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contours provocations
journal - 2003-0422 - 1900 Ringo! Dingo!; Ritual; "Big Easy" Food; "Da Vinci Code"; Porcupine Tree I think I'm loosing it. After work, I went to the grocery, and as I got out of the car I found myself humming. And then I realized it was "Jingle Bells." When I came out, I was muttering something along the lines of "Bingo! Lingo! Ringo! My baby was taken by a dingo!" Saturday evening, I'd thought of going to the "Great Vigil of Easter." It's a ritual that in effect summarizes the cycle of Christianity. My bent on such services is that they offer spiritual succor whether one be a believer or not. I despise that inbreed forms of pseudo Christianity that rejects any beliefs or rituals but their own. An article on the web indicated that batches of evangelical "Christians" have sprung into action and swept into Iraq to convert the heathens. (End of tirade.) Sunday, a friend and I scurried off to have an early lunch in an attempt to avoid the Easter crowds. Surprisingly, it was less congested than usual. The restaurant specializes in New Orleans cuisine. As we ate, I was trying to figure out how to describe the nature of NO food. A combination of African, Italian, French, Irish, Spanish. With an accent on indigenous ingredients. Spices, crawfish, seafood. Gotta watch those spices though. You can definitely loose your head. After lunch we turned the corner for a visit to Barnes & Noble. Several times recently, I've read very positive reports about Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". I was in luck, not only did they have it, but it was 30% off, plus another 10% for members. So the $25 book cost around $15. Amazon sums up the book as follows: "With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history." Alas, the book uses all the standard cliches of a mass market thriller. I was expecting something a tad more insightful. There's definitely esoteria galore. A lot of which I'm unfamiliar with. But at times, it seems like an end in itself. I guess this is another one of those cases in which you have high expectations, but the reality proves different. Sometimes, I'm almost afraid to have expectations. Over the weekend, I took the time to compile all those notes I've made at work, as I listened to KEXP or Radio Paradise. So now I have a semi-neat list of CDs by performers in alpha order. One in particular that I've been very interested in is Porcupine Tree's "In Absentia". So Monday at lunch I stopped by a locally-owned store and bought it. Incredible. Striking. Progressive. The guys are ever bit as good as Crosby, Still, Nash and Young at harmonizing. And the third cut "Lips of Ashes" is phenomenal. In this case, I had expectations. And the product is not lacking. PAX!
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