...unity, jazz, cynicism and barrique wine

Dear Visitor,

You might hastily think that (after)life in Valhalla, as people would know it, is an endless string of quaffs and horror video sing-alongs, therefore, pretty boring for an in-tuh-lec-tewal in-duh-vee-dual (no way search engines would spot this!) -- au contraire, Valhalla moves with the times, and just last night we had a refreshing taste of what an enlightened ex-norse warrior could do on their free time (which, believe me, friends, they have a lot of, now being unburdened from the constant need for ravishing villages, looting, and etcetera, in short, things a proper norse warrior should be doing... pretty much it's in the job description). Well, what about a gig by graduating students from the jazz conservatory? Check! What about great barrique'd red wine (bleuport, as far as I can recall) and a great conversation while the abovementioned music plays? Check! What about delicious stuffed aubergine? Check! What about way-over-the-top salty green pasta with salmon? Er... alas, check. What about a nice old warrior going around between the tables offering pretty roses to surprise our significant others (and others, too)? Check! (Also check the courtesy of him conjuring up a vase to hold all the roses...)

Sounds tasty, right?

Rrrraoorrright!

I won't bore you with the details, all was great (except for the cook evidently in love -- check the salty pasta, but truth to be told after a brief slurry they brought out another plate which was at last well within the acceptable levels of natrium chloride), but what was even more important that I had the privilege to spend last night in the company of my big sister, her husband, and my ex-flame from Russia (please, no bloody James Bond references!). And what a company it is! Gliding from one topic to another concerning arts (namely secession), psychology, Moscow, Budapest, movies, spiritualism, and all-around jolly topics.

So, there are actually two special thoughts for tonight. (As solid reminders of what happens when one gets too much of a good thing -- this case alcohol dissolved in a barrique'd wine -- and not enough of another, but infinitely more useful thing -- that is, self-restraint.) One: just in theory, what would happen if true ocumenism took hold and there would be a designated time once in a month -- universal, ie. it could be 2am somewhere and 1pm elsewhere, the key thing here is synchronicity -- when everyone stopped what they were doing (like at 2am, probably sleeping...), and got down to a mere 5 minutes of praying... for the survival and betterment of humanity. Now, if you've ever been to a service (that is, a sermon, a mass, or whatever it is called) where a lot of people huddled together and prayed in that low, whisper-like voice at the same time, somehow creating a roar, you might have an idea that there is such a thing as spiritual power... And it is a thing that not just adds up when done simultaneously by a lot of people, it actually tends to rise exponentially.

Now, for a brief moment, imagine what a tremendous amount of spiritual energy could be summoned if, say, 2 billion people would be praying at the same time...

Earth would shine like a supernova in the spiritual world.

And you know, the key is not whom or what you worship, or what you believe in, the only thing that matters is to have an open heart and mind and faith in something or someone. And a common goal. Nothing too specific, mind you, just something very simple and common, something which all this bickering heap'o'organic-matter could agree on.

I think this world would be a better place even after the first such session.

...Oookay, that brings us to the second thing I'd like to discuss here. So, as you might imagine, I shared the thoughts above with my compadrés. And my sister -- a true atheist -- tried to quench my soaring ideas with grade-A, class 1 cynicism. Well, this is what I have to say about cynicism: too bad for those immersed in it.

Let me take an example: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Now, most people hold the mental image of him being a true cynic, with what all his books reeking of intelligent, but essentially, dark and brooding humour. Well, guess what: they're wrong. If you ever read any of his books, and still have a beating heart, you've certainly felt a strong compassion towards all things human radiating from his writings. With a lot of wit, black humour, and the necessary amount of ridicule, of course -- his trademark style. Now, that's called irony. Not cynicism. People often confuse the two, but you, my dear friends, should never make that mistake. Cynics are just spoiled romantics. But hey, expect too much from any human being, and you're certain to get disillusioned, if not instantly, then sometime later. (Which just serves to prove the point that there is such a scheme of having too much of a good thing might, after reaching a pivotal critical mass, lead to a straight reverse of the very same thing -- just think of Long Island Ice Tea coctails, the sudden burst of jolly spirits are very sure to quickly end in a lonely bathroom doing a technicolor impression of "Ralph the smelly bastard".)

But, irony is something of a wonderful trait of true humanists. See, cynicism always attacks its target, ridiculing one or other shortcoming of a person or a thing or a rule, even, but does it with all the warmth and compassion of an ice-cream truck stranded in outer space. Obviously, such arrogance happens only if you're a bastard god or a very-very ignorant and oblivious person. (We have a lot of the former here in Valhalla, but you're sure to find the latter in any given high school starting from sophomore or junior class.) If you spill love into the mix, meaning, yes, humanity has a lot of irritating and stupid traits, but hey, we are humans after all, and we're also prone to commit the same mistakes in given circumstances, however, you laugh at them but also with them. And if you've seen a lot, and learned a lot, you learn to love the mistakes as well... and thus become an ironic.

Whoops, rather long-winding sentences, right? But you get the meaning... And anyways, of course my sister was only acting up, she's really warm at heart, right, sis? All this cynicism was only a ruse.

Well, that wraps it up for tonight. I'm off to take a well deserved holiday in Paris, but will be joining you in a week's time or so. Keep in touch...