Franz Liszt - "No 2, Il Penseroso" (Années de Pelerinage, deuxième année, Italie (Cziiffra))

Because of "The colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his pilgrim years" I am listening to Franz Liszt's "3  Pilgrim years". The one referred to in the book, 1st année, Suisse, did not do particularly much for me, but this piece from the 2nd year is sad, and tragic, harsh and cold.

Jennifer Radden - "The Nature of Melancholy"

A collection of writings, from Aristotle to Kristeva" on melancholy, often in the older sense of a somatic affliction. I have hardly read a third, and there were some interesting parts, but all in all it was more the thoughts of famous people on the subject than ... I don't know what I expected.

Kurt Vonnegut - "A man without a country"

No matter how much I love and appreciate his work, this book couldn't make me care. There are some nice sentences and examples, but all in all it is a random collection of thoughts, vague recollections and repeating nuisances.

Martin Bril - "Heimwee naar Nederland"

Verzamelde columns over het rijden door Nederland. De stijl wordt op een gegeven moment herkenbaar, maar om soms eens tussendoor op te pakken, is het een prachtboek.

Maurice Blanchot - "De stem and het schrift"

Te moeilijk voor me. Aangeraden vanwege zijn mening/schrijven/gedachtes over (mogelijk) open eindes, maar zover is het niet gekomen.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Random episodes. Some were great. Danny DeVito.

Original London Cast

While searching for the song containing "24601" (or not, that being the question), I clicked some of my usual favourites, like "On My Own" and to my astonishment found out there's a full *movie* score (with Hugh Jackman and the likes)

And particularly "On My Own", in the original London Cast, is so amazingly beautiful, the rawness of her voice, the tearing and searing singing.

Humanwine - "Rivolta Silenziosa"

Cabaretesque, on The Pogues channel. Curious, particular the parlando piece in the middle.

The Killers - "Don't Shoot Me Santa"

Funny song, pop and catch.

Homer - Bellerophontes

But when he was hated of all the gods, then he wandered alone on the plain of Aleïum, eating out his heart, and avoiding the track of men.

Drs. P - "Komma"

[...]

Als u geletterd bent, en geen barbaarse heiden
En dus niet onbeheerst maar netjes en bedaard
Dan zult u steeds een zinsdeel van een ander scheiden
Niet met een bijl maar met een komma, uiteraard
Ja, bij exceptie mag het met een ander teken
Puntkomma en gedachtenstreep zijn hier veel waard
Voor wie verantwoorde de conventie wil doorbreken
Als u dat kunt, ben u stilistisch fijnbesnaard

16 Horsepower - "Golden Rope" (Low Estate)

Typical 16 Horsepower. Amazing.

Teho Teardo - "Still Smiling"

I don't even like this, I think, but it's so strange...

Parlando... still smiling... still smiling!! I'm still smiling!!

On the Quietus' best of 2013 list.

update: it seems this is an album in collaboration with Blixa Bargeld

Iamamiwhoami - "Play"

On the Quietus' best of 2013 list.

Strange synthpop swingster helium voices.

Fair Game (2010)

Naomi Watts and Sean Penn play the (partially truthful) story of an undercover CIA and her husband, being brutally exposed by the Bush regime when they reveal evidence was exaggerated.

Amazing dialogue about how little decisions become big ones. Liked it a lot.

The Coral Sea - "Lake and Ocean" (Volcano and Heart)

On Madrugada's channel: West Coast Indie rock collective the Coral Sea blends the lush, orchestral side of '60s pop with the modern sensibilities of neo-psychedelic outfits like Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse, and Secret Machines.

Not amazing, but nice enough. Haven't heard Sparklehorse in ages, by the way.

zapoi (Russian)

Two or more days of drunkenness usually involving a journey or waking up in an unexpected place.

word: teleologic

the explanation of phenomena by the purpose they serve rather than by postulated causes.

I'm not sure I understand this. But perhaps the thesaurus serves me best here: ORIGIN mid 18th cent. (denoting the branch of philosophy that deals with ends or final causes): from modern Latin teleologia, from Greek telos ‘end’ + -logia (see -logy ).

Alan Watts - 'Pain'

duhkha : duh = disagreeable/painful/bitter, kha = condition (duhkha ~ "chronic frustration")
sukha : su = sweet
ánanda : (the 'objective' of Buddhishm) ectacy, above sukha and duhka.

Look upon the pains of death as natural tensions, is this possible? why not.
We fear death we have a negative attitude of death largely because of social condition. It's what we've been taught.

Vomiting: regarded as disgusting (as children, vomiting, our mothers went "aaahugh")
It's rather the same with death. After all, death is benevolent.

We're afraid of going into very undignified motions (such as pain, crying). We're taught it's not manly to give in to pain.
Consider a cat. When the cat drops off the tree, does it say; "I'm gonna be a real tough cat. I'm gonna be all rigid and stiff"? No. Because it would become a bag of bones.

Lao Tze: Be like water. Nothing is softer. Yet nothing is harder to wear away rocks. Yet get a knife, and try to cut it. It yields completely. Strike it as hard as you like, you will never create a wound. The water triumphs over the hardness of the knife.

Fever boils out the disease. A steel bridge, when built completely, utterly rigid - it would break.

Be worried. And you will not be worried about being worried.
Be afraid. And you will not be afraid about being afraid.

Dish washing. the immense pile of dishes of the past. The immense pile of dishes of the future. But, you will only wash one dish. You can not wash more than one dish. You will only, in your whole life, wash this one dish.

Past and future are illusions.

Diagrams - "Famous Blue Raincoat"

On FIP, the strangest version of "Famous Blue Raincoat", a low male voice with a choir of backing vocals, on a bedding of electronic instrumentalism.