the devil has the world...

[FatPatty]

the devil has the world... everyone. ugh.  

[Henry Long]

FP-
No he doesn't. For real, the elements of that ancient duality (Good/Evil) are alive and in conflict, hungry inside each of us. The one which wins is the one we feed most. But there is a third energy through all that. Beyond judgment, without fear or desire. Love. Forgiveness. And then, realizing that there was nothing to forgive afterall.

I don't know...I don't mean to sound preachy here... But this idea has been part of my life since I was 10. Let's just say...I've looked into it. At 42, I'm seeing how our language can trap us into bad ideas. We don't have enough words to express and explore our own human nature! That's where ART and POETRY become so important.

A woman I know had a day calender on her wall. One day, it said,
"Monday: LET THE STRESS BEGIN!" and I thought, there y'go. You WILL have a crappy day if you start it out expecting crap! We really manifest the reality we see. Try it. Smile. Wait before you judge. Things will change....

So, FP, the Devil does not have the world. We do, and it is a magical, wonderful place.

I just got in the door from a late summer swim in a river in Fairhill, Maryland. I was walking in the woods, saw the sun shining off the river, made my old torn Levis into a pair of shorts with a key, kicked off my Chuck Taylors and jumped in! Swam for over an hour. Not everyday can be like that, be we can try our best to say "YES!" to the adventure. No?

(By the way, I played "The What of Whom?" "Retired Boxer" and "Respect" in the crusty tape deck on the way to and from. Talk about a perfect afternoon!)

As I write in my most recent chapbook of poetry (shameless plug: see Indie section!) :

"Although there's a darkness, love balances chaos."

Good luck.
Everything you could ever need is inside you.
And to quote one of my favorite films, "Gummo" by Harmony Korine:
"Life is beautiful. Really, it is. Without it, you'd be dead."

HL

[wickedwill]

No but "the devil has Texas"

[guest]

No but "the devil has Texas"

He did at one time but we sent him to the White House in 2000.

[stareyedsquirrel]

I always thought of the devil as being intelligent...

Was your original post about anything in particular, Patty?

[Henry Long]

Ha!
WE didn't send the Devil to the White House...
The Supreme Court did!!! ...okay....okay...............

Anyway, as for any post being "about anything in particular"
I think the Forum is the perfect place for airing ideas that are about
Nothing in particular, or may contain just a remote connection to something Daniel Johnston (song lyric, emotion, comics, Star Wars) (what?)

I was thinking about this yesterday, during my ride listening to "Retired Boxer." Daniel's music, those early recordings, are like some space artifact. Like that Voyager probe sent out in the 70's with a Chuck Berry song attached to a gold disc on the side. There's a cool joke Carl Sagan told that goes like this:

"We finally received our first ever radio transmission from the deepest regions of Outer Space. All it said was: 'SEND MORE CHUCK BERRY!'"

Daniel's early work sounds like something from long ago and far away, sent to our little corner of the Galaxy as a good-will gesture. A tape placed by the artist himself (Space Orphan?) in the glove compartment of an Alpha-Centauri space craft (Long Store 6 on Cyborg 9?), with hopes someone in the distant future would find it, play it and HEAR it.

We hear it now, man.
His undying faith in the power of that music made all the difference, and continues to. Daniel's joy and pain, a child-like voice outta nowhere, with a percussive chord organ, piano and smurf guitar, becomes a universal expression of what it is to Think and Feel and Fear and Love and Suffer and Get Pissed Off and Have a Great Time and...and everything so abundantly human.

(cue Kubrick's Chorus of Voices...)

If we ever send out another Voyager to the big black beyond, my vote is to put "Hi, How Are You" on board. I'm sure it wouldnt take long until we heard something back!

[wickedwill]

The devil had a baloney sammich for lunch today.

[dejected]

Be sure that there was a time (a lengthy time) in Daniel's life where he perceived that the world was overrrun by "Satanist" - not just rude or mean people - but, you know, "Satan worshippers".

There are "dark moments" in everyone's life ( characterized by fear) when that's what the world looks like and "feels like".  Like Daniel, maybe you are convinced "the Devil has the world" because you feel like he has you.   And he might.  

But remember this.   Satan is a liar.  He can't help himself.   He never tells the truth.  "Don't play cards with Satan" - isn't that the idea there - it's like that movie "Bedazzled" and all the similar books and movies preceeding it.  

If you "deal" with the "dark side" to get what you "want", you aren't going to be happy with the results.   What, you think Satan wants you to be happy?  

Oh - one more "preachy" thing.   When Satan said to Jesus "All these things are in my power and I will give them to you.... (if you worship me)..."   He was lying!!  ALl things are not in his power.  They are not his to give.  But he has power OVER you if you believe he does.

Another point from the "religious side" - "do not fear what they fear" and "do not fear one who can hurt or kill you, but fear Him who can destroy your body and your soul".   That isn't Satan.   Godly fear is a "sober" response to accountability.   If you think "no one will ever know", you think you have free reign, and you are headed down the dark path.

Back to Henry's comments - the world is a "magical place".

It is (can be) a wonderous experience, and I hope you do not succumb to the forces of doubt and fear and even/especially personal character traits that keep you from seeing that.

What's that line in Daniel's song.. "The sun is shining and the birds are singing... what is wrong with me".   You share a common affinity with Daniel, FatPatty.  Stick it out.  

"True Love Will Find You In The End..."   .....but there's a catch...

Later

[dejected]

I don't hesitate to be dogmatic about that truth that this "eternal battle" and "the struggle between good and evil" may leave us thinking that both good and evil have equal powers, and "I wonder who's going to win?".

Good BY ITS NATURE, outlives evil.  Evil by its nature, self destructs.

They are not equal opposing forces, but the imagery should be like "light" or "the sun" - the farther away you get from it, the darker it gets.   And shadows abound.   The closer you are to the light (the more "like" God) the "gooder" you are.  Evil is the ABSENCE of the attributes of goodness.

Even with that imagery, there's a "lot more darkness" than there is light - I mean, the sky is not "lit up all over - solid light".    So it is in life that there are a LOT MORE people floundering around bumbing into things and getting hurt "in the dark" than there are people who "have their act together".  

Interestingly, the fact that you can "choose" doesn't seem to change those statistics.  So you gotta choose - most won't - or they choose by not choosing.

Henry Long has some interesting posts about the period when he "got rid of all the destructive habits" he had accummulated, and guess what - after a long time of growth - he was able to enjoy nature and a spontaneous swim - life being glorious ecstacy compared to what most people's everyday ho-hum existance supplies.

You may be a LONG WAY from enjoying things as Henry does, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate Henry being so divulging.   Anyway, the question for you each day is not "who I am" or "what I am", but the question is "what am I becoming?".    [Good] change is [painfully] slow.

"In due course you will benefit from your efforts... if you do not loose heart".

Amen.  You are now dismissed.

[wickedwill]

But what if this is as good as it gets???

[dejected]

There is that song, "These are the good old days" - enjoy NOW because you MAY look back on these as the best of times!

 

[lojomcgatto]

this is the devils world and the devil controlls it. The biggest trick the devil can play is making u think he dosent exsist.

[wickedwill]

Are you.........Keyser Soze??

[Billy Castillo]

I've read about the Dubbya thing with the illuminati, and it really wouldn't surprise me at all, but...is all that really necessary, esp since this board is supposed to be about Daniel?!

[wickedwill]

I took it upon myself to delete 3 of the posts in this thread.
One by Gina because it made little or no sense and sounded like she was calling out Dejected......like him or not this is his house. Gina why cant you just stick to being nice and leave all the farfetched posting conspiracy theory bull**** alone. You got a beef with Dick?? Take it up with him or just leave it be! Seriously I read your post twice and could not make heads or tails of it.

Two posts by Locogagotto (or however it is you spell it) Have you been huffing paint or something? Just kidding but seriously this is a board for DANIEL JOHNSTON fans. All the conspiracy posting is a little silly. I understand the fact that Gina's post baffled you as it does me also but the comments you make to her are uncalled for. Talk about Daniels music or his art....thats why we are here. If we wanna know how evil Bush is we will just turn on the t.v.
                                           Respectfully WW