Orinoco, Pliers and Formulas..

Hello again. It has been too long, so I may as well dive right in.. Did you know that mandolins were at one time very highly thought of in Japan.. So much so that mandolinists were completely immune to the persecutions of Japan's military government. Apparently, due to the Japanese tendency to not enjoy complex rhythms, the mandolin music preferred in that country was the slow Italian variety. Another peculiar Japanese characteristic is that they are a naturally socialist people. By this I mean that instead of small bands, where each member may demonstrate his or her virtuosity, Japanese mandolinists organized themselves into huge orchestras, where they could all blend in harmoniously together. Musical socialism is a very good idea in many cases, as long as the orchestra is not too enormous, and the conductor not too despotic..

A month or so ago, I sustained a severe blow to my shin. It eventually turned into a puss filled welt, and now it feels really strange.. Perhaps a visit to the doctor is in order. However this is not possible, as they might find something wrong. Besides, I have not been to a doctor since I dropped a guitar on my toe when I was 13.

Have you ever noticed that some of us have strange faces; faces that if looked at from even a slightly different angle make us look like completely different people. I noticed this recently when I checked the view count on my Youtube video. We are a strange sort of people. It is like that Seinfeld episode.. I think the festivus one, where Jerry's girlfriend changes in different lighting. Perhaps I only think this about myself because I am not in the habit of holding two mirrors up, but I have noticed this in many other people.. Perhaps a bored brain just comes up with ways to amuse itself while the owner is out shopping.

So today I was waiting at Autex Mazda while my dads car was being inspected. During the wait, I started reading an awful magazine. In it was an article about some recent violence in Mexico.. It was not about the extreme acts of unfathomable brutality that the cartels are fond of, or even about food riots by angry farmers unable to buy corn because it is being used to make ethanol.. No.. It was about emo kids and how they are being persecuted by just about everyone else in Mexico City. Really? Now; unlike race, "Emo-ness" IS something you have control over.. If you do not like getting hit for wearing tight jeans and makeup, there would seem to be an easy path towards ending this violence. I don't know.. Perhaps my recent foray into the world of conservatism has given me a slightly negative attitude towards those who are... well, Non traditional.. Also, perhaps it is my lack of understanding of this "culture" that causes me to be critical. Of course I am not saying that people should not have the right to wear whatever they want and paint their faces.. I am just saying that when popular opinion is so obviously against you, and you do not seem to have any message other than misery and nihilism to deliver.. It is perhaps time to start considering other options. You have to think though.. Is this really important? Of all the problems facing Latin America, is this the one that should stand out? No. No it is not.. What is important is that Mexico is starving, and that whole families have absolutely no other option for survival then to break the law. Perhaps I got a bit lost back there, but as I remember, the author of the article in question concluded that the violence, and the American style sub cultures involved would shatter our bigoted stereotypes of Mexicans as sombrero wearing cactuses... Or something... I would rather keep my childish stereotypes then forget that even though Mexico might have modern innovations like the emo scene.. It is still in trouble, and needs help.