Grant Cogswell’s World
Posted on 30 August 2010 | No responses
Potpourri
Posted on 25 August 2010 | 1 response
I find it hard to start writing about stuff here again. First, I’m pretty tired, yeah, finishing directing the movie, Grassroots. Followed by a couple of days in LA and then on to NY, where I’m now starting to shoot the TV show Blue Bloods, about to premier on CBS.
Again, I find myself drifting to “…what’s the point?” What’s it matter that I’m tired, that I look at the news, mere ghosts of images when you’re working on a set 12-15 hours a day, but the news, nonetheless? What’s it matter that I look at the news (a guy among six billion souls). But setting that aside – I find myself even more exhausted because so much of what goes for news just feels like lies and spin, all of it set in this belief (it seems among those in power) that if you dance fast enough you can get away with anything.
When does someone really speak the truth? For instance that we’ve made a disastrous mistake staying in the Middle East with these wars. (Does anyone really believe the news that proclaims we’re leaving?) Aren’t we really beginning to really slide down the hill like every Empire that has ever existed before us (ie: Afghanistan, “the graveyard of Empires”). And we were an Empire so briefly. And China is scary too, isn’t it? That gigantic army. And why was Obama so stupid playing with this Mosque thing right now? Okay, he’s right, but — so what? And why now? Why right before an election? Does he really believe that the Right Wing is so stupid and he’s this wonderful professor who’s going to teach us all about right and wrong. Does our President live in the real world or some variation of an ivory tower?
And the BP sea of lies about everything being more or less fine. And the government agreeing. And the massive slide in housing because the government funding stopped. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. And did all those big banks really pay back the money we lent them or did they carry out another really cool move that looks like they paid it back and the government is just going along with it? Where does the lying stop and the truth begin?
It’s tiring. And who cares what I think anyway, except I wonder how many other people out there sense the same thing – people doing their jobs, getting tired, trying their best? Do they feel like I do – that they are just being lied to over and over and over again. And what does one do about it?
Because it’s so, so hard to untangle these lies. It takes so much energy. But it’s funny, come to think of it. It’s taken more energy than I thought just to sit down here on my ipad (not so great, after all – my ipad – but still more or less doing it’s job about half as well as I was told)…nonetheless on my ipad, on a bus, scouting locations in Manhattan and suddenly having more energy than I started with because maybe it feels like clearing out the cobwebs by saying what I feel is the truth. Is it the truth? Well, it’s the best I can do right now, this potpourri of concerns. And isn’t that the point too – getting as close to the truth as possible? Because one day the truth is going to come home to roost, isn’t it, no matter what the liars want us (and themselves) to believe?
Mi Casa, Kirby’s Casa
Posted on 20 August 2010 | No responses
The Post Below to Grant…
Posted on 17 August 2010 | 1 response
A message to Grant. Weird. I’m on a plane. Had missed my earlier flight and was supposed to talk on the phone at an event for Grant to raise money for his latest project. I tried calling him on Skype from the next flight I took. No go…hopefully he’ll be able to play this at the event… Grant Cogswell’s next vision after the last one which has turned into my movie, Grassroots.
Give a listen. Help him if you can. Weird. High/low technology and vision…
Message For Grant….
Posted on 17 August 2010 | 1 response
A Private Message That Should Be Public
Posted on 14 August 2010 | 4 responses
I received this e-mail as a private message with many apologies (which seem extremely unnecessary even if English were the first language, which it is not.) The issue of democracy having been so corrupted. Or perhaps, as the writer suggests incapable of really functioning properly is food for thought — not to give up on it — but to try to sort out how to make it effective, or at least more effective in these dangerous times (has there ever been a time that wasn’t dangerous?)
“Dear Sir,
I apologize for invading your privacy by writing to you considering that we are not acquainted.
I came across your blog where you discuss the present political situation of the USA and I really enjoyed reading it, thank you!
What has caughed my eye is an article where you show your concern about the current political elite and you suggest that the “right people” should be in charge.
I liked your idea as in general because the problem concerns not only the USA. As for the USA I am not the right person to give an opinion on that subject considering that I am not so familiar with the issues and I am not even an American citizen (I am from Estonia, currently being on a maternity leave and therefore living in Brazil…not that it has any significance… simply to explain the backround).
I would like to discuss the idea in general if you don´t mind. I have been working in the Estonian Parliament for 5 years which includes assisting the elections 3 years ago(The USA and Estonia are certainly not comparable in any way, starting from the fact that we have parliamentary system etc). What I have noticed during these years is that nothing changes to be honest…even when replacing the people. I am not sure whether such thing as the “right people” exist at all.
The idea of the parliamentary system is that there should be parliament members from practically every possible social class and with every imaginable backround….or in other words, who get elected, are common people…people from the street. In my opinion it is great if we focus on the idea of equality and fair distribution, but…many of such people don´t have much idea of what they are supposed to do (they certainly enjoy the status that they have suddenly gained at the same time forgetting that as the next 4 years go by they might lose it and end up being nobody again).
I agree with you that there should be more specialists and experts involved in the political desition making process ( as I have said I am not talking about the USA because of my incompetency, but the idea in general).
From my point of view the lack of such specialists (at least in Estonia) is that they don´t even candidate on the elections. These “common people” who finally get elected are the type of people who have an enormous desire for power but they lack the ability and patience to get the desired status through work. It is much easier to enter a political party and become a marionette in return to the status and power. The idea of being “nobody” today but “somebody” tomorrow without much effort seems tempting to many ones among us.
That is how I personally see it and I might be wrong. I don´t know if you even had the patience to read my thoughts and whether you understood what I meant because I tend to express myself unclearly.
As I have said, I find your thoughts interesting and what I have written above, has a general meaning. I just wanted to discuss the topic, I hope it´s ok. I also apologize for the possible mistakes that I have made since English is not my mother tongue.”
Joel’s Special Snack
Posted on 13 August 2010 | 1 response
Phil Campbell: shared living
Posted on 10 August 2010 | No responses
Same Question
Posted on 9 August 2010 | 9 responses
What’s the point? Funny. More than a year ago “what’s the point?” was the little thought that got this miniscule website started. Why? I hadn’t even thought it through when I started – an after-thought – nothing more? What’s the point? But it now seems to be the bedrock on which everything here on this website sits, however tentatively, however unbalanced…
We finished shooting the film, Grassroots, yesterday. Thirty days shooting with an amazing Seattle crew who gave their all – and the actors – amazing actors from all over the country. Hard to process that a year ago I was sitting in my little apartment with a cat and a simple question. What’s the point – the script for Grassroots a mess at that point?
And now I find myself back there again. Grassroots finished (at least the shooting part.) I’m no longer a director telling people what to do, moving around the set like I know what I’m doing (I do kind of know what I’m doing as a director– like a good plumber, I like to say – directing is like plumbing – you better know how to lay pipe properly or you’re fucked.) But now that job is done – I’ve got to pack up my stuff and jump on an airplane tomorrow. (Probably a video in there somewhere – all those various videos here on the site in airplanes)
But…
What’s the point?
It better be more than just making a movie – because that’s done. And making a movie wasn’t the point a year ago with my cat on my apartment floor, so…
What’s the point?
Just to be breathing this morning, maybe – again in Café Vita on Pike Street. Great coffee. Wonderful people who brew it here. Kids my kids’ age. Tattoos. The wonderful Seattle sound on the sound system – eclectic, moody. And the gray skies again out the window. Some litter. Empty tables.
It rained yesterday a little bit while shooting. Rain. Rain. Seattle. And me headed back to bleached LA tomorrow. Somewhere in there is the point. Six billion of us. Six billion points…
…and the point of continuing here on this website I guess, maybe, just sharing (for those interested) a bit of the journey here from this one (of six billion) points on this still free space (unless Google and Verizon decide otherwise) drifting, dancing, writing on the wild frontier of the internet…
An American Boy
Posted on 8 August 2010 | 2 responses
