I leave you with gershwin and grofe'

NOTHING IS BETTER than awakening to national public radio, just before arising for a cup of half decaf coffee, and a bit o blogging. With NPR you either get classical music to start your day, or, if you sleep a bit longer, cogent analysis of current events.

On weekends they throw in interesting human interest programs, among them, one called "Human Kind". A good name, for its gender inclusive title, and the double entendre evoked by the use of the word "kind". Another good one is "This American Life", with ira glass. We'll leave that for later.

The topics are always of interest, and worthwhile, and you don't always have to agree with what they say. This morning for me began with gershwin's "rhapsody in blue" mainly on piano, and grofe's "grand canyon suite", which i sleepily learned both premiered in a once in a lifetime type concert in new york in 1924. Oh, to've been there. Gershwin of course was trying, successfully, to blend jazz with classical music, and so successfully did he do so that  "jazz became a lady".

ferde grofe', who, believe it or not was an american composer, not french, actually visited the grand chasm several times, but wrote the suite in chicago, i learned, sleepily. (I sleepily, not ferde). I slept through only a small part of each piece, but, oh, how vivid were my dreams!

Back to human kind. The topic was relaxation, and the reduction of stress. relevant, because what american among us does not think about it, and have at least one issue with it? But today, i disagreed with a lot of what the expert was saying.

He said we don't get enough rest in ameica because we live in a culture which doesn't give us permission to rest. My immediate response, half asleep, was: who in the hell needs permission from some stinking american to get a little rest! But of course i got his point; in a culture whcih urges us all to activity, and work, work, work, rest is almost a sin, a sign of laziness, a disgrace.

Then he suggested that a great way to reduce or eliminate stress is to gather together some people, and just talk, even if, as he said, its only five or six people. Sleepily, i thought "that's lunacy!" If you get get five or six americans in the same room, which might be nearly impossible in any event, all you're gonna get is five or six voices screeching simultaneously, three or four arguments, and enough added stress to raise your systolic six points.

Talk it all out with a few friends, was the message. Talk it out, and it will drain away.. well, OK...but be careful..be very, very careful...by doing this, you are being dareful.

then he said something about the blatant individualism of our culture, which shuts out this sort of group activity, i think was his point. (again, i was sleepy, and as yet uncoffeed.) Individualism? in THIS culture? what!!!!  Hell, the least indication of non conformity in this culutre renders you an outcast. this culture is about as individualistic as as a tadpole in a mud puddle. all vestiges of individualism, any trace, was burned out of our system with the death of the hippie movement, which occured, like everything bad in america, starting with the reagan administration in the early nineteen eighties.

But at least i got to hear some good gershwin, some good grofe (american), and some good, if crazy dreaming, all before coffee, and i leave you with that.