When The Soundtrack

Was a time when film soundtracks were generally original music composed for the film, rather than a collection of popular songs considered to fit the film.

Saw The Firm on late night television. Hadn’t seen it previously, as with many popular films of particular times. Caught by the piano overlay. Wondered what album the music was from.

Turned out that certain selections of the soundtrack were original piano pieces composed by David Grusin. Such as the title piece:

To a closing

Moving earlier to

Somebody said it was a privilege

One Day, I Knew

Neil Remington Abramson commented as follows:

I know that some people do report the bright light and hear God’s voice, as parts of their conversion experience. You asked me if there was a moment like that for me and were, I think, disappointed when I thought not. I think I left you with the idea that it was more intellectual, but that isn’t really true. It was more a feeling, or maybe a knowing that came upon me after a long struggle of trying to reduce it to intellectual gamesmanship.

As for others’ bright lights, appearances, and voices, it is not for me to judge. Saul was struck blind because he couldn’t or wouldn’t see. I, however, imagine all these signs as metaphorical.

We all live our lives of everydayness with its predictable thoughts, events, outcomes and interpretations. God is all around us, trying to get our attention, but we generally – most people – don’t see Him because we think He is not there. He’s really got to try His best, and even then we might not see.

The conversion experience is when God’s kingdom breaks through into the everydayness to prove the latter to be the illusion. But then you still have to remember, and persuade yourself it wasn’t a daydream, or too much booze.

So what about me? In the Jungian personality typology stuff there is one attitude/function intimately connected to the collective unconscious. I guess those people, known as Introverted Intuitors, aren’t as committed to the solidity or inevitability of what we ordinarily see in our ordinary daily lives. They receive intuitions from beyond their personal consciousness. often enough though the process is not in their control. Maybe that’s me, or what happened to me.

I never had an issue with whether there was a world beyond that we all ordinarily live in. I just didn’t know this entity called God, though I could see from time to time that He was knocking on my door. Eventually, I guess I realized I knew Jesus’ voice, and could trust His guidance, and through Him, that of His Father.

So I suppose it was organic. But I didn’t need the theatrics to show me there was a world beyond the world. I knew that. I just didn’t know for a long time that I knew God, or that I was His, and He mine.

One day, I knew. It changed my life. That’s life. What can you do, either way?

Points of orientation

Community Leader

So many non-elected persons purport to lead, followed by representations to government that such persons have particular influence. Or followed by attempts to influence.

Would seem that elected officials should be somewhat cautious in relation to the “I am a leader of X community” representation. The organization itself may be non-representative of the “community”, and the funding of such an organization may be unclear, if not entirely undisclosed. Politicians may engage based on some representation as to the possibility of block votes. “They will vote for you if I support you” involves a particular view of the electorate that seems to obviate the need to persuade individuals of the merits of a particular position. Just be friends with the “community” leader.

If one wishes to encourage pluralist engagement and to demonstrate support for a pluralist democracy…well, somehow the “I am the leader of X community” rings hollow, exclusionary and divisive, meriting a highly measured response.

Or at least knowing how someone became that which is now called “leader”, as well as the nature and extent of the “community” that he or she supposedly leads.

Haven’t taken the course

Tragedies and Potential Miracles

From Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis (2004), in relation to drug addict perceptions, in detox, of others in detox:

You recognize the possibility of your own demise in the lives of these other people. You’re doing the same thing they are, but you can’t see it in yourself. However, you start seeing all of these tragedies and potential miracles in other people.

Bleeding Heart

Neil Remington Abramson commented as follows:

I had a class with no A’s once. I had one with a C+ average, where all the other sections were B+ or higher, but I figured the other instructors were bleeding hearts.

Offered to raise mine to B-.

Director said no. He hated the bleeding hearts. No standards.

Lord a little love in the world is all I need

Chelsea Hotel

One description of the iconic Chelsea Hotel, by Anthony Kiedis. From Scar Tissue (2004):

It was the land of a thousand character ghosts.

Over thirty years earlier, Leonard Cohen saw/knew

We were running
For the money
And the flesh

I remember you well

I’m glad you stood in my way

Helmet Head

From Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis (2004):

I just thought it would be great if we wore helmets that belched fire. So we went to a prop designer Lindy knew, and he came up with a silver construction helmet that had a spigot sticking out of the top and a tube that ran from the spigot to a can of propane housed on a waist belt. We each had a valve at our side so we could control the intensity of the flame.

But when you’re dealing with fire and a delivery system, there are bound to be some screwups. We’d be able to spew out a good three-foot plume of fire, but on some nights someone wouldn’t hit the valve right, or the propane can would be nearly empty, and there’d be three guys with raging volcano heads and one guy with a three-inch Bic lighter coming out of his head, only he had no idea his flame was so small. It was very emasculating Flame envy.

Seemed to get the balance on this night: