Monday, December 28, 2015

The Integratron

I just got back from five days in Palm Springs and fell in love with the place. There is something about being in the desert that recharges me.  It’s likely the combination of scenery and purity that transport me to a much quieter headspace.   Here’s an account of one of the side trips I took.



The town of Landers lies roughly an hour or so outside of Palm Springs.  After drifting through the mountains and taking a few turns you are greeted by a domed structure that looks like a small observatory.  The man who built it, George Van Tassel, asserted that his design was based in part on the directions of extraterrestrials. He claimed to have been taken aboard a ship that arrived to Landers from the planet Venus in 1953. While onboard, Van Tassel learned the various theories of time travel and rejuvenation that shaped his knowledge.  According to the website, the Integratron’s physical location is a key component of its magic. More details are here.


These days, the easiest way for the public to experience the Integratron is to partake in a sound bath. Once everyone is lying down comfortably on the floor, a guided meditation takes place for grounding purposes. Next, a series of quartz bowls are played which emanate sounds and vibrations that are enhanced by the acoustically optimized building. I recall thinking that the sounds were coming not from the woman playing the bowls but from within my skull. After a few minutes I felt myself slipping into a different state of awareness. It was a spiritual Elvis-has-left-the-building moment.


The best way I can describe my state is that it was in-between being awake and being asleep. I was aware of being inside my body but I was not fully conscious. At first I experienced audio hallucinations where the sounds began to form words (I only wish I could recall what those words were). The next thing I remember is the feeling of opening my eyes and seeing a vase of yellow flowers on a white mantle against a white wall. Later, I thought I saw the sections of the Integratron wall folding in on each other.

For the first 30 minutes or so of the drive back to Palm Springs I felt a tingling sensation all over. I also experienced the sensation of floating within my own body. I hadn’t felt so calm in a long time and chose to drive in silence, enjoying the scenery and serenity.

Check out the Integratron site for full details on how to visit.  Reservations are essential as there is a limited amount of space.

http:www.integratron.com







Saturday, September 26, 2015

Let it go...and so fade away




While driving back into the city the other day, I found myself in need of a change from the usual WFMU/Howard Stern/Spotify playlist selections that tend to dominate my listening these days. My ears craved the comfort food of NYC classic rock radio. Once upon a time there were three stations to choose from – WNEW, K-ROCK, and Q104.3. It was difficult not to find a song you liked on at least one of the stations at any given time. With the consolidation and corporatization of radio stations and formats, only Q104.3 continues to churn out the classic rock. If the #1 radio market in the US can support only one classic rock station, I pity the smaller regions of the country that have to slurp up whatever morsels are available to them among the selections of rock-type music that are being cranked out today.

When I tuned in, I stumbled upon a staple of classic rock radio – the workforce block. To the uninitiated, a workforce block consists of 3-4 songs of the same artist. These blocks are usually requested by some person whose job allows him to be in close proximity to a radio so he can hear his name being uttered by the DJ as his songs are queued up. This particular block happened to be devoted to U2. For one thing, it’s interesting how U2 went from college rock radio to alternative radio to Top 40 radio to classic rock. That trajectory feels like the journey of my own life from youth to middle age. The last song of the block was “Bad”, now 31 years old.

While listening to the song my mind drifted back to the years 1984-1987, the same era when U2 straddled the fences of alternative rock and Greatest Rock Band In The World. I thought about how, at the age I was during that time, bands and songs had the ability to transform and uplift me beyond my self-loathing being. In those days there was an excitement around hearing the new single from whoever was the hottest band around at a certain point in time.

These days, music has become a throwaway commodity. For $9.99 per month I have access to millions of songs. It’s not like it once was when you had to be more discriminating about what music you were going to purchase because albums and CDs were more costly. It would be quite the task to assemble my Spotify library if I had to buy each album or song individually. The upside to this is that I’ve encountered a ton of good music without incurring great expense. I tend to save a track or band that captures my fancy but much of it is in-and-out. There’s no sense of permanence here. Most of the artists and songs don’t burn themselves into my consciousness in the same way that the songs of my youth did.

I’ll still get excited listening to older stuff but I wonder why I’m missing the transcendent nature that was part of my youth. Is it because I have it all ay my fingertips to be punched up immediately? Is it merely due to the passage of time that has brought me away from the time in life where the spark can happen? Or is it simply a question of the quality of what’s out there?

In regards to the last question, it’s too early in the digital music game to know what the longevity of today’s streaming superstars will be. Perhaps I’ll know more when I revisit this topic down the road.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Got Screwed? So What!




You’re standing on the sidewalk outside of what used to be your office.  In your arms is a cardboard box full of the crap that you accumulated during your tenure.  Maybe you had to pack your things in front of your co-workers who all looked away at the Dead Man Walking so as not to catch the disease of Being Fired via your glance.  Perhaps your things were already waiting at reception, your (former) HR person having done you the “favor” of packing your crap so that you wouldn’t even have to walk into the office.

Your boss decided he needed a scapegoat for some things that went awry on his watch that had nothing to do with you.  You know, that guy who you always thought was a bit like an automaton with his “asks” for things like “rockstar” performance and “championing the customer”.  His taking license with the English language aside, he showed his true colors and set you up for the fall.

So there you are, watching everyone walking around you in the street with their jobs seemingly intact as you wonder just how in the world you are ever going to get another job now that you have the Scarlet F branded on you.  Fear not- millions of people have been fired before you and they were all able to recover.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

You Are Not A Loser

Never make the mistake of basing your self-worth on a job.  You are much more than the sum of things you do to earn a check.  Assuming that you’ve truly been screwed, remember that you did nothing wrong. The only person that can take your self-respect away from you is…. YOU.

Own It (But Honestly)

Don’t start lying about what happened to you because as the laws of reality tend to go for most of us, you will get caught.  If asked why you left your last job, you can reply with something like “Well, over the last few months it was clear that the company and I were moving in different directions.  I’ve been taking my time in looking for the next opportunity to ensure that it is the right fit for me.”  Some people will let you leave it at that.  If pressed, come up with an example of something that your employer was doing (a new policy; treatment of customers) and spin that into your answer.  Companies that screw their own employees tend to have a lot of questionable behaviors.  It won’t be hard to find a good example.

You will find that some potential employers aren’t as concerned as you think about being terminated.  There’s no need to over-discuss the point.  In fact, don’t even bring it up unless your interviewer does.

Embrace Your Friends

If you have co-workers that you were friendly with, you will want them to help vouch for you as a reference.  Hopefully, you were a good person and a good co-worker.  If so, this won’t be hard.  And remember, it’s possible that they may want your help in seeking their next gig once you’ve landed at yours.

Enjoy The Time


If you’ve been working hard for the past couple of years, give yourself permission to slack a little bit (finances permitting).  Your brain and soul both need time to unwind.  Do yoga, exercise, hit the beach, read, or do whatever makes you feel good (provided that it’s a healthy undertaking- no one benefits from drinking all day and night).

Good luck! I am definitely pulling for you!