertising, and they made plenty.

Part of the problem came about with the rise of consultants. These idiots, who have also ruined TV, movies, book stores and many other businesses, encourage sameness. If there polls show that folks like Nigerian folks songs or Indian ragas, we'll soon have station after station playing nothing but that. And, seemingly, no one, with enough money to own a radio station is willing to take any sort of risk. Of course that is because, more and more stations are owned by fewer and fewer companies.

People wonder what is wrong with the World today. I am of the opinion that the biggest problem is that we are all willing to settle for mediocrity.    

The Night of the Hunter

We live in a violent world in violent times. The media rubs our noses in that everyday. Look at movies released and so many are excessively violent but, when you look closely, the violence is almost cartoonish. Most of the time, the villains are one dimensional, evil to the bone, barely more than cackling maniacs. An example: Heath Ledger's Joker.

Years ago, a great actor, Charles Laughton, directed a film, his only film as director, The Night of the Hunter. It was what was then called a 'B movie,' meaning it was low budget. Usually B movies had casts of stars who had never quite made it to the big time or who were on their way down the rankings.

This was an exception. It starred Robert Mitchum, Shelly Winters and Lillian Gish ( a hold over from silent movies, a fine actress). All are fantastic.

Without giving the plot away, I can say that it is about a con man and serial killer, but there is nothing simple or one dimensional about this man, a 'Preacher,' played to chilling perfection by Mitchum. Pay special attention to the Preacher's sermon. The story is complex and beautifully filmed and set at the perfect pace, slow enough to  allow character development and fast enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Most of all, it is human. Remember, no matter how frightening monsters and over-the-top lunatics are, nothing is as scary as a human being can be. The most ordinary, upstanding citizen may be a far worse menace than Hannibal Lector.

Laura Nyro

I like to remind folks of writers, films. and musicians who I am afraid, will be forgotten as time passes. I know, things change, and I have no urge to cling to the past but, neither do I want to forget brilliance. Laura Nyro was brilliant.

She started in the late 60s and was noted primarily as a song writer, writing major hits for Blood, Sweat and Tears, Barbara Streisand, Three Dog Night, and the 5th Dimension. People forget what a wonderful singer she was. Her music was a blend of pop, r&b, jazz, and rock and she had a voice you will not forget.

She was not comfortable performing live, although she did a bit more of that in her later years. She did record and I want to bring your attention to her first album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. The music is well orchestrated (she played piano) and the songs are incredible. The best? Eli's Coming, a fine bit of hard r&b with an incredible vocal. But, then again, maybe it's the great Stone Soul Picnic, or a fine hymn to the joy of drunkenness Sweet Blindness. The whole album bristles with intelligence and an energy you will seldom hear. This album is one of my favorites, ever, but all of her recordings are worth hearing.

She died at only 50 years of age, a victim of ovarian cancer. Her music should be remembered and it sounds as fresh and new today as it did all those years ago.

Edgar Allen Poe

I grew up reading authors like Poe and his great tales of mystery and imagination. There was and is, none better. I am not going to attempt a deep literary analysis of his works because that is not what this blog is about. I write about entertaining pastimes,, not academic analysis, since I tend to believe that detracts from the sheer pleasure of reading.

Poe's stories are just plain odd, not at all like horror today. They are not especially bloody, nor are they filled with monsters. Poe, like the master of cinematic suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, new that true terror dwelled in the human mind. Yes, he did have terrible things happen to his characters as in The Pit and The Pendulum or the Cask of Amontillado, but it is the working of the characters minds that is paramount. There are supernatural occurrences as in The fall of the House of Usher and The Mask of the Red Death, but again, it is the masterful way his characters perceive the horror that captures the reader.

And, at his best, it is solely the mind of the character that creates the horror as in The Telltale Heart.

Poe was also the creator of 'detective' stories. The Gold Bug was a proto-detective thriller and The Murders in the Rue Morgue fully brought to life the detective as protagonist.

Then there is his sublime,  mournful poetry such as The Raven and Annabelle Lee. We, as far as I know, don't read much poetry these days, but reading Poe's poetry can take you back, to a more elegant time when such things mattered.

Settle down on a chilly, rainy evening and read Poe. His works are generally available in collections and often can be found in the bargain bins of bookstores. They are a wonderful way to pass a few hours.

Without Poe, there may have been no Lovecraft or King, no Chandler or Hammett. He was a true original who live far too short a life.

Writers _ James Clavell

I, from time to time, like to mention authors that have been a bit forgotten. Today, I would like to write about James Clavell. At one time, Clavell sold a lot of books, and deservedly so. He was a fine writer of adventure stories.

The first book I read by him was King Rat,  a story of US soldiers in a Japanese POW camp in World War 2. It is a tale of survival under brutal conditions and delves into the psyche of a man detrmined to, not just survive, but thrive in the camp. It pits the interest of the individual against the group interest and is a great story of moral ambiguity.

Then came his masterpiece, Shogun. The story is of an English sailor shipwrecked and taken captive in medieval Japan, the land of samurai and great warlords. The idea of placing someone from one culture into a totally alien world is compelling, especially when that world is going through a period of upheaval. Neither he, nor his captors are sure how they can interact and the Japanese are involved in a world of intrigues, of many inticate plans and machinations. Clavell creates this completely alien world and fills it with wonderful characters. Is it historically accurate? Maybe, He researched it extensively, but, really that doesn't matter. The tale's the thing and this is a fine one. They did make a wonderful many-part mini series out of it. If you can find that, it is well worth watching.

He wrote another good novel, Tai Pan. This was set in Hong Kong as it was beginning to become a player in the Global economic world. The story is less epoch that Shogun but it is still a good story, well written.

I always hate to see good writers forgotten. I imagine you can find Clavell's novels on line for a decent price. Try them and I am sure you will enjoy them.

Hiking

People, well some, are interested in healthy pursuits. Those who aren't, would probably be better off if they at least moved around a bit more. But, exercise equipment and gym memberships are costly and, let's be honest, it gets boring doing rep after rep of any exercise

I know a lot of folks like to go bike riding and that is a great idea, but a good bike is expensive and, at times, you take your life in your hands, especially in urban environments. But, there is an alternative. Hiking.

Actually, I am just talking about walking, but I know that giving it an alternative name helps sell the idea, so I'll call it hiking.

What equipment do you need? Some comfortable clothes, suitable to the weather, and some sturdy, comfortable shoes. That's it. Maybe, if you are hiking in the wilderness, you would change those shoes for some sturdy boots, but that's about the only change you might need. Also, if you are going a long way, maybe something to carry some water and a snack in, nothing fancy, just something you can carry easily.

Where to walk? Most anywhere, but use common sense. It probably isn't a great idea to stroll through a high crime area or in a park at 2 AM. In a city, there are often parks that have nice walking trails (just don't go there when they're closed), but even walking around your neighborhood or through a shopping district can be fun.

Walking in wilder areas is beautiful, be they hills, meadows, forests, or, for you hardier folks, mountains. If you are in a State or National Park, they usually will have signs, guiding you along safer paths, pointing out landmarks and warning you of the presence of wild animals. Pay attention to these signs. Always, when hiking in wild places, watch for animals. Wild animals are just that, wild. Keep an eye out for snakes; they won't bother you if you don't startle them, so look at them, from a distance and move on. Small predators, like foxes, and even coyotes, are not going to try to eat you. They may even watch you. This is because they are mammals and mammals are, by nature, curious but, this dies not mean they want to play or be petted. They are not like dogs, so leave them alone. Same applies to wildcats. Bears are a different matter. Seeing a bear, at a distance, is a wonderful thing; seeing them up close, is not. Bears are unpredictable and they may decide to attack and they may not. If you see them at a distance, they can smell you, so leave, as quickly and quietly as you can.

In light of recent events, let me say a word about alligators. I grew up in Florida and we always had them around. Then, they were shy around humans and, unless startled or in the middle of mating season, they would hurriedly get away from you when you got close.  Then the folks who moved into condos near canals started feeding them. Guess what, now they are not shy and they kind of expect lunch from you, Stay away from them.

If you use a bit of sense, hiking is a wonderful pastime. Walk as far as you want, as fast as you are comfortable with, and as often as you wish. It's great exercise and a very relaxing to the soul.