Life, love and in vino veritas

Every day is like sunday,
Every day is silent and grey.


Happiness part 1.

There is some chimerical line that is crossed, somewhere between 35 and 45. It's the point of no *romantic* return. Mortgages, kids and flat screen TVs take precedence over "well up for it" tottie. Maybe I should be saying "real love", or maybe what idealists might call "true happiness", takes over.

But hold on a minute, "happiness", jesus what the hell is that, happiness is truely dumb. Movies and weddings end in happiness. Happiness is an afternoon nap, on a blissfully languid sunday afternoon. Happiness is something, but it's not life, certainly not a life lived. When you look back, on your one and only life, what more a tragic thought could one ponder than, i never really lived.



I'm happy with not being happy, this fact confuses people. I'm often accused of being "a little bit of a lost soul", perhaps I'd be happier if I saw a spiritual advisor, or meditated or something. Please don't make the logical mistake (no apologies however for the 98% of you that do) I'm not saying I am unhappy (denying the antecedent for the geeks). What I am saying is that "happiness" is overated.



Personally I think excitement rates higher than happiness. Forget contentment, lifes too short for that, you can be content when you are dead. The problem with excitement is that it comes barbed, particularly in your suburban nuclear family setting. Excitement is as inherently risky as happiness precedes brain-dead mediocrity. Given the choice of excitement vs happiness, You can guess what I'd choose. It's a boy thing, no fuck it, it's a man thing - nothing wrong with that is there - we love adventure. Why do I skate, climb mountains on my own etc (at 45) because the alternative sucks - I see the 30-something risk-averse-daddys with 50-something guts supervising their scooter riding kids at Waitangi Park tragically dressed by their pursed-lipped wives - that's happiness!??

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with "relationships", or kids, I have both, in fact I recommend them both - but you die one day, get that, one day you are going to die. In reality, love and death are the only things that really matter.

A historic moment.

As many of you know, I have been talking about oil and our global economy, for a few years now. Many of the events now unfolding in the face of complete disbelief to many people are right here in this blog. In the last few days we have seen the highest single day spike of oil since it was first pumped out of the ground.

It's timely to compile a few links to my articles/rantings/predictions - from the beginning of this blog.

Suburbias Looming Fire Sale - 2004 (and of course this has now started)
People are deluded if they think the way we live can continue indefinately. More suburban sprawl and housing estates, DVD's, Plasma screen TV's, never ending ships with full of imported Cherokee Jeeps... this is all gonna end - soonish.

During 2004 I invented a "Lobby Group" to get the word out. Here's an early PowerLess NZ press release.
New Zealand politicians are intent on ignoring the problem and continue to build and plan a multibillion-dollar fossil fuel dependant infrastructure.

All the PowerLess NZ Releases I wrote are here.
Here is a quote of mine from 2005.
The credit-card-fed/mortgage orgy will not be sustainable once the hand-brake of late 80s like interest rates bite as oil prices go through the canopy.

I predicted Stagflation back in April 2004. Here is the wikipedia explanation of Stagflation.
Economic growth necessarily depends on a cheap energy subsidy, to grow economically one needs to increase energy consumption. As the price of oil continues to creep upwards the spectre of oil-shock induced stagflation looms.

An essay I wrote for the NZ Futures Trust.
The article was called Peak Oil: An Austere Future - I hate to say "told you so" but unfortunately, it seems to be the case.

Once the peak does occur the price for a commodity for which demand now supplants supply will result inevitably in lower or negative growth.

If you've only just started thinking about this - look around you. Look at what's happening, and look how long I've been talking about it. It's going to get worse. Get to grips with the reality as soon as you can.

Playing Favorites #4

The long awaited 4th track on my playing favorites. I just had a feeling, right now of sadness, because I'm on the other side of peak. I only have one more track after this, so the pressure naturally gets tighter on this side of the five. There could be a significant delay before #5.

Wigan's The Verve are a band that I didn't pay too much attention to in the early 90s when they were at the top of their game. I was busy doing the electronica thing, dance parties, raves, ecstacy etc. Although I always loved rock.

So, a long time after the event, I'm putting on the CD player all those bands that actually started the whole thing, the Madchester sound. I wouldn't blame you if you thought that some of the Verve is sentimental - it is. But in amongst that sentimentality is some pure class, pure rock. This track, has it's namesake in Oasis, but it's a totally different track. Slide Away. The Verves version is glam, dark, slightly goth, probably what today kids would call emo. Fully emo in actual fact. This Is Music. And it's true. You can hear almost everyone in this, everyone from The Cult, thru aussies class late 80s pub act The Screaming Tribesman, Vedder, NZ's Bailterspace - I could go on. If Cobain was alive today you could be sure he'd have this track in his collection - so would Ian Curtis for that matter.

Ironically it wasn't until 97 that the Verve were featured on the cover of NME a few years after their big American outing at Lolapalooza. And a year before that this track topped the UK indie charts. The Verve are arguably the most underated of the brit rock bands - overshadowed at the time by Oasis and the Stone Roses. But, then, there is always something cool about the underdog.

I give you number 4. The Verve's, Slide Away - you can hear it at their myspace page. From their debut album "a storm in heaven" - A true rock classic. If you consider yourself cool in anyway whatsoever - you need this in your collection - get it tomorrow. Put it on at your next party.

Verve - Slide Away
So take your time
I wonder if you're here just to use my mind
Don't take it slow
You know I've got a place to go
You always do that
Something I'm not sure of
But just for today
Let go and slide away

I was thinking maybe we could go outside
Let the night sky cool your foolish pride
Don't you feel alive
These are your times and our highs

So take your time
I wonder which cup you'll drink from
I hope it's mine
Beause you always do that something
Something I'm not sure of
But just for today
Let go and burn away
'Cause I read your mind
I need it because it takes me where I can't find
Because you always do that something
Something I'm not sure of
But just for today
Let go and burn away

[repeat]

Slide Away burn away
Slide Away burn away
I read your mind
I read your mind
'Cause it takes me to where I can't find...

Am I scaring you?

I think it's because I'm clumsy

I try not to talk too loud

Maybe it's because I'm crazy

I try not to act too proud

An Apology.

Last week I published a blog here (subsequently deleted) running down a NZ academic organisation. The blog also referenced a few individuals which I may well have inadvertantly offended. I didn't have that intention. The blog was written in the heat of a moment, overly emotive - a few swear words thrown in. But, it was over the top.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But there are better more appropriate ways to voice them than just lashing out. I've always been something of a subversive - however I'm upset myself, that I have upset a few people that I have a lot of respect for.

I apologise for the article - particularly to those that I upset or offended. It was silly and somewhat childish - sorry.

Sincerely
Steve.