Be on the side of the egg

If it's good enough for Murakami, it should be good enough for everyone. Seriously, this speech by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami, is one of the two most interesting things that I've read in months. He delivered this speech upon receiving a literary award in Jerusalem and the ceremony was held shortly after the most recent Israeli attack in Gaza, which killed more than 1,000 Palestinians.

... It is left to each writer, however, to decide upon the form in which he or she will convey those judgments to others. I myself prefer to transform them into stories - stories that tend toward the surreal. Which is why I do not intend to stand before you today delivering a direct political message.

Please do, however, allow me to deliver one very personal message. It is something that I always keep in mind while I am writing fiction. I have never gone so far as to write it on a piece of paper and paste it to the wall: Rather, it is carved into the wall of my mind, and it goes something like this:

"Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg."

...

What is the meaning of this metaphor? In some cases, it is all too simple and clear. Bombers and tanks and rockets and white phosphorus shells are that high, solid wall. The eggs are the unarmed civilians who are crushed and burned and shot by them. This is one meaning of the metaphor.

This is not all, though. It carries a deeper meaning. Think of it this way. Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell. This is true of me, and it is true of each of you. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid wall. The wall has a name: It is The System. The System is supposed to protect us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us and cause us to kill others - coldly, efficiently, systematically.

When I come across something this profound, simple, elegant or simply sublime, I momentarily feel jealousy, frustration and anger that I've not been able to articulate such a brilliant idea. But the flash of negativity is quickly displaced by the far more important instinct to share this amazing thought with others hoping that someone else will be moved.

I owe this post to my good friend and former student MMY, who has become one of my favorite conduits of provocative links.

May there be peace in our times.

I'm not sorry, I hate U Twitter

Just read this on CNN's Political Ticker blog.

According to TweetCongress.org, more Republicans are now on the popular social networking site Twitter than are Democrats.

I wanna puke.

If you stumble upon this and have a facebook page ...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-Youth/48834193366

Thanks!

Great music, great cause

Hooray for Scotland (the other band)

The times they are-a changing

During college was the first time my name became a verb, more precisely my last name. To get "fric---ed" meant to be the first person who passed out at a party; or at least got the most intoxicated.

This past week at work, my first name acquired a new definition. "Doing/pulling a mike" first meant getting up to go to the bathroom during a meeting. My co-worker got up during a meeting and said "I've got to do a Mike."

"What?" I asked.

"I have to use the bathroom."

Ugh.

Then this morning I got an e-mail from the same co-worker noting that last night she stayed home (even though it was Saturday) by herself rather than go out. Here's the exact reference:

I pulled a Mike and stayed home last night. I was so tired from getting up early for the panel so it was what I needed.

WTF???? I've suddenly become a 78-year-old man. Maybe if I give up the ghost at like 57 that won't be a bad thing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Newspaper recommendations:

L.A. Times story about how evolution is happening faster now than before (even in humans). EXCELLENT.

L.A. Times opinion piece in which teens from Israel and Palestine are interviewed about the prospects for peace. FRIGHTENING in its honesty. And a great job of bringing youth voices into the newspaper.

Hooray for the L.A. Times hat trick. Here's an incredibly powerful and moving story about a straight, Mormon father of three and the friendship he formed with a lesbian priest. Douglas Hunter, the Mormon filmmaker, taught me a lot through this story about his friendship with a lesbian priest at a liberal church in Pasadena. First off, he's exactly what Barack Obama had in mind when he talked about the necessity of learning from those who think differently. He taught me that I have a long way to go to become a more open-mided person. And he gave me some hope that people are good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

And finally, the Grammys suck. I respect Sir Paul a ton—The Beatles are probably the most influential rock band ever—but I Saw Her Standing There in 2009? He was nominated this year, ya know? But who the fuck knows for what, because this awards show does NOTHING to celebrate the year in music that the awards are for.

And I'll never forgive Jethro Tull over Metallica in Best Heavy Metal when I was in junior high.