Category Archives: podcast

Water and Animals and Humans

Ganesha_Wallpaper

The self is a metaphor. We can decide to limit it to our skin, our person, our family, our organization, or our species. We can select its boundaries in objective reality As the systems theorists see it, our consciousness illuminates a small arc in the wider currents and loops of knowing that interconnect us. It is just as plausible to conceive of mind as coexistent with these larger circuits, the entire “pattern that connects,” as Bateson said. Do not think that to broaden the construct of self this way involves an eclipse of one’s distinctiveness. Do not think that you will lose your identity like a drop in the ocean merging into the oneness of Brahma. From the systems perspective this interaction, creating larger wholes and patterns, allows for and even requires diversity. You become more yourself. Integration and differentiation go hand in hand. From: ‘World as Lover, world as Self’ Joanna Macy


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urban-water-cycle

“I like the rain, because I know it will always end.” [Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh]

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Filed under cultural contradictions, nature, podcast, psychological anthropology

Found: Coleman Barks

Poet Coleman Barks

Several weeks ago I went searching on the net for Coleman Barks. Barks, a poet, is most well known for his versions of Rumi. In fact, to the extent Rumi is known by the English-speaking world, a lion’s share of the credit accrues to Mr. Barks and to his colleague and co-author John Moyne.

Having done this same search years ago, I knew there are numerous resources and media, but, one such resource at the CBC had been taken down, an interview with Barks and Andrew Harvey by Mary Hynes (as part of Ms. Hynes’ Tapestry Series.) I made an inquiry.

Lo and behold a few days later a nice gentleman from the CBC emailed me and asked if I would be interested in providing an introduction for this archival podcast. I jumped at the opportunity to help bring the interview back into circulation.

The podcast at the CBC is back, and listed here. (Direct download-mp3)

Coleman Barks interview at Lapham’s Quarterly. (mp3)

Video at Poetry Everywhere (PBS)

Rumi-Big-Red-Book

The Big Red Book is the newest exploration of Rumi by Coleman Barks. It focuses on Rumi’s relationship with Shams of Tabriz. One of the aphorisms of Shams is a touchstone for me:

Follow the perfume, not the tracks.

The following video provides a beguiling introduction to Rumi and Shams.

Jalaluddin El-Rumi & Shams El Tabriz from Raphael Rousseau Sason on Vimeo.

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Filed under podcast, sufism

DUB COLLISION OBAMA RULES! MIX

music to celebrate Barack ObamaPost-partisan, global, unity sounds compiled by my music montage-making alter ego, Dub Collision,  available as an mp3 download over at nogutsnoglory, my music blog.

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SLIDE MEDLEY

Here’s twenty minutes of pedal steel love from Mr. Emmons, Susan Alcorn, and from Demola Adepoju, out of Nigeria.

[audio:http://squareone-learning.com/audio/PedalSteelmedley.mp3]

The photo is of a Sho-Bud Maverick. I have no idea why they’ve kept their value over the years but I do know why I sold mine some three decades ago. I wrestled it and the darn guitar won!

I’m mildly interested in a Carter student model…being a sucker for reliving punishments of yore. No, not really the reliving part.

Top slidemasters? Emmons, Kleinow, Manness, Rhodes, Alcorn. Oh, and Lloyd Green and on and on.

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Filed under music, podcast