Weekly Rochester Events #316: Why Do the Germans Attack the French?

Thursday, January 27, 2005

So this got me to thinking ...

There is truth in the idea that through free will, man is god. Think about someone completely alone — maybe they're isolated from everyone else in the middle of nowhere, or they're just alone in their house. What, exactly, can't they do? Not should or should not (hey, a palindrome!) but literally can not? There's physical limitations: they can't defeat gravity, nor can they live without breathing. Then there's psychological limitations which take the form of either "don't want to" and "shouldn't." What a bitch that one is to categorize.

This kind of goes back to Burning Man (The Man, Black Rock City 2004, NV) because at that event, all constraints on behavior imposed by society are lifted. By that I don't mean that you are allowed to slit someone's throat in the middle of the night, but you can pretty much act, dress, and talk as you please. Hmm ... maybe that's why it makes you seem so alone — for the most part, nobody cares what you do, so in that respect, you might as well be out in the desert alone: there's nothing you should or shouldn't do.

Anyway, you're this "self" that has a bucket of stuff you think you should be doing. Why? All of the "shoulds" are, in a way, external to your true self. If you're a fan of Freud, it's part of that pesky superego, but I'm beginning to learn that the superego needs to be retuned pretty often. The part that reinforces irrational fears, for instance, is totally lame.

See all these "shoulds" define the boundaries of your behavior before you even act. It's kind of like what I was saying about relationships a few weeks back — that I want a relationship where I use words to describe my behavior, not to limit it. The same goes for this "should" stuff. Just do whatever you want then describe and analyze your behavior afterward. Like if you see someone who you think is attractive, tell them you think they are attractive. Deal with whatever happens as it happens, but don't just keep it inside. Wouldn't that make things swell for everyone?

Relatedly, I was having this discussion with a friend of mine and brought up privacy. I say fuck it. I'm going to start leaving my blinds open in my house. If someone wants to look in, who cares. Hell, I'm even going to treat the phrase "leave my blinds open" metaphorically and just tell people how I feel ... secrets be damned. Well, at least in context ... no sense bringing up random stuff that people don't want to hear.

I even promised a friend of mine I'd start doing all this stuff. She had a smart idea to keep a charm to remind yourself to question your fears and reject them when the rational basis is not readily apparent — hers was tied to a particular moment, and the charm reminds her. I figured I'd make a charm, so I took a piece broken bicycle spoke and bent it around to make an infinity symbol. To finish it, I got out the oxygen-MAPP gas torch to weld it together because I thought that would be pretty awesome. Once I got it hot enough, though, it melted in half, so I figured, "fuck it" and tied a string around my wrist. It's not so much the charm that matters, it's what it means to me.

So anyway, in line with that honesty and stuff, I'll tell you all that I'm already cheating with the polls ... I pulled one from years ago to use this week and it'll hopefully get people excited about it. Maybe I'll even think of a new one for next week.

T H U R S D A Y

This afternoon's Thursday Thinkers at 5:15 p.m. in Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is titled Fundamentalism in America and in the Middle East with speakers Reverend Richard Myers of Immanuel Baptist Church (815 Park Ave.), Reverend Scott Taylor of First Unitarian Church of Rochester (220 Winton Rd. S.), and Imam Dr. Muhammed Shafiq of The Islamic Center of Rochester (727 Westfall Rd.) [source: Friends of the Public Library flyer] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing In the Realms of the Unreal starting at 8 p.m. Henry Darger — whose work is on display as part of the "Photography on the Edge" exhibit — left behind a manuscript of thousands of images which was used as an inspiration for this weird film. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery (137 East Ave.) will be screening a collection of short features from Zbig Rybczynski starting at 7 p.m. [source: Rochester Contemporary e-mail] [all ages] Updated: Nextstage at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) will be having their Eighth Annual Hibernatus Interruptus: A Winter Festival of New Plays this weekend and next weekend. Tonight at 7:30 p.m. is Community Service/Good on Paper by Michele Lowe and again Saturday at 7 p.m., and Iron Kisses. The Long Division of My Mother by James Still tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday at 4 p.m. [source: Geva Theatre website] The Mercenary Tadpoles, and Our Wing will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

F R I D A Y

Thoughful spoken-word poetry over avant garde ambient music from Urknee and Bjürton, and impressive, organic, experimental jazz from The Blood and Bone Orchestra will be at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is Lisa Bigwood starting around 9 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] The Clarissa Room (293 Clarissa St., formerly Shep's Paradise) will be hosting Janet Beaman, and Te'Naj starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is complex, blues-influenced, 1960's-style rock-and-roll band The Ferndocks, and power-rock band The Earl Cram Revue starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: band e-mail]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. This afternoon at 2 p.m. is a Woodcrafters' Publication Party in Gleason Auditorium of The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) Hear selected readings of works from over 100 people who participated in the City's WoodCrafters' program at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) this past year. [source: Friends of the Public Library flyer] Over at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) starting around 8 p.m. is Larry Sugarman, really talented guitarist Kinloch Nelson, Dave Arenius, Laurie Anne Hunt, and Ed Marris. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is awsome, tight, complex rock and roll from The VEiNS, Last Conservative, and near-novelty but competent blues/rock-styled music from Powered by Satan starting around 10:45 p.m. Over at Johnny's Irish Pub (1382 Culver Rd., still smoke-free) starting around 9 p.m. is Ciara Lynn [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Dane Cook will be at The Gordon Field House at RIT (One Lomb Memorial Dr., campus maps) starting around 9 p.m. [source: RIT CAB calendar] Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) will be hosting power rock band Bee Eater, really good punk-rock band Whatever Mary, and good fast rock from The Franks starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WITR calendar]

S U N D A Y

This afternoon at 3 p.m. at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is a film by Tom Muir Wilson that explores the making of The Music Stand which first brought Wendell Castle national acclaim. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] This afternoon at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is the rescheduled time for the Local Concert to Benefit the Red Cross International Response Fund — Tsunami Relief starting at 11 a.m. with performers changing each half-hour. In order of performance is Brian Rath, excellent, daring acoustic soloist JoAnn Vaccaro, Roxi Clark and Tom Cook, interesting, charismatic acoustic soloist Scott Regan, witty and accomplished acoustic soloist Brian Coughlin, Shirantha Beddage, Laurence Sugarman, Robbie Rohan, Warren Paul and Don Green, The Band of Brothers, Keith Harden, Steve West and Pete Collin, Laurie Leenhouts and Trace Wilkins, and Smock. Plus, there will be raffles of donated prizes. 100% of the proceeds from the concert will go to the Red Cross International Response Fund — Tsunami Relief. The group exhibit Foundations closes this afternoon at 3 p.m. at The Community Darkroom at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar] Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) is hosting their weekly Open Mike Poetry tonight at 7 p.m. [source: Starry Nites calendar] [all ages]

M O N D A Y

Over at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. is Oh My God, and good 3-piece power-ish rock from Seven Head Division [source: Water Street calendar] [all ages] Tonight at 9:15 p.m. at The Little (240 East Ave.) is their 14th Emerging Filmmakers show featuring In the Still by Stephen Lindsay and Michael Bartolotta, Flight Safety by Christine Simpson, More Than 2 Million by Lei Chang, Girlspree by Lee Eypper, Back/Forward by Chuck Amadori, Kiss My Brain by Tonya Hurley, The Man Who Couldn't Find Satisfaction Anywhere He Went by Ben Sozanski, We Are The Littletons by Penny Lane, and Frog by Christopher Conforti. [source: Little Theatre calendar] Norm Davis' Wide Open Mike will be at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar]

T U E S D A Y

"Jayce Permits Himself to Drink Again" Day Today's Tuesday Talk at 12:12 p.m. in Gleason Auditorium of The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) is titled A Look at the History of Race Relations in Rochester with speaker Dr. Ruth Scott. [source: Friends of the Public Library flyer] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Reshimat Ahava (Love Inventory) starting at 8 p.m. Filmmaker David Fisher attempts to determine the fate of his twin who disappeared after birth. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting Dropsonic starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] [18+] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. For this one, there's no microphones and it's pretty open ended. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

Groundhog Day RAQ, and excellent instrumental funk band The Filthy Funk will be at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Eraserhead starting at 8 p.m. David Lynch is way messed up in the head. [source: Eastman House calendar] [all ages] The Eastman Musica Nova Ensemble will be performing at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.) this evening at 8 p.m. with conductor Brad Lubman and guest composer Harrison Birtwistle to perform Ligeti's Cello Concerto, Kurtág's String Quartet, op. 1, and Birtwistle's Secret Theatre. [source: Eastman School of Music calendar] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine] Tonight from 8 to 10 is an Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) While once it was a workshop type of environment, it's now more-or-less a regular open mic ... by default it's still a place to try out new stuff. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. They are supporting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) appeal for basic materials for survival and personnel.

Unicef focuses on child protection and immunizations, as well as helping countries in crisis with emergency assistance.

Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organizations working together to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice. They are providing emergency aid equipment to help in disaster relief.

American Red Cross Disaster Relief page is an Amazon.com donation page and it's among the easiest ways to donate from if you're an Amazon.com customer.

JayceLand #312 is the updated I did on December 30 with the chain letter these links.

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