Kurt Brindley's Blog, page 143
September 29, 2014
The Angel In the Cracked Mirror
It’s hard not to be aware of a crack in the mirror; just as it’s equally hard not to recall how the crack came into being each time the crack is noticed. Yet, as distractive as both the crack and the cause of its infliction were, she didn’t mind. She much rather preferred to have cause to be distracted by the crack and the sad story it had to tell than have to constantly be made aware of what it was the mirror actually was insistent upon revealing to her each time she stood before it.
The crack, initially not much to notice, began at the bottom left corner of the mirror—your standard medicine cabinet mirror (nothing fancy)—and extended upward and diagonally toward the center, and, for the time being, stopped its ascent right where the left corner of her mouth appeared whenever she had cause, or took pause, to look at herself in the mirror.
Awareness is a tricky thing: She was obviously aware of what was found in the mirror—the crack, her reflection, and all the sad stories they both had to tell—but she was not aware of her awareness. While, because of the larger mirror that was set over the sink behind her she was aware of the infinitely expanding reflections of herself in the cracked mirror, she was not yet aware of all that she saw. As a result, she did not see her infinitely expanding universal self: an expanding awareness of everything there is to know; an expanding awareness of everything that is not known; an expanding awareness of everything that is unknowable.
Everything was revealed for her in that cracked mirror and she saw it all for herself; yet, still, she remained unaware that she was aware, preferring, instead, to let her self be distracted by the crack and the sad story it had to tell.
Filed under: Flash Fiction Tagged: awareness, Deepak Chopra, fiction, flash fiction, law of attraction, living, nature, spirituality, writing
September 28, 2014
The Moment Before He Realized He was Happy
Even the day seemed depressed: Clouds, swollen, heavy, and low, cried and cried their raindrop tears. Though he wished he could, and though he certainly felt as if he should, he did not cry in solidarity with the clouds. The clouds cried alone and for reasons which he did not understand, and for reasons which he did not contemplate; for he had his own reasons for which he wanted to cry and for which he spent a considerable amount of time contemplating.
But the day wasn’t really depressed. Intellectually, he knew that as a matter of fact; but, as a matter of feeling, he couldn’t help but think that because of his own sadness, the day, too, was sad. He thought, couldn’t we, by the sheer force of our moods, affect the environment around us? If our brainwaves are electric, then surely our electric thoughts must do something to that, and those, around us, right?
He softly scoffed at that thought, knowing as a matter of fact that it was impossible for his thinking to affect the weather.
He tried to remember whether he was sad before the day turned dreary or whether the day turned dreary before he became sad. As he pondered the order of the day’s depression, the clouds suddenly broke and a sharp beam of sunlight sliced its way through all the grayness and found its way through his window, turning his room into a brilliant denizen of light. The change in the room from gloom to glow was drastic and forced his eyes into a tight, reactive squint, which, in turn, forced the corners of his mouth upwards into an unsuspecting smile.
Filed under: Flash Fiction Tagged: depression, feelings, flash fiction, happiness, moods, nature, short short stories, spirituality, thoughts, writing
September 27, 2014
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…
Furthering the music discussion from a couple posts down…
So now the New York Times is reporting that Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is releasing his latest solo project, “Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes,” via BitTorrent for a mere six bucks.
BitTorrent will take 10% off the top and Yorke pockets the rest.
That’s right, the same band that seven years ago pretty much pioneered the act of giving away music.
Well, it wasn’t an actual giveaway, per se – the deal was, a fan could set whatever price he or she was willing to pay for the download.
So yeah, it essentially was a giveaway. I mean, come on…
I remember when Radiohead first made the news for their “set-your-price” gimmick. I remember thinking how off-the-wall it was. I also remember thinking that they’ll probably lose their shirts on it. However, I don’t remember why I never “purchased” the album for myself.
Probably forgot (I like them. They’re good. But their music has never motivated me enough to want to acquire it. Even if it’s free…apparently).
But, oh my garsh, the irony of Yorke’s latest gimmick, no?
Can you just imagine if this works, if Yorke creates a new music distribution model through BitTorrent, and, presumably, through other bit torrent services. I mean, we’re talking the same type of massive file sharing services — i.e., illegal download sites — that deserves most of the blame (credit?) for crushing the legacy music industry into unrecognizable pebble dust.
And it just may work — according to the Times article, there have already been over 60K download purchases of the album.
But heck, even if it does work, it’s just delaying the inevitable. Soon there will no such thing as ownership.
Soon, like, maybe, now soon, everything we digitizedly desire will exist freely in the cloud…along with the torrent of advertising it will take to support this ethereal freedom.
But hey, I’ll take free…even if it is for a price.
Incidentally, if you want to get a copy of In Rainbows now, it will cost you a pretty penny…er, euro — £7.50, to be exact. My guess is they’re still trying to recoup that shirt they lost from the initial “set-your-price” gimmick.
[[ For a broader perspective on and the implications of Apple "giving" away U2's Songs of Innocence, check out this thought-provoking article by A Little More Sauce: This is NOT a Gift: That U2 Album You Didn’t Ask For and the Possibility of Generosity ]]
Filed under: Business, Music Tagged: Apple, bit torrent, BitTorrent, file sharing, In Rainbows, New York Times, Radiohead, Songs of Innocence, Thom Yorke, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, U2
September 24, 2014
Amtrak Picked These 24 Writers to Get Free Roundtrip Rides
Something to aspire to…
Originally posted on TIME:
Amtrak announced the 24 writers chosen for its residency program on Wednesday, which offers the winners free roundtrip rides on Amtrak. Each resident will be given a private sleeper car that includes a desk, a bed and a window with a view of America’s countryside for inspiration.
Here are the chosen recipients:
Ksenia Anske, a Seattle-based fantasy writer
Scott Berkun, writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist
Jennifer Boylan, author of She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders, the first bestselling work by a transgender American
Craig Calcaterra, writer at NBCSports.com
Jen Carlson, deputy editor of Gothamist
Farai Chideya, award-winning journalist and Distinguished Writer in Residence at the NYU journalism institute
Anna Davies, young adult novel ghostwriter and writer for The New York Times and Salon.com
Korey Garibaldi, doctoral…
View original 198 more words
Filed under: Writing Tagged: Amtrak, authors, awards, free, writer's residency, writers
Freemium Outrage
Okay, wait a minute…I thought we were permanently ensconced — imprisoned? — in the Age of Free, in an era where either you give it away or it will be illegally downloaded from you…or ignored completely.
What gives then, Millennials, with all the outrage over Apple’s gift – gift meaning free, the word that has completely destroyed the record industry and is on the verge of bringing down Hollywood and maybe even the Big 6 (or 5…I forget) Publishers – of U2’s new album “Songs of Innocence?”
What? You only like free when it’s an illegal download?
What? You cry “Big Brother” upon seeing the free album magically cued in your iTunes player and then forget we live in the Internet Age, which is synonymous with the Age of Free, and the Age of Open Identity, the Age where you share every possible detail about your life without any care whatsoever.
What? You already forgot Snowden?
But when Apple gives you a gift, one that cost them somewhere in the ballpark of $30,000,000.00 (that’s Thirty Million Dollars for those unfamiliar with dollars since they’re so used to getting everything free), which is the price Apple reportedly paid U2 so they could give it away, you freak out as if you had just had a mind-controlling robot implanted into your brain (which you probably wouldn’t mind as long as it was done either illegally or as a joke so you could post it on facebook or whatever social network your tribe has migrated to just so you can get a flurry of “likes” or whatever.
Give me a freekin break.
Think about it. Why shouldn’t Apple reward both U2 and you, too?
Both of you have made Apple enormous, uncomprehendable amounts of money.
It was U2 and their Vertigo commercial for Apple’s iPod that changed the landscape — wrecked the landscape? — of music forever.
And it is you — or more likely your parents — who went out and bought those newfangled music players by the millions so you could be happy. Because let’s face it Millennial, it’s your happiness and only your happiness that matters these days.
So stop complaining for a change — please — and sit back, relax, and enjoy your gift of free music…
Filed under: Business, Music Tagged: Apple, Big Brother, Edward Snowden, free, freemium, iPod, iTunes, Millennials, rant, robotic implants, U2
September 19, 2014
In Celebration of the Old World Order
Scotland chooses to stay obediently within the stolid and familiar fold of the United Kingdom, so what better way to celebrate the postponement of the collapse of the well established Establishment than by eating some “cake” in a joint called Bonaparte?
Filed under: Food Tagged: humor, politics, Scotland, United Kingdom
September 17, 2014
Why Scotland Should Stay UK…or not
All I want to know about this controversial vote is…how are the Bay City Rollers voting?
Filed under: Politics Tagged: Bay City Rollers, England, humor, independence, John Oliver, Last Week Tonight, Scotland, United Kingdom, voting
September 14, 2014
The Long War
I’m no dove – my twenty years in the navy will attest to that – but lately I’m feeling like a character in George Orwell’s 1984.
“No matter how hard he digs at his memory, Winston is uncertain whether a time existed when Oceania was not at war with someone.”
But still, I guess a Super Power’s gotta do what a Super Power’s gotta do…
Filed under: War Tagged: 1984, current events, dystopia, fiction, George Orwell, Super Power, The Long War, writing
September 4, 2014
August 10, 2014
おはよう、ハミングバードくん！
A hummingbird at rest.
Beautiful.
Originally posted on :
ゆったりとした日曜日の朝を迎えました。プールの水面が朝の日差しを浴びてキラキラと輝いています。こんな日は、何だか素敵なことが起こりそうな予感が。。。とわくわくしていたら、起こりました！
フェンスに絡みついているトランペットバインに、ちっちゃなお客様が訪ねてきていたのです！お客様は、地面に届くほど低空飛行でトランペットバインの花の中に顔を押し付けて、おいしそうに蜜を吸っていたのですが、そのうち、夫がしつらえてくれたネクター飲み場に来て羽を休めてくれたのです。
嬉しくなって、即座にキッチンに戻って、水を沸かし始めたのは言うまでもありません。ハミングバード用のネクターは、２カップの水に1／２カップのお砂糖を溶かして沸かすだけです。
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Filed under: Nature, Photography Tagged: birds, flowers, HappyNest in America, hummingbirds, trumpet vine 
