The Contrarian

Buddhism vs. Transhumanism.

After yesterday's long-ass post about the Dalai Lama, I figured we might as well stay on the Buddhist tip.

Found an interesting article at thinkBuddha.org about Transhumanism — another abiding interest of mine.

The blogger at thinkBuddha was forthright in admitting his relative ignorance of Transhumanism; the reason he was writing about it at all was because of a seemingly unfavorable New Scientist article about cognitive scientist and Transhumanist Marvin Minski.

As a practicing Buddhist with a layman's interest in technological development and its impact on culture and civilization, I read the post with great interest.

According to current definitions, Transhumanism is an "intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death."

A lot of that seems at odds with the basic tenets of Buddhism, which regards the sloppy bad crap of life as the fertile manure from which the lotus of enlightenment sprouts. Of course, one could counter that Buddhism itself is a self-improvement trip. But that's somewhat off the mark. Buddhism seeks to improve conditions not through transcendence, but rather acceptance. This acceptance is hardly an ignorant, "oh well" approach to things, however. There's an almost scientific approach to the examination of consciousness, until the neurosis brought on by attachment to ego is exposed under the all-encompassing light of realization.

I'm also interested in Transhumanism, but recognize the enormous ethical implications human enhancement will bring about. We never really reconciled the last century's misguided stabs at eugenics, and I dare say that DNA tweaking and bio/nanotech "add-ons" will create a political shitstorm the likes of which humanity has never seen.

And this technology isn't in some far-off sci-fi future, either. Given technological measures such as Moore's Law, some observers suggest we're at the cusp of a Singularity. But that's another story. Kind of.

I haven't yet reconciled my personal Buddhist practice with possible technological "improvements" to my biological self. Like the Christian philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, I do believe that the universe (or God) seeks to know itself, and technological progress is a function of evolution. Hell, everything can be expressed by data.

Of course, it's probable that everything can also be expressed by feeling and karmic connectivity. You know, like, rocks having souls an' shit.

Are they both sides of the same coin? Is the universe an infinitely macro and micro orderly chaos machine? Are the mandalas of Buddhism actually spiritual representations of fractal expression?

Are you there, George Dvorsky? It's me, Casey.

"When a sound recording industry representative makes a bellicose statement, we're not being savaged by a multi-headed Cerebrus, the mythical hound of Hades. It's much more like a Chihuahua with a leg missing, having a yap."

Or so states this casual rebuttal of a recent Wired article about Universal Music CEO Doug Morris, as published by UK rag The Register.

Bye, Bye Dalai?

Photo by Phil Borges

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, wants his followers to decide whether or not he reincarnates. Sorta like "American Idol," but with monks.

Unfortunstely, the Chinese government has declared authority in choosing the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Seems they're not satisfied with micromanaging the lives of their more than 1 billion citizens (including those in Tibet) — they want to meddle in their afterlives, too. That's right, those tainted-toy making commies r in ur Nirvana pickin ur Lamas.

But the 14th and current Dalai Lama — believed to be the reincarnation of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion — isn't taking it sitting down, in full-lotus position or otherwise. From The Buddhist Channel website:

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader proposed yesterday to hold a referendum among his 13-14 million followers around the world — before his death — on whether he should be reincarnated or not.

If the majority vote against it he said he would simply not be reborn, ending a lineage that tradition dictates dates back to the late 14th century, when a young shepherd was appointed the first Dalai Lama.

If the vote was in favour he said that he might appoint a reincarnation while he was still alive, breaking the 600-year-old tradition of being reborn as a small boy after his death.

His proposals not only raise some mind-bending metaphysical questions: they put China’s atheist Communist leaders in the unusual position of claiming to be the protectors of Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The 72 year-old Lama is in excellent health, but wants to ensure that Tibet has a say in its spiritual leadership. How can you not love this guy? He's a Progressive Democrat! Could you imagine Pope Benedictine XVI allowing the world's Catholics to vote for their next Funny Hat Guy? Never happen.

As the Dalai Lama himself says:

"As early as 1969 I made it clear that [whether] the very institution of the Dalai Lama continue or not, is up to the Tibetan people. So [if] the majority of the Tibetan people should feel the centuries old institution of the Dalai Lama [is] no longer much relevant then the Dalai Lama institution automatically will cease. . . The very purpose of reincarnation is to carry the task which started by previous life, which is not yet accomplished. If my death comes while we are still as refugees then my reincarnation logically will come outside Tibet, who can eventually carry the work which I started."

What's amusing to me is how the Chinese government is fighting to preserve the traditions of a nation they refuse to recognize:

“The reincarnation of the living Buddha is a unique way of succession of Tibetan Buddhism and follows relatively complete religious rituals and historical conventions,” the Foreign Ministry statement said. “The Dalai Lama’s statement is in blatant violation of religious practice and historical procedure.”

This from the country that, a handful of decades ago, tried to wipe out Buddhist monks like the Empire eradicated Jedi.

I like that the Dalai Lama is placing the choice before worldwide practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

Does this mean I get to vote?

Have You Noticed?

It seems like lately we've been posting an awful lot about either the Led Zeppelin reunion or the faltering music business. Some of our other beats, namely metaphysics and politics, have been neglected. Sigh.

But that's not gonna stop me from linking to this Wired article about Universal Music CEO Doug Morris' ongoing battle against Steve Jobs and Apple's dominance of digital music media. Responses to this story are all over the 'nets, so I'll skip the editorializing for once, and let the folksy wisdoms of Messr. Morris do the talking.

Well, we should probably also let this ex-major label whipping boy employee have his say. . .

PS: Enslaved are the black metal Led Zeppelin. Damn, I mentioned Zep again! I need an intervention.

Whole Lotta Geritol.

I guess I've got Led Zeppelin on the brain. Oh, well. They're still better than Black Kids.

It looks like the Zeppelin reunion is feeling the creaks of old age. UK tabloid The Sun (who always seem to be up on their Zep) is reporting that the song does not indeed, remain the same. Well, at least not the same register. According to the story, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have been dogging each other in rehearsal about various age-related performance issues. Plant thinks Page is sloppy and out of practice, while Page complains about Plant's diminished vocal prowess. There has been a compromise of sorts: the once-mighty band has tuned down in order to accommodate Plant's pickled pipes. (This won't make Page play guitar any better, but it might make 'em sound more like Black Sabbath.)

There are a couple of things here to consider. Better break out the bulletpoint!

• Plant’s voice changed (for the worse) around 1973, and since then, he’s been stuck with a limited upper register that places the high parts on most Zep tunes forever out of his reach. This unfortunate situation has only gotten worse with the passage of time.

• Page is one of the sloppiest live guitarists ever, but what he lacks in perfection he makes up for in adventurism and spontaneity. Often, he's the sultan of slinky devil-blooze. At other times he's an embarrassment to the craft. Still, he's pretty much my all-time favorite. Perhaps it's those dragon-embroidered, astrologically embossed bellbottoms.

• I can’t imagine that either gentleman has any illusions about their ability to perform their catalog as heard on the studio releases. The closest they ever came to matching their recorded sound was ‘69-71, before drugs and vocal strain had their way. Of course, John Bonham was always rock-solid.

• Which brings me to my final point, one that I've made before. Son of Bonham is not the best timekeeper for the job. Although young Jason (OK, he's 40) is a competent drummer, his playing lacks the nuance and passion of his father. The Zep reunion would probably be better with, say, Plant’s regular drummer, but I suppose they gotta have a Bonham. Besides, the kid has been waiting for this moment all his life, to quote that Phil Collins song. (Say, didn't Phil and Tony Thompson pull double-drum duty with a reformed Zep at Live Aid?)

And what about these rumors about LZ doing a stateside shed tour next year? Once again, factions within the band seem split: Page has hinted at it, while Plant has flat-out denied the possibility. I'm guessing John Paul Jones has nothing better to do (unless, of course Diamanda Galas calls him up).

The rumors were recently given further credence when The Cult frontman (and former Jim Morrison ringer) Ian Astbury did some name-dropping during a Cincinnati concert. "We'll be back next year because we're opening for a band you might have heard of," he said. "The name starts with 'L' and has a 'Z' in it."

A concertgoer reportedly asked Astbury if he meant Led Zeppelin, to which the singer nodded and raised a triumphant fist.

Did you know The Cult was my first arena concert? You know who opened for 'em? A little crappy Zep-ripoff/hair metal act featuring the son of a famous deceased drummer. That's right, I saw Bonham. Hardly a life-altering experience, but I did enjoy the light show.

PS: I was listening to Ash Ra Tempel the other day, which I'm wont to do. It dawned on me that if you took away Zeppelin's cock-rock, pop, blues and folk, you'd have very similar bands. Or, to put it more plainly: if Zeppelin only played shit like the mid section of "Whole Lotta Love" or the intro to "In the Evening," they'd basically be Ash Ra Tempel.

But to quote Ricky Gervais as David Brent, "if only me auntie had bollocks, she'd be me uncle."

Please watch this ridiculous '80s footage of Jimmy Page performing live with the Beach Boys in Philadelphia and D.C. So wrong, it's right:

I'm Not There.

Managed to catch the first showing of Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan meta-biopic (is that a new genre?) I'm Not There. God bless major markets.

My feelings vacillated wildly while watching, for reasons I'll articulate in an upcoming post. [Probably not — who has time?] By the end of the film, however, I had become convinced of its art-house worth.

Anyway, I'm just dying to tell you about one part right now. It's a scene featuring Cate Blanchett as the standoffish, amphetamine-addled "Mr. Jones"-era Bob and one Alan Ginsburg, played beatifically by David Cross(!).

The two poets are yukking it up in front of a gigantic white marble sculpture of a crucified Christ. "Why don't you do your early stuff, man?" Blanchett-Dylan asks the effigy. It felt both familiar and surreal, like an any acid trip during which one questions the essence of Divinity. It also seemed quintessentially Bob, if such a thing can even be said..

Stay tuned for a more thorough analysis. . .

Universal Music: On The Wrong Side Of Everything.

Spot the real gangsta.

The geniuses at Universal Music just don't get it. You can't fight the consumer. For years music executives lived in their ivory towers, fanning themselves with cash, flush with the spoils of another massive "opening weekend" with whatever manufactured pop idol they swindled the public into paying $18.99 for. Now, as the ground crumbles beneath their feet, they're blaming those same music fans for their own colossal ineptitude.

Just last week, Universal CEO Doug Morris called iPod users "thieves." Stockholders should ask themselves: "is this the kind of Luddite dingbat we want in charge of our multinational entertainment company?"

Now Uni is backing out of a proposed Nine Inch Nails fan-remix project. See, Universal own Interscope Records, and Trent Reznor doesn't wanna play nice with the suits anymore. And who can blame him? At least Reznor understands that 21st century art will involve post-creator, user-generated content. But Morris and co. don't see it that way. They're stuck in an archaic model in which THEY controlled both the content and the means of distribution. Well, those days are over, like it or not. The companies that can figure out a way to do business in the new paradigm will survive. Not even the mythical "360 deal" will save those who can or will not.

Here's an excerpt about the NIN fiasco from the always-excellent Digital Music News:

For Reznor, the central repository offered a great community experiment.  But Universal and its subsidiary, Interscope, yanked the destination on infringement concerns.  According to Reznor, the label cared less about altering the masters, and more about setting a bad precedent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  "Their premise is that if any fan decides to remix one of my masters with material Universal doesn't own - a "mash-up", a sample, whatever - and upload it to the site, there is no safe harbor under the DMCA (according to Universal) and they will be doing exactly what MySpace and YouTube are doing," Reznor blogged.

Not long after the forced shutdown of popular file-sharing site, Oink, DemonBaby published a lengthy treatise on exactly what is wrong with the music industry. It's required reading for anyone who gives a shit about the business of making music.

Sadly, in other entertainment sectors, there are precious few lessons learned from the major label flameout. Example: the Blu-Ray v. HD DVD battle rages on with 90 percent of would-be consumers waiting for a victor that may never emerge.

Then there's the WGA strike. Although it looks like the studios are starting to understand that the stalemate is affecting not just their bottom line but also consumer confidence, it'll probably be business as usual once a deal is struck. And by business as usual, I mean freaking out about piracy instead of developing ways to give people what they want for a nominal fee.

Check out this YouTube clip of a "Daily Show" writer explaining the strike in "the parlance of our times":

I want writers to get paid. I want musicians to get paid. I want people to realize the value of their entertainment and purchase it legally. But these brain-dead execs need to meet us halfway, or all bets are off.

Eye Spy. . .

. . .a couple of worthy news reports. You thought this was gonna be about the Masons, didn't you?

Found an awesome article in the Washington Post about Barbetta Jones — a local mom who opens her home to traveling punk bands and lets them throw shows in her basement.

The bands she's fostered — roughly 300 in all — recall fondly the cozy couches she's offered them and the gas money she's "loaned" them with the unspoken assumption that most of it will never be repaid. They speak of the tens of thousands of miles she's driven in her white band-stickered van to see their concerts in Baltimore, Toronto and North Carolina, and of the soft-edged scoldings she dishes when they don't eat properly or visit the doctor.

Pretty rad. Do the kids still say rad?

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Writers Guild may yet win in their noble battle against the cartel movie studios. Looks like the whole gang is heading back to the bargaining table on November 26. They better achieve some kind of resolution — I just found out that the last new episode of "The Office" ran last week. Oh, well. It's not like I don't have big fat books to read.

That's the view from here. Thanksgiving and its attendant madness fast approaches.

Links of a Kind.

Some links for your consideration:

The ongoing writers' strike eliminates musician TV appearances. Industry types fret over negative impact on sales of new Kid Rock album; others express shock at existence of new Kid Rock album.

The studios should just give the writers their digital residuals already. Digital residuals: say that 10 times fast!

South Korea introduces "boot camp" for young internet addicts. The older ones are simply ground into bulgogi. Kidding.

Is Hillary Clinton taking cues (and cash) from Big Telecom?

Future of Music Coalition in Brazil, as blogged by Tim Quirk — musician and VP of Music Programming, Rhapsody America. I didn't make this trip. But there is talk of sending me to Ethiopia next year. No kidding!

FoxyTunes: bringing a gazillion online music applications together in yet another attempt to "personalize" multimedia consumption. Remember when the Walkman was cutting-edge audio technology? No? Sigh.

Found on DC Mens' Room Wall.

Bet your town doesn't have graffiti like this. Thanks to James P. Caldwell for enjoying these with me.

"Fuck you, Uzbekistan!!! I eat your tits."

"Hey Dumbass! Is John Edwards still the second-best Democrap?"