Novel Times, Novel Measures

The virtual home of Lawrence S. Grodeska

December 31, 2009 • 7:55 pm 4

A Decade In Review, Part II: LSG in the Aughts

Against this chaotic backdrop of great and difficult change, I lived and I thrived. Looking back, I feel that I managed to experience and accomplish a tremendous amount of which I am very proud, and for which I am even more grateful. Before I launch into that list, I want to take a moment to remind myself just how fortunate I am — by virtue of my class, my sex and gender, my skin color, my health — to have the freedom and the means to be able to craft my life as I see fit. I try not to take this for granted, and this awareness keeps me honest and engaged.

So, finally, what the heck have I been doing for the past 10 years? On the most broad and basic level, I have been striving for health and happiness. I consider these two criteria my guideposts and have used them to make all of the big decisions in my life, and in the past decade. For me, my living situation plays a huge role in both my health and happiness, so perhaps that is a good place to start. I basically split the decade between two states, Vermont and California, living in 8 different domiciles with 9 different housemates. Notably, at the tender age of 31, I moved into my own apartment for the first time. I don’t necessarily view myself as much of an “adult,” but moving into my own cottage in Oakland felt pretty damn grown up, and I still have the good fortune to live alone in my own glorious space.

Despite my domestic tendencies, the Aughts were a decade of global travel for me. I visited 9 other countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, England, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan, in that order. Often my motivation for travel was to visit the sites of ancient cultures, something I find quite stimulating, and I managed to see quite a few: Macchu Pichu and Sacsayhuaman in Peru, Angkor in Cambodia, Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Palenque, Chilula and Tenochtitlan in Mexico, Stonehenge & Avebury Henge in England (not to mention Westminster Abbey, which feels like an ancient culture to me) and many sites in Japan including the ancient Japanese capital of Nara and the Ryokan-ji zen garden in Kyoto. It wasn’t all fun and games, though. I did manage to get all of my stuff stolen in Oaxaca, Mexico. Aiy.

While I was home, I certainly kept myself busy. Primary among my hobbies was music. I played dozens of gigs and 4 different instruments (voice, percussion, synthesizer/electronics and guitar) in 5 different bands (The Helicopter Consortium, Ekis, Deep Soda, Leon Tubbs and The Real Numbers), not to mention all the one-offs and sit-ins with other bands. Most gratifying was that I began writing music in earnest late in the decade, as well as studying guitar and music theory, both of which had been a long time in the making. I also came to realize, after a nearly 5 year hiatus from performing, that I dearly missed creating music with others and sharing that music on the stage. I’ve come to accept that creating music on some level will always be a part of my life, irregardless of circumstances or outcomes. Music is the best.

Other hobbies? Sure, I had ‘em. I made sauerkraut, which fulfilled a long-time dream of mine. At the very start of the decade, I built myself a computer from a hand-selected set of components. I converted a diesel mercedes to run on vegetable oil and proceeded to drive it 5000 miles across the country, 3500 of which were on scavenged oil. Of course, shortly after I moved to San Francisco I sold my dear Philly and have been living without a car for the 4 years since. To compensate, I built a fixed gear bicycle from an abandoned frame I found on the street one night in Oakland. Eventually, though, I bought a bike with some gears and began my initial forays into bike touring. And there was a bunch of other stuff, too: I started this here humble blog, I read dozens of books and discovered a deep love for graphic novels, etc., etc.

The Aughts weren’t all fun and games, though. I did have to earn a living along the way. Thankfully I was able to do so through employment that was, on the whole, fulfilling, enjoyable and meaningful. I’ve even stumbled onto a career of sorts. No small feat for someone never inclined towards the career track. I started the decade farming during the day and tending bar at a music venue at night. Along the way, I taught myself web development, graphic design, and basic database design, and ran my own freelance design business for 3 years. After packing it all up and moving out west, somehow I stumbled into the public sector. At StopWaste.Org I discovered the fascinating field of waste management which proved a practical application of my ecology degree and provided the opportunity to teach composting and gardening classes, among many other things. And now, I’m finishing the decade doing web marketing for San Francisco Department of the Environment. To be honest, I couldn’t be happier with where I am at professionally. If I gotta work, this is a great gig doing great work with good people.

Ah, people. None of this has happened in a social vacuum. Family and friends have been with me through the ups and downs of a decade. I welcomed a nephew and a niece and another niece into the world. With great sadness, I said goodbye to my last grandparent, Alice Dufford. I’ve watched my sister grow into a wonderful mother with her incredible husband, and went to AA meetings with my brother as he finally achieved sobriety, 5 years and counting, with the help of his own amazing partner. All in all, there were some seriously rocky times for my nuclear family, but somehow or another, we’ve muddled through it all with some deep breaths and gritty love. Mom and Dad, I haven’t said it enough. Thank you and I love you.

Beyond family, I’m truly blessed to have a very strong circle of friends whom I’ve known, in some cases, since the second grade and through high school, college and into adulthood. Leaving Vermont, I left that inner circle, although those people are still a part of my life. I’ve continued to meet many amazing people whom I’ve come to love and cherish, although I can’t help but feel that my social circle is shrinking. Perhaps it is me getting older, or perhaps it is a sign of the times, I can’t quite tell. However, this list would not be complete without also mentioning the fact that I have spent nearly this entire decade without a partner. It’s not for not trying — I have dated dozens of women, and experienced heartache many times over. I’ve kept myself open to possibility, though, and await with open arms what companionship a new decade will bring.

Finally, as this exercise winds down, I circle back to how I began, with health and happiness. The Aughts have been for me a time of experimentation, with diet, with exercise, with altered states. I attended my first 10 day silent meditation retreat at a Vipasanna center in Massachusetts. With a few lapses, I’ve been doing yoga on a nearly weekly basis for the past 10 years, and half of that time I’ve also been lifting weights with some regularity. I also began an almost yearly tradition of the Master Cleanse which I’ve done 4 or 5 times now. Of course, I’ve also had my fair share of sugar and caffeine and greasy, meaty binges, as well as stretches of malaise when I haven’t done much exercise at all, and periods when I was so pent up that meditation felt like a foreign country. You know what? I’m okay with that. I’m trying to trend towards good health and a calm mind, and that works for me.

And that might actually be the right note with which to wrap this whole exercise. There have been times in my life when I have gotten pretty down for not living up to my potential. In the end, I think I am a pretty energized person with many hopes and dreams and plans for my life, and for Life at large. However, it is always a constant struggle to recognize that I am just one person, and I have but one life, a century at the most, in which to live it. While I will continue to push myself to create, express, share, change and bring change, I will also strive for that necessary counterbalance, the ability to simply be, to observe, to feel, and to breath.

I don’t know what the next decade will bring, either for myself or for humanity. I have a dark intuition that it will be another challenging decade, perhaps even more so than the last, one that may force us all to confront a harsh reality and ask what we value most in our lives and in our society. However, with great change comes great opportunity. For my part, by being reflective and aware, I hope I am that more prepared for what lies ahead. In the end, that is really all I can do. And I’m okay with that.

So thanks, Aughts. And here’s to a new, more just and more peaceful decade. May all beings everywhere be happy and free.

Filed under: Uncategorized

December 31, 2009 • 7:23 pm 0

A Decade In Review, Part I: The Aughts

A few weeks ago I decided it would be an interesting exercise to recount some of the most memorable experiences I’ve had this decade. As the conventional wisdom goes, the best way to look ahead is to take a look back. So, I started a list, which was easy — following through, however, has been more challenging. My intention was to blog about this list, but aside from myself, who really cares about reading a list of my accomplishments? What should even be considered in the list? Good, bad and/or ugly? And how to prevent such an exercise from being so solipsistic as to become meaningless? After all, without considering the backdrop against which a life is lived, how can one gauge anything at all?

Given all of that, and considering that, from time to time, I do actually think about a picture bigger than my portrait, I’ve come to realize that this blog shall be in two parts: a brief review of the past decade, and a partial recount of my personal decade. In reviewing the decade at large, I hope to observe some major trends that have and will likely continue to shape the fabric of society, including the thread that is my life. In doing so, I wish to lay the ground work for a clearer perspective on myself and my times so that I might be best prepared for the next decade to come.

Part I: The Aughts

In thinking about the decade known to some as the “Aughts,” I have wondered why I didn’t write something similar about the decade known as the ’90s. Looking back at my journal from that time doesn’t reveal much. I do remember being caught up in the Y2K craze, wondering if this might not be the end of civilization as we knew it, but then again, I’m kind of susceptible to those “sky is falling” scenarios. As it turns out, though, I’m facing the close of this decade with a fair amount more introspection than the last time around. I suppose that 10 years in a life, especially 10 years in the first half of a life, can significantly alter how one processes the passage of time. And, quite frankly, I think the period of my life between 25 and 35 was a bit more exciting than that between 15 and 25. However, one thing that I am certain of is that I did not have the same platform upon which to process and broadcast in 1999 as we all do today, which brings me to my first observation…

One of the great societal shifts to occur over the last 10 years has been the rapid externalizations of our lives. Technology, and, specifically, the Internet, has transformed how we interact with each other, and even how we see ourselves. It has enabled us, with simple access to a web-connected computer, to broadcast our heartfelt convictions, creative expressions or trifling whims and fancies to an audience of potential millions. In the year 2000, there were no online social networks to speak of — today, through the evolution from Friendster to MySpace to Facebook, one could argue that we have too many. Likewise, since their inception early in the decade, blogging has become everything from hapless fun to a legitimate form of journalism. Video technology now empowers anyone with a few bucks to craft their own story in moving images. And, for better or worse, our virtual inbox has expanded from simple email to include text messages, social network messages, Twitter, all on top of the relics of snail mail and voice mail.

I see this unprecedented access to communications platforms as one of the last great hopes for freedom and democracy, but, ironically, also a great threat to free thought and collective action. Given the corporate control of traditional media outlets such as television, film and radio, outsider or “fringe” culture has never been able to communicate their messages to the degree that is now possible. Further, our newfound digital connections have enabled members of far flung subcultures to find each other and share, create, organize. Consequently, we’ve seen new levels of accountability for our leaders, if not downright revolutions waged with these tools. The downside to this ability to broadcast, beyond creating such menial, if not at times hilarious memes like LOLcats, is that we are witnessing the continued splintering of social groups. Perhaps more disturbing, however, is the self-fulfilling reinforcement of peronsl beliefs due to our new ability to conciously segregate ourselves by filtering information we receive according to our worldviews. With the ability to select our own version of “news” tailored to fit our pre-conceived notions and minimize cognitive dissonance, i.e. displeasure, I fear that we a breeding mental inflexibility that could result in a frightening era of fundamentalism.

The evolution of technology in the Aughts was not restricted to the Internet. This decade might well be considering the decade of mobile. Ephemeralization, the process of doing more with less as observed and coined by Buckminster Fuller, has been hard at work and well in hand over the past 10 years. What began the decade as a pleasant convenience that served a simple function — making and recieving phone calls without being tied to a landline — has metamorphosed into the handheld communicator envisioned by Gene Roddenberry in Star Trek three decades prior. Now, the ability to capture a moment, in sound, image or video, lies at the tips of our fingers, and the concomitant privacy issues have changed human relations forever. From the mainstreaming of pornography to the accountability of the political class, I still don’t think we’ve come to understand how differently our lives will be in mobile age, to speak nothing about how geo-location will play out in the coming decade.

These are some of the bigger trends that I’ve seen impacting humanity as we know it. Of course, so much more transpired in the Aughts. At the start of the decade, and now at the end, terror came home to America and America went back to war, as if we ever really left it behind. The next great environmental threat of climate change was handed to the next unsuspecting generation to confront, which kick-started a new movement for sustainability, along with new levels of apathy and ecological detachment. Our political system continued its long, slow merger with the private sector, much to the chagrin of independent political observers, and much to the detriment of everyone but the nation’s wealthiest. That same private sector presided over the further destabilization of the global economy thanks to trading in utterly abstract and absolutely worthless financial products. In the same decade, America elected to the office of President the first black man as well as what may have been the most average man ever to hold the office. Many icons passed on — Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Ted Kennedy, Terence McKenna, to name a few. And unfortunately, reality TV made it that much easier for no-talents to replace these luminaries in the pantheon of public consciousness.

And so on. I could continue, but I need to stop somewhere, as does this decade. Up next, Part II: LSG in the Aughts

Filed under: At Home, Technology, The Future

December 29, 2009 • 2:28 pm 1

My Fave Albums of the Aughts

Well, better late than never. But I’m not late just yet…two more days left in the decade known as the “Aughts”. Or something. Actually, who really knows what to call this decade, or what the hell happened during the last 10 years. Let’s face it, it was a weird one. I’m working on compiling my thoughts (and deeds!), but for now, at the prompting of my pal Casey at The Contrarian, here are my favorite and/or most listened to albums of the Aughts. I may have missed the deadline at The Contrarian, and my list might be a bit different than all the critical “top 10″ lists floating around out there, but, hey, this is my list and my blog. So enjoy!

PS – looking over these selections, you would think I stopped listening to new music circa 2005. I assure you, this is not the case. These albums just had a headstart…

PPS – I really wish I could have embedded the LaLa.com player for each album on this post instead of the rather unsatisfying link. However, after a half-decade, I’ve come to realize that WordPress sucks. Imma movin’ to Blogger come 2010, you betta!

Tool – Lateralus [2000] listen >>
I remember loving Tool’s big ’90s hit, “Sober,” but it wasn’t until Lateralus that I finally grokked the fact that Tool are a straight-up prog band wrapped in the more fashionable cloak of heavy rock. This album is cohesive, instrospective and badass. Long live Maynard, Danny and the boys. I might also mention that seeing tool at the Oakland Arena in 2005 may have been my arena rock moment of the decade.

Ween – White Pepper [2000] listen >>
There was a point in time when this album was the defacto soundtrack for the apartment I shared with DJ Ranztron in Burlington, Vermont. Sure, there was some serious competition with Curtis Live! and The Redheaded Stranger, but somehow or another, the wide girth of White Pepper was the perfect mix of weirdo pop for that moment in time, and many others to come.

RJD2 – Dead Ringer [2002] listen >>
Nas may famously (and accurately) commented that “Hip Hop is Dead,” but it sure wasn’t down or out. Hip hop beats that crept into otherwise poppy 90′s tracks were on display full force in the Aughts. But only DJs like RJD2 and Shadow who continued to innovate with the form kept my attention. Dead Ringer is a head noddin’ treat from start to finish.

The Roots – Phrenology [2002] listen >>
I think this is the album when the Roots finally embraced the fact that they are a rock ‘n’ roll band who plays hip hop. Evidence? The first guitar player to join the lineup, a straight up thrash track, and a blisteringly soulful collaboration with Cody ChestnuTT, “The Seed (2.0).” The rhymes didn’t disappear, but on Phrenology the Roots opened the floodgates and upped their game for real.

Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [2002] listen >>
I remember seeing Wilco back in 1998 at my old stomping grounds of Higher Ground in Vermont. My reaction? A shrug of the shoulders and a disinterested “meh,” despite my love of classic Country & Western. Now, if Wilco had been playing the kind of edgy, emotional alt-country that comprises Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, my reaction would have been very different. Jeff Tweedy’s change of course on this album changed my mind about Wilco.

The Jayhawks – Rainy Day Music [2003] listen >>
In case you don’t know, I love melody. Big melody. Vocal hooks galore. Never one to disappoint, Gary Louris packed what was to be The Jayhawk’s last album, Rainy Day Music, with so much heartbreakingly beautiful harmony that the album nearly makes my computer weep with joy. “All the Right Reasons” may be the best alt-country love song of the decade.

The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow [2003] listen >>
With so much indie being, in large part for me, predictable and derivative, Chutes Too Narrow snuck into my music library and knocked my socks off. I missed their debut, but this album endeared me to The Shins  — smart lyrics, simple yet solid musicianship, beautiful arrangements, and unforgettably, undeniably something new.

Green Day – American Idiot [2004] listen >>
So there are a lot of kids from the Gilman St. days who are gritting their teeth right at this entry, but clearly I’m not one of them. American Idiot packs such a potent punch of so much that I love — tight arrangements, searing melody, political dissidence — that it finally earned Green Day my respect.

The Polyphonic Spree - Together, We’re Heavy [2004] listen >>
For the life of me, I can’t remember where I discovered The Polyphonic Spree. It was almost as if they found me through the intertubes for the sole purpose of embedding their joyous cacophony directly into my neocortex for the span of 6 continuous months. During that time, I could listen to nothing else; I could sing nothing else walking down the street; my housemate Evan and I would stage Spree singalongs at his piano. Suffice to say, Together, We’re Heavy took the title track of Sgt. Pepper’s and adapted it for the Aughts and for that, I thank you, Spree.

Spoon – Gimme Fiction [2005] listen >>
Like other artists in this lists, I came late to the Spoon bandwagon, too. Actually, it wasn’t until I saw an absurd video of an adorable yellow robot dancing to “I Turn My Camera On” that I was moved to seek out what is now one of my favorite rock acts. Gimme Fiction gives us Spoon at a turning point in their career and creativity. Marking the move from memorable indie edge to an unforgettable something bigger and even more bold, this album put Spoon on my map and in constant rotation.

Benji Hughes – A Love Extreme [2008] listen >>
Eletctro-freak-funk-hick-pop at it’s best. Yes, he sounds like Beck. No, he doesn’t look like you would expect him to. Get over it and get into it. He had the guts to put out a debut double album that nails it…pretty much. I can’t say that this album is 25-tracks solid, but I can tell you that the 93% that works is a beautiful thing. After all, it’s all about the Love.

Special Re-Issue Mention: The Beatles – Let It Be…Naked [2003] read >>
I’m including this album because, well, I love it. Cheers to Paul for having the courage to go back into the studio — with George’s permission before he died, although I’m not sure if he even asked Ringo — to expunge the heinous crimes of Phil Spector, and put out an unbelievable re-issue which was just a taste of what was to come.

Honorable Mentions:

Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbers Days
Animal Collective - Feels
TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
The Feeling – Twelve Stops & Home
Hot Chip - The Warning
Danger Mouse – The Grey Album
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Filed under: Music

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