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.