Author: DOuG pRATt

Death of a Monkee

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Davy Jones has died. That’s all I know at the moment. Follow-up: Heart attack.

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Mike Nesmith has released this remembrance:

All the lovely people. Where do they all come from?

So many lovely and heartfelt messages of condolence and sympathy, I don’t know what to say, except my sincere thank you to all. I share and appreciate your feelings.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

While it is jarring, and sometimes seems unjust, or strange, this transition we call dying and death is a constant in the mortal experience that we know almost nothing about. I am of the mind that it is a transition and I carry with me a certainty of the continuity of existence. While I don’t exactly know what happens in these times, there is an ongoing sense of life that reaches in my mind out far beyond the near horizons of mortality and into the reaches of infinity.

That David has stepped beyond my view causes me the sadness that it does many of you. I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality. I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane.

David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us.

I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels.

Good intentions, budget constraints

Tom Moroney of Bloomberg News tells this tragic, compelling story about one outcome of the current state of mental health services, in an age of reduced social services funding. Tom was on The Takeaway radio program Tuesday morning.

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/audio.wnyc.org/takeaway/takeaway022812h.mp3|titles=The Takeaway – Mental health service reductions]

A no-skip commercial

The first brand-new car I ever bought was a 1988 Mazda 323. It was okay for the first few years, but then it started having problems. I kept if for ten years, sold it with 125,000 miles on it, and I haven’t bought a Mazda since then. With gas prices headed back over four bucks per gallon, I don’t see performance as being a big selling point, but I sure do like Mazda’s new commercial with Bo Diddley doing Road Runner.

http://youtu.be/aAwnN8n2_-E

Here’s the complete original performance by Diddley. I don’t know where this was filmed, but I’d say it was in England or Europe.

http://youtu.be/WOOFx9c6qyA

Art depreciation

After sixteen years of sitting in the same spot at work, I have to move to another floor in the building, at least temporarily, because of remodeling. The building has a lot of original art, and some of it is very good, but I won’t be appreciating what I will see every time I look up from my desk. I’ve heard several different interpretations of this picture and a similar one next to it, and none of them are very positive, including my own.