It's Time That Time Was Overthrown

Art in the Schools

2009-10-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

I rather wonder what would happen, Gregory, if all of the "artists" in our community volunteered two hours of their "art" into area schools every quarter.

It seems that so many of your self-proclaimed artists lament the loss of "art in the schools", then get stuck pointing fingers and trying to affix blame for the problem, and responsibility for the solution. Yet another manifestation of your Other-based perspective.

If every artist in this area gave two or three hours of art instruction every three months of the year, there's a good chance your schools would be overwhelmed. In a good way of course, but they would initially be overwhelmed if such an outpouring materialized as quickly as it could.

Imagine - musicians, sculptors, crafters, painters, those who draw, computer artists, and on and on. Just two hours every three months.

Look Again, Gregory. There is only Opportunity.

Wow... the day in court

2009-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to traffic court as a witness for the State Trooper in the matter of the gentleman that ran a red light in Ruckersville and almost creamed Alice and I.

I caught the whole thing on video, and brought the DVD with me. It clearly shows the gentleman at speed - the rough math yields 41 miles an hour. The guy continued across the intersection, applied brakes, skidded a good distance and then CREAMED a cable box and came to rest against a telephone pole. He flattened one or two of his tires and his airbags deployed.

He clearly had not been stopped at the light before he ran it. He was traveling near highway speed, which is 45 in that zone.

Two gents in a car behind me saw the whole thing, and stopped the day of accident. They came and testified that the gentleman clearly had not stopped before entering the intersection.

Then the gentleman - not sure why I keep calling him that - lied to the judge and said he had been stopped before entering the intersection. He admitted that he did not look at the light to see if it was green. He lied and said he checked both ways and saw a clear intersection.

The judge proceeded to reduce the charge, based on the chap's outright lie.

In total disregard of all of the evidence and testimony we presented.

God, I love the American idea of "justice".

I hope this lying fellow does not kill someone with any future inattentive driving.

Nice way to accept responsibility for your actions, dude.

Thanks.

:)

Professor Gates

2009-08-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

I just cannot get away from the idea that if Professor Gates is so hell-bent on living in a world of racial tolerance he would begin with himself.

Why could he not tolerate the human act of a police officer doing his job?

Why did he have to see white, and why did he choose to be intolerant of the actions of a policeman he first chose to label "white"?

Just a thought Professor.

Just a thought Mr. Obama.

Look again.

And remember, when you point your finger you have three pointing back at you...

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice

Being Positive

2009-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

It seems that many humans perceive their world as generally negative, and are thus seeking practical ways to respond positively to it, or positively influence it.

Alice points out that the only way to "be positive in a negative world" is to do negative things. It follows the mathematical idea that when faced with a negative you must multiply it by a negative if you wish to obtain a positive result.

Practically speaking this plays out in the human tendency to oppose things they see as negative. For example we have the war on cancer, the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, and so forth. I know some folks waging war on Sarah Palin through their active opposition to her very existence it seems.

**

There is of course the option of acceptance and tolerance, which yields a positive world immediately - precisely because it sets the stage with a positive world. It sets the stage wherein one begins by practiving the very tolerance they like to scream about and fight for...

The need for any steps to "be positive in a positive world" would seem a bit silly, eh?

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

Lt. Dan Choi

2009-05-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

"I am not asking anymore. I am telling."

Those are Lt. Dan Choi's words. He's trying to get President Obama's attention on the subject of Don't Ask Don't Tell and gays in the U.S. armed forces.

His words inspire me, for I have been asking and asking and asking for folks to embrace the idea of Audience Inclusion. But lately I have felt like telling people, not asking.

I've lately grown tired of asking, because lately I recalled the definition of insanity - to continue doing the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. How naive of me...

I realize of course that there is a balance to be struck here - a balanced way of shifting from asking to telling. And I also realize the risk I run.

A couple weeks ago I played at nursing home in Orange, Virginia, where I have been entertaining the residents monthly for about 8 months or so. We've run the gamut of inconsiderate staff behavior - from loud personal conversation to being displaced from the performance room so they could clean the floors. I've been very nice, and very patient. I even went for months without saying anything.

One day I spoke up about the incessant chatter and interruptions - the total disregard for the fact that a musical performance for the residents is taking place. I was promised that the staff had been reminded about courtesy.

Then came the "floor buffing incident" - the first one. Midway through a show staff members walk in and start moving the audience out of the room. Right in the middle of a song. They're chattering away, and then one of them noisily wheels in the floor machine. Someone announces that the show will now move into the hallway - THE HALLWAY!! They line the residents up there, where the closest is two feet away and the furthest about 45. Then they leave the doors open, turn on the machine, and increase the volume of their personal chatter so they can talk over the machine noise.

Perfect for an acoustic performance, eh?

Well, I brought it up with the lady I work with, and she brought it up with the nursing home representative, and again I was promised it would not happen EVER again. And it didn't. For a whole two or three months...

The other day they were lining them up in the hallway when I arrived. "Gotta do the floors" they smiled.

I smiled too, and said "Okay."

Again they left the doors open, negating any Opportunity for an enjoyable listening experience. After a few songs I asked the staff "monitor" could she please at least shut the doors.

"Can't do it. Fire code. We're expecting the Fire Marshal today." Great - we operate out of fear.

So I smiled, and again said "Okay."

Then another staff member came to apologize. "Wednesdays are really hard," she said. "So much to do," she said.

"What day is it not hard?" I asked.

"Wednesdays are really hard," she repeated.

"What days are not really hard?" I repeated.

"Wednesdays are really...", and I smiled, and lost it, with composure.

I lowered my voice, pasted a big smile on, and proceeded to tell her that my observation has been for the last fifteen years that staff members forget who pays their salary. I told her thatI found it interesting that Dolly Parton, Billy Joel and REM understand end encourage performances for seniors, but that local musicians, facility staff and administration, and local media do not.

I was being nice. I never swore. And I was being honest.

Within minutes the doors were shut. According to them in clear violation of fire code.

But the honesty, the speaking up on behalf of the residents, promptly earned me the label of "ugly". She went to the Activities Director and said I was "very ugly" to her.

So be it, I reckon. So much for asking.

It's Time.

To quote Lt. Choi again...

It's time to Tell.
It's time to Stand.
It's time to Fight.
It's time to March.
It's time to Love.

Thanks Lt. Choi. If you need some music for a rally, let me know...

Arts in the Schools? Yes, we could...

2009-05-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Lately I'm amused when I hear the same old tired traditional call for more arts in the schools coming from artists.

A musician friend recently posted something on Fakebook to this effect, and of course lots of musician friends rallied round the tired old flag of apathy and blame.

I commented that the artists could just quit bitching and show up in the schools, and the thread died a sudden, chilling death...

For over a decade I have been asking musicians in my community to share an hour of their Time and Talent with folks in Community Venues - places like senior and nursing homes, and facilities for our disabled Fellow Beings. I've spent some time in the schools, when asked, but this has not been my focus.

And, for over a decade, most musicians in our community (claim they) have not had time. These are the same folks that are always up to play a free show for the victims of a natural disaster thousands of miles - or half a world - away. They always have time to open a friend's CD release show for no charge at the local acoustic club for the designer beer crowd. They always have time to busk on the downtown mall for a few bucks, if that.

But they never have time to share their music with folks that... well, with folks that do not have any money for them, I guess. Money, and ego currency, maybe...

I've been watching it for eleven years, this blatant audience discrimination coupled with blatant apathy and indifference. I can understand the lack of desire in the Community Venue arena, because there has never been a societal cry to "get more arts into senior homes, nursing homes, or in front of disabled folks". Those perceived "Poor Others" are problems, and obligations maybe, but they are not Opportunity.

But I've been hearing cries for more arts in the schools since I can remember.

And lately I am struck by the reality that most artists do indeeed have a great deal of free time, and I find myuself wondering when they might quit bitching about What Is and simply go live their dream. You know, if you dream of arts in the schools, then bring arts into the schools. An hour a week, or a month, is better than your repeated hollow cries from a distance.

If every artist in our town donated one hour a month, there would be several thousand hours of arts available to our schools every month. THOUSAND. Several thousand hours.

Liekwise, if every musician in our town would share an hour every three months in Community Venues, there would be well over 1,000 hours of music available each quarter. That's well over 4,000 hours a year.

We would not be able to place them all, without overwhelming the facilities, and the schools.

It would be perfect.

All it requires of course is action. Personal action, Nike style - Just Do It.

Imagine...

Yawn.

Dear Folk Star Manager

2009-04-26T05:18:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Thanks for bugging me for the last seventeen weeks over and over ad infinitum, trying to secure a booking for your self-proclaimed folk star artist. Sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner, but frankly I was hoping you'd leave me alone awhile, since I am engaged with a project at this time.

I do understand that since I did not communicate this, that you have been persistent, and I am fine with this.

However, when I did finally respond, I asked a question of your self-proclaimed folk-star, a question that is rather important to me with respect to the audiences I represent.

It's an easy question, and of course there is no "right" answer. I don't expect anyone to invest a ton of time in it. Seems to me it adds a spark of fun, a refreshing spark.

You wrote back to say how silly it was for me to ask a question of your super-busy-important folk-star, and what a waste of your time it would be to play this "guessing game". The funny thing is though, you took a stab at answering it for her. The even funnier thing is, when she wrote to call me a liar, she gave the same answer you gave. Weird, huh? She said, basically, this is a stupid game, here is my answer, I don't want to play at your venue, go away.

Now frankly, I cannot imagine why it is silly or inappropriate for me to aska question of someone who would like to be hired for a gig. I understand it is not a traditional question, but I am not sure why that makes it a waste of time. Both of you found time to answer it while you were chastising me for not simply booking or dismissing an unknown performer.

Anyway, the reason I asked the question is that frankly I do not want to hire a performer that puts the money before the spirit of music. Our audiences deserve better. All audiences deserve better, for every audience is the best.

Anyway, I liked your answer - that the "best" audiences, in your opinion, are attentive. Had you been able to answer in some sort of positive spirit, the next question would have been about your minimum fee - that is, how much do we need to pay you to book you? You see, we run on a non-profit basis, and our work and our approach to Making Music More Accessible(tm) has been supported by the likes of REM/Athens, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton and the Dave Matthews Band. To name a few. David Wilcox, Andrew McKnight, Dave Crossland and many others have played our venues.

And we do not charge the audience for a ticket. We raise the funds, and pay musicians to help us Make Music More Accessible(tm). We encourage Audience Inclusion(tm), and we help make it economically feasible for artists like your folk-star, that make their living with their music.

In her message, your folk-star said to me that she was not sure why I had gone to such trouble to "make up" a story, or something like that. Well, Miss Manager, dialogue is how humans clarify, when they are interested in the spirit of communication. Either of you could have asked. Of course this means you would have to possess a certain level of respect for someone like me, and for an unknown. You would have to possess a certain curiosity; a certain understanding that things are not always what they seem, and things are always always changing, evolving, growing, becoming... You would have to understand that This is precisely what Time is for.

I would guess that if those big stars whose names you like to drop had asked the question you would not have come back so negatively.

But maybe you would have. Maybe, in the end, it is like you said in your message to me: "I do not do this for altruistic purposes..."

Thanks for sharing.

I love that part. It's like saying "I write and sing altruistic songs, but I do not do this for altruistic purposes."

This folk star thing, I don't get...

Best of Now, always,

Greg

Do the Math...

2009-04-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

Every day many members of the popular art audience move into facilities that conveniently, for artists engaged in Audience Inclusion, double as Community Venues.

At the same time the popular art audience takes another hit.

Do the math...

Look again.

There's a fine line between Compassionate Consideration of One's Fellow Beings and Condescending Consideration of Poor Other.

They're all your band of angels.

Community Supported - but not so supportive - Radio

2009-03-05T06:49:00.001-08:00

The Problem with Community Supported Radio

Balance. What we need is balance.

After years of listening mostly to Community Supported radio stations I rarely listen to the radio at all anymore. I have difficulty supporting these stations, for it seems to me that the problem with Community Supported radio is precisely the lack of community support by the radio stations themselves. These stations exhibit little interest in their home Communities, and thus provide little support via programming. It seems a questionable business model for the times.

There is an oddly persistent idea that what is outside of the Supporting Community is of far greater interest than what is inside the Community; that which comprises the very Community. This is not really a surprise I guess; our culture has the odd idea that This Here Now is always of far less interest than That There Then. Other and Them, They and Theirs are always far more interesting than we and ours. We aspire to be like Them, Later, and thus are pretty hopelessly unattractive Here Now as we Be.

This is perhaps most apparent in the realm of music that is aired by these Community Supported radio stations. Our local station, for example, has a two-hour local music feature each week. Two hours!! A mere 1.190% of total airtime. I live in Charlottesville, VA., the self-proclaimed center of the Musical Universe. Incubator of the next big thing, to hear the locals tell it. And local music gets 1.19% of airtime. Of course the argument will be made that a small handful of local media dolls also get their music played in rotation with the big guns. Okay. 1.2013%. Or something.

I don’t know how much music the average listener hears each week. Let say 25 hours, which seems a lot, and 2 hours of that is at a live show featuring local music. In this case the listener spends 8% of their listening time locally - more than 6 times the airplay allocated. I’d venture to say that in C’ville it’s more than 8%.

But it’s not just music. It’s apparent in the news as well, and special programming. The last time I heard an NPR station spend significant time in their community of listener-supporters is when 30-some people were shot dead at Virginia Tech. Hey, thanks; or something. Frankly I don’t recall the last time C’ville’s resident “Community Radio Station” spent significant time in the community. Admittedly though, I don’t listen much.

I have a hard time justifying financial support for entities that point to everything but our friends, our neighbors, and our community as being “the really good thing”. I am not convinced that some heartwarming story of bravery or overcoming the odds does not exist a hundred-fold, a thousand-fold, right Here, at home.

I personally am over the delusion that a singer-songwriter from Dubuque or Toronto brings more to my Community than the thousands of artists that live and practice here. I have also outgrown the childish idea that bringing them or their music into our community via the airwaves or a show at a local club for an exclusive audience somehow enriches our entire Community. In my experience this silly idea fosters continued practice of Audience Discrimination by these stations and the artists they promote.

Color me as you will, but I do not want to “be like them”, nor do I want my community to “be like theirs”. I want to be like me, and I want our community to be like us. If I wanted to live in New York or Philly, I would. I don’t. I am impressed with central Virginia. I am positively overwhelmed by the music here, and the arts. I am grateful for them. I understand what DC and Philly and the like have to offer that we do not have here, and I know how to travel to those towns.

Frankly what is being forgotten by these stations as well as by NPR is the simple fact of E Pluribus Unum. Without Communities there is no national news, music, arts, or anything of special interest. Our Nation is not only defined by certain communities like Philly or Boston or Lake Wobegon, which we are asked to support with our Community Radio dollars. Our Nation is not only defined by certain individuals.

As a community organizer with a 14 year history of direct community impact through music I can only say “thanks for precious little”, and I can no longer send money. As a local promoter who has tried endlessly to present a handful of talented, aspiring local musicians that have been thanklessly serving the Community that your stations turn to for support, again, “thanks for precious little”. I understand that your business model does not support the idea that your Community is of value beyond financing what you do, and I can not support this business model. It is not “the right thing to do”, as I have heard you say.

I called into a talk show the other day to present this idea to the NPR ombudsman – this idea that the Nation is built of Communities, and that I would like to see NPR place more focus on these communities that their supporting stations exist in and draw support from. She missed the point, and said this was a station question, not an NPR question. The host missed it as well, cut me off and took me to task for what he thought I was saying.

During his response he said that NPR listeners are “discriminating”, and want these “high-quality” programs. I guess this means they do not want to hear about their neighbors, except when 30 of them get killed. But then he let the cat out of the bag, for he said that fewer than 1/3 of these discriminating listeners that listen to NPR stations donate money to support them. I don’t know where he gets this or if he means locally or beyond, but it certainly lends a fresh meaning to the idea of “discriminating listener”, and the business benefit of catering to them.

I’m leaning more and more in the direction that the discriminating entity may well be the radio station, not the listener. Perhaps if they would quit discriminating against the Communities in which they hope to thrive they would experience improved Community Support.

Ultimately the news is available everywhere, anytime. NPR programs can be streamed & podcasted. There are a handful of NPR affiliates, and a couple more Community Supported stations that offer similar news. It's tough to justify supporting them all, for sure. And the music they broadcast is as well readily available from countless sources, so it's tough to say they provide some breakthrough insight into today's music.

Balance. What we need is balance.

E Pluribus Unum, and United We Stand...

* *

Best of Now, always,

Greg & Alice the Canine Messiah

Life. Always Getting in the Way of Sleep....

2009-01-13T04:58:00.000-08:00

Alice said it this way the other day, observing my grumpiness when something interrupted an afternoon nap.

Life is like this Gregory. Always interfering with somebody's desire to sleep right thru their Dream of a LifeTime.

She pointed out that, according to the stories our culture tells about Life, it is a Gift, and an Opportunity to come to know OneSelf. An Opportunity to Awaken into the Expression and Experience of our Dreams.

And for some silly reason, Gregory, you often get quite irritated when Life comes to play, and calls for you, Here Now.

She mentioned someone that had called into Oprah the other day, singing the blues about their situation, and how the recession was getting to them. She said Oprah had asked something like "Can you breathe without the aid of a machine?"

The point being Gratitude of course.

Alice suggested when I wake up - whether on my own or by virtue of perceived interruption - that I Express my Gratitude for something.

Some things. Every Time I wake up: Express Thanks. Sincere Gratitude. Feel it.

This is the easiest task I've ever had...

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

www.gregallenmusic.net

Was or Is?

2009-01-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

When Neale Donald Walsch posted Candy Chand's "Christ Was Love" story at beliefnet this past month we were right away struck by the fact that he was promoting a story in which the supposed-to-be-heartwarming-message is that Christ WAS Love.

Was. Used to be. Not any more, man.

And this of course makes sense, for so many Christians have the idea that the term Christ refers to one historical figure. This is the basic idea to which they cling and fall back upon when the going gets tough.

Christ WAS love, and in the future, when we finally get away from This wretched Here Now, Christ WILL BE Love.

But Not Now. Not Here Now. Come on...

**

We wonder what ever happened to the idea of the Christ within each of us? The idea of Christ as a basic "spirit", accessible to us all in any and every Given moment of a LifeTime.

Given moment. Notice this. Gift. The Time of One's Life is a Gift. You knew this.

So, what ever happened to the idea that Christ Is Love, Here Now, in the Opportunity of an apparent Problem?

**

Yes, we noticed when Mr. Walsch got all warm and fuzzy about a story saying Christ WAS Love.

Y'know, Mr. Walsch and Ms. Chand, the Spirit of Christ IS Love.

The Spirit of Christ available to you and each of us Here Now is Understanding as well. Compassion, a Peaceful Approach.

(This Peace is based in a Peace that passes all understanding mind you, so don't look for human explanations that will allow the Golden Rule to, um, rule. This is where Faith comes in. Faith that is not underscored by doubt and fear, this is. Absoulute Faith.)

And the Spirit of Christ is Kindness, dear fellow writers.

The Spirit of Christ Listens, Smiles, and Blesses God's Fellow Children. The Spirit of Christ does not judge and insist upon righteous punishment.

The Spirit of Christ has little concern for the effect another can have on one's "credibility" among mortals.

Oh, ye of relative Faith... ;^)

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

http://www.gregallenmusic.net/

www.cdbaby.com/cd/gregallenmusic2

The Thing About the "Spiritual" Thing

2009-01-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

I've taken a little - not much - flack for my stance on the Neale Donald Walsch situation, with some folks pointing out how "serious" this all is.

Apparently Ms. Chand - whom the NY Times labels "a Christian writer" - feels some very important principle has been violated. She feels that even though Mr. Walsch did not gain in any direct financial sense, he has cast a pall on writers everywhere, and somehow jeopardized the trust a reader might place in a writer.

As though Ms. Chand's credibility is somehow dependent upon Neale Walsch, she said "How many people have heard him telling people that it’s his own?” she said. “There goes my credibility again." (We won't even ask why she threw in the word "again"...)

We won't argue for or against the probability of Mr. Walsch having this sort of power over Ms. Chand - who does not even seem to have her own website, based on a Google search.

But we'll observe... that always, always, always, the religious and spiritual people have a tendency to identify and evoke principles that are higher than, and thus must supercede, The Golden Rule.

This is only possible of course when One holds a basic view of the world of Humans as being separate from the "world of God", or "spiritual world".

It's only possible for people that begin by seeing Division. You know, Divided We Fall. That sort of thing.

I got a chuckle yesterday when I had the sense that people are busy spanking and scolding their fellow beings because they are afraid that Later, when they are all dead, their fellow beings will not "be there for them" - they will not have qualified for entry into "the Good Thing".

The fact that they are Here, Now, in Time, Here to Celebrate Life, to Express and Experience what we know of this "Higher Love" can rather go hang, to these people.

For Life you see, is about Later. And That. Over There.

Sad-funny...

**

Again we offer Alice's evolution of the Golden Rule, a clearly tired Other-Dependent Rule based in and dependent upon Other and the challenges they bring to our sense of right and wrong.

From Digging the Whole: the Canine Book of Play* Alice offers

An Absoulute Attitude: I Am with My Fellow Beings As I Am with MySelf.

It's clearly Self-Reliant. We like this aspect very much.

For Here Is Only The Self. Here Is No Other.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

http://www.gregallenmusic.net/

*Digging the Whole, & An Absoulute Attitude are copyright Greg Allen 2008/2009

Neale Donald Walsch and Opportunity

2009-01-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

We sent this to Neale via the "contact form" on his CWG website a little while ago, in support. The so-called "spiritual community" never ceases to amaze us...

**

Neale,

So very sorry to hear of the turmoil, and particularly sorry if this is causing you any personal suffering.

It's odd to us, though, in a "This Here Now" sort of sense that there is so little room for forgiveness of one's "humanity at the human level" by a Christian author and a website called "beliefnet". Of course we understand the "earthly" gravity of what has occurred, and how it can be construed, but it seems that such a perfect "heavenly" Opportunity has been missed. By the "heaven" people...

The Opportunity to walk the talk. To Forgive in Real-Time, at the Speed of Life. The "What Would Jesus Do" sort of Opportunity.

Life is actually sort of like one had been sitting round chatting with God and God asked "What would Heaven be like, in your version of it?" And One began to respond with all the things that Others would and would not do in Heaven, and of course we all have scads to say if asked about this one...

But God raised a finger and smiled, and said "No. Show me."

And suddenly you find YourSelf Here Now, and we are all waking up in Time with our Fellow Beings...

For sure Neale, we hope that you have utilized the CWG principles your books showed us to forgive yourself quickly and proceed from Self-forgiveness as you move through this Experience.
We appreciate all you have brought to the world Neale, and we hope you will see nothing but Opportunity, as one door closes...

Best of Now, always,

Alice the Canine Messiah and Greg Allen

http://www.gregallenmusic.net/

http://www.timeoverthrown.blogspot.com/

The Funny Thing About Psychics

2009-01-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the local radio show fiasco we mentioned over the weekend Alice and I went to the local psychic who was on the show Sunday, for an Animal Communication Consultation. $50.

I admit, I initially signed us up with a bit of an attitude, and in hindsight am glad I did. It seems fair to try to get some sort of gauge of what is going on with the radio thing. I figured a visit to the psychic that is of such high "community interest" that he has on on the show 3 or so times a year would help me get some perspective. It's long been a bit perplexing to me that the Audience Inclusion effort born in C'ville is of no interest to the community radio station. So...

By the time we got there I was well past my sense of frustration, and was truly looking forward to hearing what a psychic would say, firsthand, about a canine messiah. $50 seems fair, to me. I hoped the show host had not tipped her off to the canine messiah thing after I called in...

Also by the time we got there we had been laughed at and called crazy by some friends. Oh well. Expected.

And then not long afterward I told a "spiritual" sort of friend about it. It didn't go over well, although the friend was gracious.

The concensus among all of the detractors is basically that (a) I already knew what the psychic "revealed" to me about Alice and, (b) she simply told me things I "needed to hear" and, (c)they could have told me the same things.

I've been pondering this, and I realized that indeed, she did tell me things I already felt pretty confident of. And yes indeed, in a sense I did need to hear them.

I needed to hear them because I don't, often enough. Perhaps my friends could have told me these things. But they haven't. They don't.

I gotta work on that, from the Giving end. I realize it is a reflection...

Yup, it was worth it.

Every penny!

**

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

101 Spiritualists in Support of The Now Exspirientuality

2009-01-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

Wow.

The other night we had some new folks show up at The Now Exspirientuality gathering at Not the Same Old Grind in Orange. One of them mentioned Mike Dooley and his website. Mike was in The Secret. Impressive guy. I looked around his site, and it's impressive.

I signed up for his Notes from the Universe. Oh my...

The first one came this morning. Apparently The Universe is very concerned with other people, what will come later, and - get this - gloating! Here's what Mike's Universe sent me:

It's the exact same for me, Greg. My love goes unreturned, I feel completely unappreciated, or some clown starts telling me what's wrong with the world (my world!). And so, I have to remind myself that I am the Universe, that this is an adventure, and that one day they will come to know the errors in their thinking. And, not that it matters at all, but I secretly hope that on that day I just happen to be carried past them, sitting in my processional throne, followed by throngs of admirers, with all the Angels singing, "We are the champions, my friends..."

**

Now honestly I had never said that I felt my love goes unreturned, and I did not say that I felt completely unappreciated, so I am not sure where the "exact same for me" thing comes from as an opener.

And honestly I don't find myself needing to remind myself of all of "Their" flaws in thinking.

And for sure I had no idea the Universe - or Mike, or Mike's Universe... - is poised, ready to gloat when the appointed day comes and all of "Them" experience Their "error" by virtue of My Rightness, as I am paraded around on a processional throne (did he really say that??) with throngs of followers.

Um, that's pretty ill Mike. You can hang on to your Universe's ideas.

I know I am not the only one struck by the resemblance to certain popular religious ideas.

Uh, Mike. Huh? Do you know what is being sent out here?

Mike Dooley hosts a website that is underscored by the message that "thoughts become things". What a sad consideration - that the sort of thoughts he sent me this morning might actually become realities in my Life.

I have no need nor desire to fashion my sense of who I Am and how my Life shall proceed based on an attitude of complaining about my Now and longing to gloat in my Later.

I just don't get these spiritual gurus.

Except when I recall what Alan Watts said - that a guru simply picks your pocket and sells you back your own watch.

**

These are the sort of spiritual messages that affirm my decision to immerse myself fully in Joyful recognition of The Now Exspirientuality.

Like Time Overthrown, it is not really a movement, it is a stillness. Or, as Alice says, It's a stillness-movement.

This morning we had to rewind a few times and listen to Michael Stipe sing to this idea in the song Low, from the Out of Time CD, "Moving through the still frame. How, we do not know."

Alice and I have no desire to pick anyone's pocket and sell them back their watch. We are however more than happy to share Now ideas about how Time really works, and what Time is really for...

**

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

The Importance of What I Do

2009-01-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

It's been an eye-opening morning! I love these...

I've been emailing with the host of a local community radio show for the last few days, and I am reminded that not everyone thinks that what I advocate is important in a community sense. The Audience Inclusion thing I mean.

Most of you know that Audience Inclusion means that I encourage acoustic musicians to go beyond traditional public venues and perform at what I call Community Venues. These are senior homes, nursing homes, hospitals and facilities for developmentally disabled children and adults.

The radio show host does not know this, although the program has existed in his community for many years - informally since 1995, formally since 1998. The radio show host thinks the program is about Greg Allen and his music. The radio show host thinks that I want to pledge $100 to his station so that I can get on air and promote my latest CD.

Of course the CD will be promoted. I understand this, and even find it desirable. It's rather how media works in our society. I was born yesterday, in the dark, but it was 51 years ago, give or take...

The CD stands for some very important things that I stand for, and have dedicated my Life and my art to. The songs on the CD, and the overall concept, speak directly to some very important ideas for our Times.

Ultimately though the CD itself has little to do with why I offered to sponsor a show about Life's Community topics on a "community" radio station (note: they call themselves "community", I don't... I rather think it alludes more to the fact that twice a year the community donates money to keep them on air.)

I originally offered to sponsor the show because the community radio station has steadfastly ignored any truth about the SongSharing effort since it's inception. They have steadfastly ignored every opportunity to look into what wedo, and every invitation to attend a performance or special event. They waited nearly a year to preview our organization's first CD, which features many local musicians, and was a direct fundraiser for our non-profit. They ignored and refused to support our 2007 RadioSharing effort, designed to help sell the SongSharing CD by donating profits to them. They never acknowledged the monetary gift that we raised for them in this effort.

**

And so I am reminded that perhaps I should wonder about the value of what I do.

Or... perhaps I should wonder why I get tricked into thinking that I want to support efforts such as theirs, while distracting myself from my vision.

**

Yes, Gregory, you should wonder about how you value what you do.

You should value it more highly than to think that you need to pay these people to take interest in this very Now musical idea. The need to pay them, and to be required to spell out for them precisely what might be interesting about it, says something about their idea of "community", not yours... It speaks to their values, not yours.

Let's get back on the road.

We wish you peace, and the Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

UPDATE: That Was Funny

So I have been typing this blog and missing this week's edition of the particular "community interest" show. About 45 minutes into it I began paying attention. The guest is a local spiritual growth psychic who is on the show several times a year! The topic seemed to be sort of personal, as callers were asking for personal advice and the guest was giving it to them - like on-air readings maybe. ?? I don't know, as I said.

But the jist of the show was growth for 2009, and so I called in. By coincidence I was the final question of the show.

I asked: I am curious what you might say about sharing one’s Time and Talent and the role this sort of might play in spirits evolving – even the community spirit perhaps?

Well of course she loved the question and jumped all over the importance of sharing one's self and one's Time and Talents, and the community strengthening connection. She has no idea who I am, or what I do - but I am pretty sure the host knew who I was. I meant to make up a name, but the truth came blurting out... ;^)

She even went so far as to put forth the idea of a sense of duty - that we really "should" get involved beyond ourselves and our little self-ish world.

She said all of the things that SongSharing, and Audience Inclusion, and Time Overthrown stand for - and have stood for over a decade. And Greg Allen, and Alice.

It was kind of funny too, that Alice barked when I was asking the question, and so I had to repeat it. The host mentioned the dog bark when he asked me to repeat it...

It's funny because he had been asking in emails about Alice's "studio manners" when we were considering a show. I had warned him that she likes to speak every now and again. Today she was saying "Hi!"...

Peace y'all...

Now Year Resolutions: Attracting and Creating in Real-Time

2008-12-30T05:28:00.001-08:00

It's the Time of year when the media is abuzz with talk of Resolutions, which implies that people might be talking about them as well. One can never be certain though, that what is important to the media is important to the people. Anyway...

Most of the media talk we've encountered speaks of New Year Resolutions. New Year's Resolutions are the same Old thing: focus upon traditional ideas of undesirable behaviors - such as smoking - that one is determined to Quit; or undesirable things - such as weight - that must be Lost.

Alice, wise beyond her ears, last night suggested that I consider making Now Year Resoulutions. (There she goes throwing the extra "u" in there again, like she does in the word Absoulute.) Here's some of what she said...

You know how I feel about New things Gregory - they immediately begin to get Old. Stick with Now things. 'Nuff said...

As far as the word Resolution goes, it is directly speaking of re-solving something - coming up with a New solution to a familiar problem. This reflects the traditional human tendency to ignore Life's Opportunities, always unfolding Here Now.

As you know, Gregory, every perceived Problem can also be perceived as an Opportunity. Hence the idea of a Resoulution - a fresh perspective towards Life and it's Opportunities.

We were watching The Secret last night with some friends, and I recall the part where Esther Hicks was talking about "just looking at what is". (Esther appeared in early copies of The Secret.) She pointed out that most people just focus on what is, and so they get more of what is. And then they focus again on what is, and get more of what is.

And you wonder why things never change...

It's like looking down at your feet when you walk, Gregory. Progress this way is very very slow. Your eyes should focus where you want to go, just as you taught young motorcycle riders and racers. Remember Summit Point, where your eyes looked to the Exit of Turn 9 as you were Entering Turn 7?

And so you can move into the idea of Now Year Resoulutions, Gregory - Resoulutions that honor the Human Creative/Attractive Principles and allow you to manifest your Dreams.

It's pretty easy really. I used this approach a year and a half ago, when I chose fresh air over cigarettes. I didn't "quit". I simply choose fresh air these days. "These days" began in June of 2007, and I am pleased that I explored this Opportunity. In a sense, I am pleased that I got "my story" out of the way of "me"...

An interesting shift is that cigarettes were no longer the enemy. Cigarettes were fine with me. I just chose not to smoke one. This one. But when the craving came - that little voice, and that "taste thing" that only a cigarette can satisfy would come along, I would agree with them. I would say - sometimes aloud - "Yup! A cigarette most certainly would taste great right now! I have to agree with you. But I choose fresh air, right Now."

Perhaps when I treat a habit with respect, and don't call it names, it realigns more easily whenever I choose. This would make sense, since it is my habit...

The idea of Now Year Resoulutions also serves as reminder that This Here Now is it! The Good Thing! This Here Now moment is to be regarded with Gratitude, as a reflection of the Joy of Being.

So consider Now Year Resoulutions.

Instead of that same old pledge to "lose weight", Express your intent to Experience the Opportunity of Physical Enlightenment!!

Instead of your umpteenth attempt to "quit smoking", Express your intent to Experience Fresh Air!

Every cloud has a silver lining, and every perceived problem has an Opportunity.

Here Now.

**

Happy Now Year, always!!!

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

Expression of Gratitude

2008-12-24T06:18:00.000-08:00

This Time Overthrown thing is frankly about celebrating the situation of Being Human.

It’s about celebrating Humans Being. It’s a beautiful idea when it comes down to it – that Being Human is a Divine form of Existence, which is comprised of Expression and Experience.

It’s a terribly optimistic attitude, worthy of adopting, for the Present Moment, Experienced as it is in human form, is a Gift. It is to be celebrated. This Here Now IS the Good Thing!!

It was a year ago I chose to "give up" spirituality - perhaps "seeking" is a better term... You see, spiritual traditions offer Relative Time - clock Time - as the answer. Time to learn things and add things and become things and on and on and on, and eventually "get There". The good thing is always over There in the future, in Time. Good Time, they even call it. “It’ll get here in its own good time,” they say. “Be patient.” It also has a great deal to do with Them - Their living situation, and how They speak and act.

The Holidays are a great Now Time in which to move beyond this primitive idea of Time as a means to an end. Time is where we have long Dreamed of Being, and Being Here Now, In Time, is a Gift of the Highest Order.

The holidays are a great Time to simply Express, Here Now, the sort of Human Being-ness you'd like to Experience in the world. Share. Be kind. As Alice says, adopt An Absoulute Attitude...

~ I Am with my Fellow Beings as I would have my Fellow Beings Be with Me ~

It’s a wonderful Life Experience for all when we Express our Appreciation thru our very Being, Here Now. It makes for a wonderful Existence.

Happy Holidays to you all.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

www.gregallenmusic.net

Taught, Learn, Choose

2008-12-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

There's a wonderful evolution about the choruses in the Pierce Pettis song Legacy.

The song is about racism, and the first chorus says "What we're taught to believe, we never question these things..."

The second chorus observes that "What we learn to believe, we never question these things..."

And finally, the third chorus: "What we choose to believe, we dare not question these things..."

This evolution directly relates to the chat I have been having with my friend regarding the idea of "Loving What You Hate". She responded to me yesterday by saying that People are taught to hate, and that is what shackles them.

And our point is simply that at some point we are choosing.

To point back to our childhood and blame the teaching for our current behavior is childish, and in my mind rather ridiculous.

**

I went back and looked at my posts from a year ago - the Holidays 2007. I found that this is about the Time I announced that I was giving up spirituality, and I recalled that this sort of attitude is precisely why. Spirituality likes to focus on That There Then. And on Them. Other.

Spirituality has little regard for its own obvious teaching that This Here Now is all there is, and that Life is a journey of Self. In deepest truth, there is no Other.

There is simply The One Thing going on, and on and on and on....

And we are blessed to Be, Here Now.

And we should act like it.

Now.

Dance In the Moment...

Happy Holidays!!

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

Assuming Form Empowers Divinity

2008-12-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

As a followup, we have been dialoguing with the friend that sent the "Love What You Hate" thing, and she has been pretty adamant defending her right to choose to hate first, and then love it. Of course we never argued against her right to do so. We just offered a choice.

She basically cites her "inherent human weakness" - the idea that humans are flawed, and oh so challenged and disempowered and so forth. The idea that we tend towards hatred and the negative, and we must struggle to overcome ourselves.

Alice has pointed out before that the very act of Being, of assuming human form, does not hinder divinity. Indeed, taking form is the only manner in which "What Is" is empowered to do, or be, anything.

The only way One can Express or Experience (which are the two constituents of Existence) is in some form of form.

You can't take flight without taking form, points out What Would Dog Do?: the Canine Messiah's Handbook.

**

Ultimately it's all good of course, but it is rather sad-funny that so many spiritual paths lead round and round and back again to the same old grim dim outlook of humanity - that we are flawed, that we must struggle and struggle to get to the Good Thing, and it is never assured.

The idea of being doomed to a life of hateful things and situations that one must learn to love hardly seems spiritual to me these days. It seems anti-spiritual somehow.

I'm reminded that it was the Walsch Messenger's Circle board that first prompted Alice to show me The One Exercise and introduce me to The Now Exspirientuality.

Hmmm...

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice, the Canine Messiah

Instant Here and Now

2008-12-22T02:48:00.000-08:00

An online friend I met thru Neale Donald Walsch's "Messengers Circle" last year sent an email a few days ago, forwarding a spiritual sort of thing she had received. I guess it came in the spirit of the holidays, which I must say seems more and more odd to me these days...

The writing was about "Loving What You Hate", and offered this as a method of "transformation". In fact, it claims that loving what you hate is the great transformer.

I read it a time or two, noting peculiarities such as the idea that love is the best tool available to "combat hatred".

I noted that it says hatred is very hard to overcome because it reinforces itself. This appears from the writer's view to be an advantage that hatred has over love.

Alice and I got together and responded to our friend:

Hi T,

Happy Holidays - hope you and yours are doing well!

You know, we are advocates of the idea that It's Time That Time Was Overthrown. Time is never going to get us to the good thing...

Loving what one hates seems a "long-way around" sort of idea to us these days, for it simply gives Life and longevity to the idea of hatred. It adds more Time in order for the Good Thing to arrive. It states once again that This Here Now is not the good thing - it's less than acceptable.

"Thanks God, but No Thanks! I hate This Here Now crap, God. How dare you. But (sigh...) okay. I'll pretend to act as though I 'love' this thing I hate."

By simply adopting what Alice the Canine Messiah calls An Absoulute Attitude we move into the Joy of Being, akin to that elusive "peace that passes all understanding"...

By choosing to See One Thing we move beyond the possibility of hatred, Here Now. Instantly. No Time, nor transformation, needed.

You see T, folks like to believe that Time is going to eventually get them to the Good Thing. They like to believe that This Here Now sucks, and eventually, in Time, we'll get to the Good Thing of which we Dream.

But This Here Now is precisely where we have long Dreamed of Being. Being, Here Now, is the original Dream Come True.

And Here Now, in Time, we can Experience and Express Becoming Dreams.

This is how we Experience it, these days.

We wish you Peace.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

www.gregallenmusic.net

The 2009 Time Overthrown / Audience Inclusion Tour

2008-12-19T04:27:00.000-08:00

Alice and I are finishing up the first book in the Conversations with Dog series, and are beginning to plan a 2009 Time Overthrown / Audience Inclusion Tour to promote the book and the CD.

As Do-ru's* we'll of course be promoting ideas like Time Overthrown, Audience Inclusion and The Now Exspirientuality in Real-Time, as we go. We'll also be sure to share Alice's One Exercise for the benefit of those interested.

Our visit to each new town will involve three aspects of what we do as Do-ru's...

1 - A SongSharing On Tour Audience Inclusion musical performance at a Community Venue such as a senior home, facility for developmentally disabled, or a hospital.

2 - A Time Overthrown / Now Exspirientuality Presentation in an intimate setting such as a spiritual bookstore, coffee shop, yoga studio or the like. 70 - 90 minutes, a mix of presentation, performance and questions

3 - A House Concert and/or an Acoustic Venue or Festival Performance.

It would be great to hear from any of you regarding places that we could potentially schedule any or all of these events in your area. Leads on spiritual/new age bookstores, studios and other gathering places is helpful - especially if you are connected with them somehow.

We're far better at finding and setting up the Community Venue shows than we are at arranging House Concerts and public venue gigs - so this is where your help is especially important, as it helps us cover costs and pay the bills!!

Questions welcome!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

**

* Do-ru's live the lyrics.

This Is It

2008-12-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

This is it.

We can’t be more sincere.

This Here Now is The Now Exspirientuality - you are indeed having the spiritual experience right now. You are in the presence of God, so to speak.

The Old Man is looking out thru every set of eyes you encounter, with a smile and a wink. It’s all good.

That’s a funny thing to consider, for yesterday's experience had a decidedly “Old Man” sense to it. I used to work with a baker in a restaurant whose nickname was the Old Man. He was such a presence. It’s an experience I am long familiar with, of being watched. I know it now as Jewel describes it when she sings “God is watching us… from a distance.” It’s a gentle watching – detached but not disinterested; accepting; allowing.

But I wonder why, for me, it seemed yesterday a masculine sort of presence, instead of simply a presence…

Now, to be clear, yesterday was an experience while I was alone, in the van.

It must be attributed - something I attribute. I can see that I ascribe these traits – even to the canines, and imagine the girls to be girly…

And so it is simply the yin and yang of The Now Exspirientuality – that it will have dualistic qualities in the Experiential / Expressive plane of Existence. And sometimes they have the grandpa feel, and sometimes the grandma...

Yes.

This is it.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice, the Canine Messiah

Book Focus

2008-12-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Alice and I are closing in on the publication of our first book on the subject of The Now Exspirientuality and The One Exercise. We plan to get material to the online publisher by the 21st.

We're also beginning to schedule a winter/spring Time Overthrown / Audience Inclusion Tour to promote the book and the CD, The Now Exspirientuality and Audience Inclusion.

We've had a great deal of interest from folks posting at various forums, and we look forward to continued interaction with them!

Best of Now, always,

Greg & Alice the Canine Messiah

an Alice poem

2008-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Know No Know.
No it is and isn't so.
Know enough to let it go.
When No is Yes and Yes is Know.
Now Go.
Go. Go.
Yo.

**

Alice the Canine Messiah

The Collective Insanity

2008-09-20T06:41:00.001-07:00

The Collective Insanity is quite simply looking out and seeing a Collection of Independent Things.

Thus it is like all Self-Help topics and concepts, it is a Phenomenon of the Self, and not the illusory many.

There is nothing that Other needs to do. There is No Other.

The only way to rid OurSelf of this Collective Insanity is with a Unifying Vision that recognizes The One Self, through OneSelf. In concert with OneSelf.

It's to look out, with The One Self, and See Only The One Self. To proceed with gratitude and wonder, and not a need to keep telling me I am an idiot that needs to explain this a bit better, or that I am some haughty spiritual guy who implies I am more advanced.

Stop demanding proof.

Celebrate as though This is the Garden, and you appreciate it.

What Is a Joy Body?

2008-09-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

In Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth he gets pretty in depth about something he calls a Pain Body. That's a fine enough idea, and we do appreciate the concept but we admit to being rather taken aback by the fascination with and focus upon the pain body we were seeing at Oprah's book club forum. Alice and I got to talking about it and she said it is too bad he did not get into discussing the Joy Body.

So I've brought that up a handful of Times in the forum and other places and folks have no idea what I am talking about. Some folks even ridicule me, and get personally offended when I suggest that Eckhart likely did not intend for people to make a case study of their pain body and get all hung up on how to "get rid of it".

Eckhart would not do that to you, for it is rather like the old Indian joke that says that if you visit a certain place and lay your hands upon the base of the fountain you can have your Dreams come true, provided you do not think of a green elephant. It's like atheists who think they have gotten rid of god by virtue of having defined god as precisely as the religionists and then saying "That god. That's the one I do not believe in. The one I just made up."

Anyway, I thought we should get a bit more informative as to precisely what a Joy Body is, and how to get in touch with it, which we'll do here in a bit...

The Exercise

2008-09-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Alice pointed out the other day that The Exercise is perfect for folks who are ready to gain a better understanding of the popular idea of Living In the Now, or from a Place of Greater Presence.

The popular spiritual / self-help notion is one of letting go of the traditional "ego-sense" of who one is and quieting the mind chatter about what is being observed. Eckhart Tolle's wonderful book The Power of Now elaborated the idea beautifully, and his recent work A New Earth is about realizing the benefits of this Now state of mind in one's phenomenal Life.

The Exercise is thus perfect, for it is precisely about discarding one's small idea of what a self is, and adopting the Unifying Perspective of Seeing Only the Grand, Glorious and Mysterious Self of the Universe. In fact, it instantly points to one's receptiveness to the idea of, uh..., well, receptiveness. If one is not ready to give up one's small idea of personal identity for one's self as well as the others in one's world, well, then, one clearly is not ready to live the message of these powerful "Now" philosophies.

It's been frustrating to me to encounter the resistance I have to The Exercise from folks who claim to "get" the message of books like the above, as well as works like Walsch's Conversations with God. Alice pointed out though that these folks are defining themselves as resistant to what is, and need not be argued with. They will see when they are ready to see and not one second before. As Alice says...

Anyone that chooses to continue with a perspective that divides what they see into more than One Thing, One Self, is making a deliberate Creative choice about Being - their Very Existence and Life Experience. It is an easy choice to See Only The Self - to Live from a perspective of gratitude and wonder that sees the world through an Active Unifying Vision - for the idea that "what you see is what you get" is actively true. Human eyes are projectors of their most consciously known truth. They both Express and Experience from their unique seat in the Creative Studio/Gallery of the Universe.

We're trying to pull our first book together to have to a publisher by the end of the month.... It occurred to me why I was holding back - I get it Now - it's truly a Self-Help book - nothing to do with Other, or That There Later. They don't exist...

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

The Joy Body

2008-09-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

We have been hanging out at Oprah's Book Club forum where there is a sort of kinda discussion about Eckhart Tolle's wonderful book A New Earth. If you have not read it, please give it a whirl - great stuff!

One of the craziest things though, that we wonder about, is the intense fascination with and focus upon what he labeled "the pain body", there at the forum.

We may be the only ones there who wish Eckhart would have written about the Joy Body...

If you read the book, definitely reflect on what he is presenting with this "pain body" idea, but we suggest not setting out on a crusade to rid yourself of it.

We suggest that you simply then begin to identify your Joy Body, and identify with your Joy Body.

The way we see it, the Joy of Being is found in the simple fact of Being. Here Now.

Being is the original Dream Come True.

Being is awareness of the Eternal Now moment.

In Time, Being Becomes.

What does Being Become?

The stuff of Dreams!

Row Row Row Your Boat...

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice the Canine Messiah

Freedom

2008-08-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

We become free in the world when we become free of the world.

Leroi Moore

2008-08-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Very sad to hear of Leroi Moore's passing. Thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans.

Best of Now, always Leroi!

Greg & Alice

Each Day

2008-08-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Each Day (Katy Knortz)

Each day rising,
Each day ending.
Another night impending

Sending a message through the skies,
that the sun as we know it has died.

And the moon doth shine
All through the dark blue night
Only to die as the sun has died.

Come to find, exploding with light
The sun reincarnate shines over
the night.

Sending a message
through the skies
that the Moon as we know it has died.

**

Each Day is a poem by my young friend Katy Knortz. Katy is a wonderful poet and singer/songwriter who plays guitar and violin mostly and dabbles in a few other instruments. We've been working together in a teacher/student situation this summer and are writing a book for young people featuring many of the ideas we'll share in seminars during the school year. We're also working up songs together as a duo - a few of hers, a few of mine, and a couple of our favorite covers. Katy's a shaman; a Dream coming to Life. It's a real honor knowing her and getting to work with her!

Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/smoker4life

To See The Worlds with One's Head In the Sand

2008-07-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

I was accused yet again of having my head in the sand, and of not being from this planet (true), because I said to someone that the world is Divinely Perfect as This Here Now. She had said that one day we will walk as gods and goddesses, and I said "That's what we are doing Now, awakening into understanding This."

So she came back and got a little condescending about telling me I am dangerously, or harmfully anyway, ignorant and so forth. (It was kind of cool - my little hackles were still dead asleep - they seem to be thinning out...)

Anyway, this morning, whilst shaving my head in the shower, it occurred to me that maybe the way folks could try looking at it is from this perspective: If One can "see a Universe in a grain of Sand", Then imagine what One can see by completely immersing oneself in the Sands of One's Own Life - This Here Now Sand.

You know, walk a mile in 'dem shoes...

Instead of calling me not so nice names and telling me I am dangerously ignorant, right after I addressed you as a god or goddess, divinely perfect right Now.

Who knows. People will do what they do, and I love 'em for it more and more each Now Day, here on A Now Earth.

Best of This Here Now Sand, always,

Greg and Alice

Buddha Molding

2008-07-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Alice and I are sending in a patent application for a Buddher Mold - you know, butter in the shape of a Buddha.

We were cracking up about this one, at the thought of a bunch of deep southern US monks saying "Hey maw, pass the Buddher..."

**

In the instructions it will emphasize that you MUST grease the inside of the mold before adding the soft butter.

Otherwise, when it hardens, the mold will have trouble letting go.

We crack us up...

Patent Pending - pre-orders being taken.

Dum-da-da-dum....

Fit for a sage...

Okay, enough...

Peace,

Greg and Alice

Questions

2008-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

When we Ask Questions we receive Verbal Responses.

When we Live Questions we receive Life Answers.

Alice shared that last night as we were preparing for a meeting with some young students later today.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice

Giving Up Power

2008-07-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

We were engaged in a discussion for awhile at the Oprah board about whether or not humans have any personal power.

Alice said last night that any philosophy or religion or spirituality that gives, or takes, away personal power over one's life is like a 12-step program for recovery.

I wondered today what it is so many humans are addicted to and/or trying to recover from by giving away personal power...

Strange, huh?

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice

In the Beginning

2008-07-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

...is This, Here, Now.

**

Best of the Beginning, always,

Greg and Alice, the Canine Messiah

The Linguistic Basis of Human Equality

2008-07-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

Wow. There is something quite absolute in our language, and it happens to point to the basic equality of humanity.

The verb "To Be". Conjugate it.

The word "be" is never in the conjugation of course.

And what does it begin with?

The basic creative phrase of the universe...

I Am.

And it equalizes The Universal Creativity inherent in simple Beingness with You Are, He/She/It Is, We Are, You Are, They Are.

Wow. This just hit me this morning. It's important. I know it.

Best of Now, always,

Greg and Alice, the Canine Messiah

Being Floats

2008-07-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

At dawn we find Her, floating Her Being gently along the stream of Time.

She is Becoming Every Dream she ever Dreamed.

As She Becomes She Awakens To Dreams She never Dreamed She had been Dreaming.

On She floats, into the sunset of Dreams She has yet to Dream of Dreaming.

We lose sight of Her, and we wonder. We rest, and we Dream of Her.

And at dawn, we find her...

--

from Alice, the Canine Messiah

Being Becoming

2008-07-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

BEING * * * * * * * * * * * * * BECOMING

Absolute * * * * * * * * * * * * * Relative

Now * * * * * * * * * * * * * * from past, thru present, into future

Unity/Unification * * * * * * * * * Duality/Multiplicity

Joy with No Other Side * * * * * * Happy/Sad and all in between

Love with No Other Side * * * * * * Loving/Hating

.... and so forth.

On Enlightenment, Enlightening and Enlightened

2008-07-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

Alice points out that the "quest" is not necessarily to attain an enlightened state in which one lives.Life is a process - of Enlightenment and of Enlightening.Enlightenment has to do with sharing the Now space (in which Relative Time unfolds) with, and basking in, the light of other souls.Enlightening has to do with the fact that our souls bring our light into the Now space (in which Relative Time unfolds).

**

In one sense, there are no enlightened humans*. Only enlightening ones, experiencing enlightenment.

A common spiritual pitfall is to believe that some people are enlightened, and to aspire to one day be like them. Lately, with writers like Tolle, it is kind of sadly humorous, as he is telling these seekers to live Now, not for some imaginary future condition.

This is the mindset that also believes that "I am now awakened and my friends/family/lover/boss/neighbors/countrymen/world citizens are not. What is an enlightened soul to do?"

What you are looking for Gregory is the simple fact that Humans are Equal in the very fact of their Being.

The things perceived and labeled as differences among Human Beings are actually differences in Becoming.

Becoming occurs through the process you know as Relative Time, and naturally all folks are at different points on the "Becoming scale" so to speak. But you are all pure perfect equals at the level of Being.

Until you see that, and look out from this Being space of Pure Equality, you will look "above" you to ones you call enlightened, and "beneath" you to ones you call "lesser than", and you will never experience the simple Joy of This, Here, Now - Being. The Soul's prayer is to Be, it's Dream is to Become.

**

This has a lot to do with (Grasping At Laws of) Attraction actually... enlightening folks are Attractive to those experiencing enlightenment...It is why we are awakening into This, Here, Now.

Every awakening one of us!!

Peace everyone,

Greg & Alice

*In another sense, the idea of "Being enlightened" simply means a mental "load" has been removed - Life is not perceived as a burden. Life begins to be perceived as an enlightening experience of enlightenment. Thus, in this sense, an enlightened Being is one who proceeds to engage Life from an unburdened mental state. Being unburdened, this Being moves into Becoming, fully - sharing the light and basking in the glow... We are all doing this - sharing our light and basking in the glow of others' light. However, many of us are mentally burdened by our idea of Life - and even our idea of what it means to be "enlightened".
That's a little ironic - that the idea of "losing the burden" becomes a burden to some of us... But hey, that is part of the fun of the Game we signed up for...

On "Getting Through" Life Situations

2008-07-02T08:07:00.001-07:00

From Alice the Canine Messiah:

The centering element of Relative Time (a past through a present into a future) is Absolute Time - the Eternal Now moment in which all experience occurs.

That simply means Beginning with and maintaining an attitude of "This, Here, Now is precisely where I want to Be."

When you ask the question "Is it always going to be this way?", it indicates that perhaps - just perhaps - you do not enjoy Being the experiencer of your current This, Here, Now Experience - whatever it may be.

Perhaps you do not perceive this Experience as a Gift of the Universe. one you long ago expressed a Desire to Experience. Many of us do not perceive any, or many, of our LifeTime experiences as Gifts, as Opportunities we have - ahem - Attracted to our Human form...
What, exactly, IS your Time for, when an Experience arrives? To Dance With It, Live It, Be It, Experience It, Run With It - to allow IT to Dance With You, Live Through You, BE through You, Experience You, and Run With You???

Or are you looking for a way to "get through" this Experience that you don't quite understand, that seems painful or unpleasant?

Wishing you peace,

Alice

Alexis, Row Your Boat...

2008-07-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was so cool.

Tom Proutt showed up with his electric guitar, Braxton brought percussion equipment, and the three of us played music at Dr. Ho's Humble Pie in North Garden, VA. Great Great Pizza!

A couple and their young daughter Alexis come in and sit at the front table, right in front of us. Alexis was very much enjoying the music, and she made sure we knew that with her applause. We had fun interacting for awhile.

She got a real kick when I spoke of Alice the Canine Messiah, and showed the stickers and t-shirts with Alice's picture - she had seen the back of the van when they pulled in.

Just before they left Alexis showed the paper plate she had been coloring to her mom, and her mom smiled and encouraged Alexis to show it to us. She did. It said "You Rock", with a heart drawn between the two words.

A couple minutes later she came up and held the plate out to me, as a Gift. I took it, and thanked her, and then asked if she would please sign it for us. She did.

I gave her a couple of Alice stickers... She seemed pretty thrilled about that.

And then... I said...

"Alexis, do you know the song Row Your Boat?" She nodded.

Dr. Ho's had about 20 customers, and the place fell strangely quiet.

"Alice showed me that song is true Alexis." I glanced at her parents, a gentle fierce glare suggesting they pay attention. They were. Smiling; gratitude in their eyes.

"You have come to Life with your own little Boat Alexis, perfectly prepared to Row thru the Dream of Your Life." She was really tuned in, eyes locked to mine.

"Row Your Boat Alexis. Gently, merrily, downstream - with the flow Alexis. This is It Alexis. Have fun!"

She smiled. Her folks smiled.

As they got up to leave they all said "Thanks!" and I said "Thank You!" and her dad lost his smile, looked me sternly & gently, in the eye and said "No. I mean Thanks. Thank You."

I think he meant the Row Your Boat discourse...

What a night. I have the best job!

Peace,

Greg & Alice

I's, Heres and Knowses

2008-07-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

It is I, following my Knows, that I might better Here, Now, Always.

Babies, Being and Becoming

2008-07-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

Alice says babies are a good example of a few things. One, she says, is that they demonstrate the equality of Human Beings. Babies are perfect Human Beings.

Naturally, they have a great deal of Becoming to experience in the Relative Time of from a past, through the present and into the future.

But Now, in every Now encountered, a baby, like each Human, is a perfect example of a Human Being, and a perfect example the diversity of Humans Being.

Alice says that many folks cannot see babies as equal. These folks, she says, also can not "see" an oak tree when they hold an acorn in their hand. It's that kind of seeing she says.

She says babies also show us about Being / Becoming. They are the embodiment of pure Being. They need help - as do we all - to Become. Becoming, Alice says, is like Rowing One's LifeDreamBoat...

She says this has to do with the phrase "Becoming, again, as a child." It's about Becoming from a pure state of Beingness, a childlike state that is fresh in the unfolding Now.

She reminds me that I until I know deeply that This, Here, Now is where I want to Be, I cannot Become the Dreams.

People who have trouble seeing babies as pure essential equals in the highest most glorious ways, have trouble seeing the equality of all mankind.

They miss the fact that, as she puts it:

No One needs help Being, EveryOne needs help Becoming.

When we see them on the level of Being as needing help because they are part of a huge group of "lesser thans", or "other thans", we lose the Human Beingness of our approach, the perspective of basic magnificent equality of all.

Best of Now, Always!

Greg and Alice

PS: Don't forget that lots of Alice's wisdom appears on our CD It's Time That Time Was Overthrown. Get your copy today... Thanks!!

Unrequested Song

2008-07-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

...is the title of a song I wrote some time ago. This morning, strumming through the creation of a set list for tonight's show, it came back and presented itSelf for consideration.

I have not played it in awhile - over a year I bet. So I dusted off its memory and began to play and it all came back pretty easily.

In many ways it never made sense to me, the words. I always liked them, and left them as they were though.

This morning, it made quite a bit of sense...

I'll play it tonight.

**
Unrequested Song

In the forest, the age-old question. My guitar and my voice are around.
A tree is breaking, a song is making, there's no one here to hear the falling sounds.
And there I found an unknown meter an unheard of sense of rhyme.
Stunning chords and words; like words you know but haven't heard in quite some Time.
-
I played it there, I sang it there, then I left the sounds alone.
If no one cared, or no one was there, to hear it, then I wonder...
My heart aches to sing it with you, my head: to leave it alone.
I played it once that seemed enough and no one's ever asked. Unrequested song.
-
I'd bring it here, I'd sing it here, but I left the sounds alone
If someone cares, or goes back there to hear it... I wonder....
My heart aches to sing it with you, my head: to leave it alone
I played it twice just to get it right and no one ever asks. Unrequested song.
**
copyright 2002 Greg Allen

Democrats dot com Disappointment

2008-06-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

Just to note...

Today I received an email from Democrats dot com.

First: It asked if Monticello should allow George Bush to speak there on July 4th.

Second: It called him a war criminal, and cited that statement to support their protest.

Third: They are staging a protest at Monticello.

How odd, I thought.

They ask if one of the most basic rights, that of freely addressing the public, should be afforded our President.

I am not even sure how to characterize the "war criminal" thing. Huh? When did that come down? Isn't there something about due process as the basis of taking away a civil right?

What is in that kool-aid over at Democrat dot com Headquarters?

Finally, they are going to go fight the fighter, and try to holler louder and close their ears to "his side" tighter than he closes his to theirs.

I am not defending Bush. I was thinking today if they ever let me play him at chess or cards or something, he might be the only guy I would ever sucker punch - wait 'til he was focused on something, then just haul off and punch the crap out of him. Just because. I mean really, if anyone deserves it, maybe it's him. Maybe. Anyway. That was violent wasn't it? But in a spirit warrior kind of way? Maybe? I mean, who wouldn't have punched Hitler, given the chance? I would've.

Anyway, I already thought the Democrats were a sorry alternative to what we have now - best chance I know, and I am wearing my Mr NOvember shirt with Barrack on it - but jeez, y'all.

What kind of wrong crap is that - denying basic rights and presuming guilt on a non-existent legal charge.

Grow up kids.

No wonder this country is such a freakin' mess.

Go make love kids - go engage each other in the "Joy Loves Company" game.

Please.

Best of NOW, Always!

Greg and Alice

Grasping At the Law of Attraction

2008-06-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

I am somehow amused that their is today a link at the Oprah website that asks Can the Law of Attraction Work for You?.

As though it is not already working for you.

As though your deepest ideas about Life, and your Life, have not manifested exactly the way you think they will.

As though you have not attracted every single thing you have ever known.

I always wonder if they really don't know that, the gurus who keep picking people's pockets then selling them back their watches? Do they really think there is a Law that people need to buckle down and begin applying, and then they will begin to "attract" their deepest known desire?

Or do they pretend to be asleep, to sell mo' books and such?

Alice says it might be both, and some in between...

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily...

Peace y'all,

Greg & Alice

Socks and Tiptoes

2008-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

It just struck me.

I was responding to someone at the Oprah board who said that they are waking up, and their friends are not awakening.

I was reminded of childhood vacations at Va Beach, in a huge house full of people - three or four families.

And some mornings I would wake up, and everyone else would still be sleeping.

And I would smile as I looked at them, and feel that warm feeling in my heart.

And I would think of how much fun we will be having when they wake up too.

Then....

I would put on my socks, and very very quietly tiptoe out of the room, and allow them to sleep, and dream, and wake up when they were ready, and then come play with me.

I would never ever start hollering things like "Hey. Yo! I am awake now! You all better wake the heck up right NOW and come play with me"...

Suddenly I feel a bit silly.

Pinkies Out Liberalism

2008-06-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Pinkies out liberalism...

That's the phrase the editor of the C-ville used regarding the town of C-ville in this week's issue She was writing about the closing of a privately run homeless shelter that the city forced. Said she is tired of C-ville's pinkies out liberalism.

I wrote to say that she could count me in - only in my case, I have had enough from C-ville musicians and their inability to find Time in ten years for the first Community Venue audience. Ten years, not one hour. I've offered pay, promotion, and more. I've found crazy ways to get folks like Billy Joel, Dolly Parton and REM/Athens involved to help fundraise. But very few have found even one hour, in ten years of Opportunity. Nor has community support in general been impressive. Very few folks or businesses in our community consider seniors and "challenged" folks to be worthy of much attention, consideration or concern.

Most certainly we cannot consider them equals, as in Golden Rule sort of equals... The Golden Rule is just one of those things we know about and vaguely advocate, then sigh and comment on how sad it is that we cannot Live from It's perspective Now.

It's sort of amusing, considering that C-ville is supposed to be some big haven for folks to retire to and grow old in...

Editor Ms. Harding wants the city of C-ville to walk the walk, as homelessness is on the rise. She wants them to do something, Now. Not just jabber on and on about the problem/Opportunity and never get 'round to addressing it.

Alice and I have been wondering for awhile why C-ville musicians won't live the lyrics they write, lyrics of getting along, caring and sharing. The senior population is on the rise, and the population of developmentally challenged folks and kids at places like Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center are not dwindling, to my knowledge. Community Venue audiences abound in a town with a small handful of traditional venues.

Of course we know why - same reason C-ville's populace won't get off it's ass and do something substantive for homeless people. They believe that Time will take them from where they were, through the undesirability of the moment, to a place where finally things are made right and all is well. But that will always be later. For now, we have other things to study, or tend to, or become. Later we can actually experience this ideal of which we speak.

Likewise the musicians believe they were not musicians in the past, and really aren't successful musicians yet, but one day when they are successful musicians they will indeed have Time for these audiences.

The truth is, stereotype. These audiences, like homeless people, are considered to be charity cases. Not equals. Not brethren.

Anyway, thanks to Editor Ms. Harding for her cool phrase pinkies out liberalism. I picture a horde of C-ville love and peace musicians strumming away with visions of DMB-hood dancing in their heads, and their pinkies held out, just so...

You should see the van - Alice's pic plastered all over the back of it! Got the windows tinted so we can go travelin' down south. Goin' for a remote start/security system so I can leave it running with A/C on if need be...

Peace y'all,

Greg

REM at Walnut Creek

2008-06-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

Wow.

What a show! Modest Mouse and The National opened things up. I wandered around mostly during their sets, and drank the requisite $12 beer. Oh boy, was it $12 good...

REM kicked off just before 9:00.

Energy, energy, enthusiasm, love.

I had a great seat, right on the end of a row in Section 4, I stood there for the first set, then walked back to the lawn for the second set.

What night.

Bad Day
Fall On Me
Welcome to the Occupation
Man Sized Wreath
Houston
Accelerate

Those were a few of the highlights.

What a night.

What a show.

Gotta get an Atlanta ticket...

Peace,

Greg, and Alice

Audience Inclusion Tour - Raleigh Day 2

2008-06-11T04:54:00.001-07:00

Alice was a huge hit!

We started the day at Brighton Gardens of Raleigh where Alice received a warm welcome. The receptionist at Brighton Gardens is named Alice, so when I told her my dog's name was Alice she said "She better be cute." The ladies were all laughing when Alice told them the dog's name was Alice.

Well, then the princess made her entrance... Within minutes Miss Alice the receptionist is bopping around telling everyone proudly "Her name is Alice." :^)

I brought her soft crate in and set her up next to my performance spot, and we launched into a great show. The folks were wonderful, as was the show.

The afternoon affair was at Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities. They had graduation that morning, so I was afforded the honor of playing for an audience of graduates! The children were fantastic - sweet, quiet, and most clearly having fun. A few went to sleep, which is always a good sign to me. We started with about 8 kids and staff, and when we were finished the crowd was easily 25 or 30.

It's so much fun to think back on the songs I chose, and how they went over. REM's Fall on Me worked well, as usual, and I even had a request for another REM song toward the end. I saved It's the End of the World As We Know It for the next to last number. Jolene had 'em singing along, and I Will Survive - the disco classic - had some feet tapping and shuffling, and more singing along.

I am so fortunate. I love my Life. I love Alice.

Dance In the Moment,

Greg

Audience Inclusion Tour - Raleigh

2008-06-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

The Raleigh NC leg began yesterday afternoon. Alice and I arrived in Raleigh around 1:00, got some lunch and checked into the LaQuinta in Cary. Our first floor room was not ready, so we thanked them for having a second floor room ready for us, and I got Alice inside and comfy. I wasn't sure about taking her with me to Sunrise at North Hills, but I do wish that I would have. Today she'll go with me to the shows.

Sunrise at North Hills was a blast! The assisted living folks were having Happy Hour with wine and beer and snacks while I entertained. What a fantastic group of folks, and what a wonderful Time we had - I played for about 35 minutes. I told them a bit about the Audience Inclusion Tour and Time Overthrown. They got a big kick out of the Dooly Parton story, and they were singing along on Jolene. I have the washboard with me - I think today I'll take it into the shows with me.

I headed down the hall at Sunrise of North Hills and played for 35 minutes in the Reminisces section, for the Alzheimer's folks. This was unbelievable. The 2 ladies working in that section were so sweet, so full of Life and fun - we had an absoulute blast! They were clapping and carrying on, getting the residents dancing, clapping and singing. I thought they might get worn out, they danced to nearly every song!

I have the most incredible existence, I gotta tell ya! I'm so grateful for my Life, and my friends and family.

Today we visit Brighton Gardens and the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmentally Disabled. I'm looking forward to both shows. The folks at Tammy Lynn are really geared up for the event - I've gotten email from them every day sinmce we arranged the show!

Peace y'all!

Greg and Alice

The You-Man Experience

2008-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Alice told me today that Life is like the You-Man Experience. Says that's where the word Human came from. Hyou mon, yuman, are some of the word origins that pre-date the ones we know about.

There is only The Self, Gregory. There is No Other. Only Perceived Other, which is how The Self Experiences ItSelf. The quickest way to this experience is to recall that whatever you see, or hear, or enounter in any form is You Man! That's You - it's The Self, and YourSelf is observing and interacting with ItSelf.

She's a wise little girl. Wise beyond her ears, I say.

Enjoy the You Man Experience today!

Best of Now, always,

Greg & Alice

TIME OVERTHROWN AUDIENCE INCLUSION TOUR

2008-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Private Performances for Residents & Staff

Monday June 9 - Raleigh, NC: Sunrise Senior Living at North Hills
Tuesday June 10 - Raleigh, NC: Brighton Gardens and Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities
Wednesday June 11 - Raleigh, NC: Morningside Assisted Living

Sunday June 22 - Athens (GA) Heritage Home
Monday June 23 - Athens, GA TBA
Tuesday June 24 - Athens, GA TBA
Wednesday June 25 - Athens, GA TBA

**

Alice and I are leaving Monday morning for two nights in Raleigh, NC. I'm going to play four Community Venue shows and also attend an R.E.M. performance at Walnut Creek Amphitheater - they're supporting the Accelerate record - a great CD! I'm psyched for that. Alice traveled to Athens and Nashville with me two weeks ago and had a blast - she wants to travel more and really get the Audience Inclusion Tour in high gear - she says It's Time...

We'll see about bringing her to each Community Venue - not sure if I'll have a handler for her - she tends to get preoccupied with the shadows and be kind of distractingly silly sometimes, so we'll see... I'll bring her in afterwards maybe to meet the audience.

The whole simple idea is to practice while I share - no preaching - only something to offer to musicians, and anyone that would like to find more Time for the things they love at the deepest level. Alice says many musicians, and folks in general, are caught up in Relative Time - Time that will one day get them to where they want to be. She says Time IS where we want to Be. "Now, what are you Being?", she asks me alot.

The idea of Audience Inclusion seems so basic - to music I mean, and the visionary musicians. As REM says in Man Sized Wreath, "I would've thought by now we would be ready to proceed". I apply that line to the musically propagated ideas of equality, caring, sharing, living a golden rule sort of existence.

The music business model however has little Time for an aging or challenged population that cannot come to traditional venues. They are considered charity audiences. Our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, brothers, sisters, neighbors. Charity. We are doing them a favor to interrupt our busy scheule to share an hour with them once in awhile, and not think we should be exalted as high-value folk stars. What is a folk star anyway? I don't get fok starness.

"I'll get around to it." "I am too busy trying to be a musician to play music for those audiences." "I do not have Time for that sort of music." "I am trying to become a succesful musician. I'll share later, when I can give your organization a big check." I have heard it all. Not an hour in ten years, some of them. Wow. They really believe they do not have Time.

We suggest that Life is about being what one is and has been all along, and growing into Professional Childhood. That is definitely what folk/rock musicians are aiming for.

We also advocate a focus shift back to Soul Currency, which is truly why we play. It's truly why we Live. Music has become about other forms of reward, ones that define success as a future thing, not a Now thing.

We are about Now. Live the lyrics. We know there are lots of cool musicians waiting to hear that Dolly Parton, REM, and Billy Joel support this idea & behavior and have supported our fundraising with autographed items. This is a market with infinite potential, waiting to be tapped, not stereotyped.

Our book is coming along nicely - trying to keep it short and to the point right now. Something to supplement the shows and share some of Alice's insights. Of course the CD booklet has some of her wisdom and stories. Hopefully we'll finish it up in the next few weeks and get a few self-published online to travel with. People have expressed a great deal of interest in the CD, the lyrics (which will be in the book), and The Now Exspirientuality(tm), and An Absoulute Attitude (tm).

Below is a press release I sent out today - am looking forward to the trip and to meeting some great new audiences.

SongSharing On Tour and Time Overthrown Visit Raleigh, NC

(Ruckersville, VA June 5, 2008) Alice, the canine messiah, and Virginia based singer-songwriter, writer, and “Now Exspirientuality”™ DO-ru (not guru) Greg Allen bring the Time Overthrown Audience Inclusion Tour to Raleigh, NC June 9 – 11 with private performances for residents and staff at the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, Morningside of Raleigh, Sunrise at North Hills, and Brighton Gardens of Raleigh.

Allen has been personally advocating Audience Inclusion for nearly 14 years and is the founder of SongSharing, a VA based 501c3 non-profit dedicated to Making Music More Accessible™. Allen encourages musicians to go beyond traditional acoustic and light electric music venues and perform at Community Venues such as those he’ll visit in Raleigh. “These are some of the most attentive, enthusiastic and appreciative audiences one can interact with. They continue to be stereotyped. Musicians simply do not know what they are missing,” says Allen. “The traditional model for musicians is overlooking a huge, growing opportunity. The U.S. population is aging, yet musicians and the music business model seem to have precious little Time for them. It’s Time that Time Was Overthrown.”

SongSharing has enjoyed participation from a number of dedicated local musicians in Central VA, and touring musicians including David Wilcox, Slaid Cleaves, Rishell & Raines, and Dana & Susan Robinson among others – each of whom have taken an hour out of their Charlottesville day to share an unplugged set in a nearby Community Venue. Notable artists such as Billy Joel (autographed piano), Dolly Parton (autographed washboard) and R.E.M. (autographed items and CD’s for the Troops contributors) have provided in-kind support for SongSharing in support of Audience Inclusion. SongSharing On Tour began to move beyond the Charlottesville area in 2006.

The Time Overthrown Tour promotes Allen’s new CD “It’s Time That Time Was Overthrown” as well as promoting Audience Inclusion to the musicians in each area he visits. “It’s an incredibly simple idea whose Time has come,” he says. “Audience Inclusion is a basic for so many musicians that sing about a better way to Live; caring and sharing and treating each other as equals. This is about living the lyrics.” Allen is finishing a book with Alice (Dog is my Co-Writer) about his experiences with Audience Inclusion, which he plans to release this summer.

The Time Overthrown visit coincides with R.E.M.’s performance at Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Amphitheater Tuesday June 10th, to show SongSharing’s gratitude for the past support of the R.E.M./Athens organization. The Time overthrown Tour will visit Athens, GA June 22 thru 25, coinciding with R.E.M.’s June 21st Atlanta show. (Please Note: there is no affiliation with R.E.M./Athens – this is an independent effort on SongSharing and Greg Allen’s part.)

Tornado Watch Alley

2008-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tornado Watch Alley - here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge.

A snowstorm can barely make it over the mountains to our west. But they call them all the Time, for grins I guess. Brought to you by the Bread and Milk Council - don't get snowed in hungry, I reckon.

Now, every time there are thunderstorms on the horizon, we are under a tornado watch. No kidding, like the last 5 weather forecasts.

The one night it actually rained and carried on with lightning and such, I had the local station on, and of course they had pre-emped programming to cover this non-life-threatening non-event. At one point weather guy has police guy on the phone, discussing the imminent threat, and evacuation plans for people at the downtown pavilion - and the weather guy says to police guy "Have you been outside lately? I've been in the newsroom." And cop guy says "No, I have been on the phone with news reporters and weather guys for the last few hours.

It could've been sunny and warm and they wouldn't have known it...

So now we are under a tornado watch - we had one last night, as rain fell gently and lightning flashed dimly out back, distant over the woods. The thunder was soft peals in the distance. It had stopped by 5 am, but the watch went until 10 a.m. Now the birds are chirping and every now and then a gust of a breeze swishes the trees.

"We aren't out of the woods yet", they like to say. It's their new phrase to ensure extra bread and milk sales I think. Must be something George Bush says, or Scott McLellan?

What a funny media we have here.

Dance In the Moment,

Greg

Sending Out Beacons

2008-05-16T03:48:00.000-07:00

(originally posted at Oprah dot com blogs)

I've learned something interesting at the Oprah/A New Earth message board, as well as from my experiences on the Conversations with God - Messenger's Circle board last summer and fall. It's about "those who accept" and "those who reject" - the lovers and the fighters, to assign a pair of words.

When we visit these sort of places and speak our mind on something near and dear to our hearts, such as our philosophy, religion, beliefs, or what have you, we are sending out a beacon of very bright light - a signal beacon. The messages I mostly refer to here are the ones that state that "I Know the Way to Peace, let me share some thoughts" - or some variant of that.

Each of us has our own "peace story", and strong convictions about it's correctness, so we know that in the end, for us, it will all be good. For Now, as far as we are each concerned, it's all good. Because it is all good in the end, it makes not a lick of difference what the message is or whether or not everyone agrees. (This applies of course to those whose message is that Life is mostly, or all, bad too, for they are coming from a place of being all good with the fact that it is bad. Weird, I know.)

When we send out such a beacon fellow travelers are drawn to it, and the gathering crowd consists partly of those in support of the beacon's message - fellow Lover Beacons- as well as naysayers - Beacons with Their Own Message. Since their beacons point a different way, we could call them the "Dim Beacons" - no offense here, just working the analogy. Generally these Dim Beacons are perceived as the enemy, and hence the term "the fighters". The Message Beacon sees them as fighters of the Proper Message, in other words.

A third, usually smaller portion of the crowd consists of little flickers of light - the Leaning Toward Lovers, I call them. Imagine little Bic lighter sized beacons way in the back of the crowd of Dim Beacons, standing on tiptoe, trying to get close enough to bask in the glow of this attractive bright Message Beacon, and the Fellow Lover Beacons. Trying to hear the Message Beacon's message...

Here's the funny thing, to me. The original beacon of light, the person with the message of salvation for Others, tends to engage the darkness! Generally fellow beacons come to their aid, and generally the darkness swells in response and pretty soon it's gettting pretty ugly. The original message - I know the way to peace, or some variation - is immediately lost.
And here is the sad thing to me - the Leaning Toward Lover Beacons are completely overlooked by the big Message Beacon and the Lover Beacons. They're too busy fighting and arguing with those who may never hear them, many of whom love to fight too. It's why they came when the Message Beacon lit up.

Why do the Message Beacons totally ignore those that are receptive to their Truth? Odd, from where I stand.

And, ironically, they have demonstrated for the Leaning Toward Lover Beacons that their Loving Way of salvation through peace is the long way 'round - LifeTime engagement in a chosen fight with legions of naysayers. Not only that, but when one legion has dissembled, they will call new legions to them, that they may carry on the fight.

Interesting, to me. Good for a chuckle, and a shake of the head...

I told this to a poet at an open mic last night - he was a poet of doom and gloom - a really nice, laughing guy, pre-occupied with Gloomy Rain people. I commended him for that, but said it is the long way round. You complain of the people that cannot stand the rain, and how they darken a potentially bright world. You say they need to fix their outlook on the rain and become happy, so that you too can then be happy, with them.

I said, "Dude, you're totally ignoring those of us who love the rain already, and choosing to walk alongside the gloomy-rain people and try to beat them into loving the rain. It's okay to do that, but what about someone who is beginning to think that loving the rain is a good thing. Will they learn that rain-lovers beat on gloomy-rain people when it rains? Is that the way in which you celebrate this rain that you Love? Just a question. IYou are a beacon, you know." He nodded. He knew.

I smiled, and bowed, and thanked him for his poetry. I had an umbrella, but never opened it. I walked out into the pouring rain, whistling.

**

You can see this at play on this board. Eckhart has sent out an intensely bright Message Beacon. A huge crowd has gathered, and the fight has ensued in many corners of it.

The stunningly bright exception is that Eckhart has engaged no one in battle, for that was His Stupidly Simple Message of the Way to Peace.

Eckhart knew all along he was not the Beacon, allowing him to walk away from it, for it has a Life of its own. Indeed it is Life ItSelf.

Dance In the Moment - Rain or Shine...

Peace,

Greg Allen

Is There Absolute Right?

2008-05-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

The question was asked on A New Earth message board at Oprah dot com "Do you believe in right and wrong?"

In other words: can we judge other people's behavior from some absolute standard of right and wrong that people really oughtta live up to and quit being "wrong" so much of the time, and living their lives "wrong"?

I believe this question can be better asked. I believe the question is an irresolvable linguistic decoy, a lure of sorts that somehow keep us distracted from the true matter at hand, and arguing amongst ourselves.

Everyone who has asked this question through history, and argued for and against a mental position to identify with, seems to be asking: Is there Right that applies to everyone, and Wrong that applies to everyone?

Restated, the question's not so obvious flaw becomes glaringly clear:

Is there Absolute Right and Absolute Wrong?

This is clearly, upon inspection, a Relative Question seeking an Absolute Answer. Linguistically, it is beyond resolution. Historically, we can see that.

Conceptually it is not however.

The concept of Absolute is at the same time inclusive and exclusive, and it first and foremost requires an agreement. It includes everything, since it is Absolute. It's all there is or ever can be, ultimately. Thus, by definition, it excludes everything, that is it allows nothing else. It even precludes coneptualizing anything else. Once we agree to conceptualize something as Absolute, we agree to not conceive of it possibly having a polar opposite. It can have aspects, like it is both inclusive and exclusive - but it cannot itself be opposed. That's the linguistic agreement. (It may be the one alluded to in the mythological story of Babel and the confounding of languages. I'm not sure - just a thought.)

In other words, If there IS Absolute Right, there cannot, by definition of Absolute, be Wrong.

Is There Absolute Right and Wrong? is a silly question, linguistically. We've agreed linguistically that Absolute is One Thing, Unity. It would seem a trifle dopey to get into a big discussion of what it's two aspects might be.

(Especially two thousand years of discussion, sometimes agreement, lots of disagreement, fighting, and so on... I was just noticing this. Perhaps you've noticed too.)

You see, Absolute Right would be All Right, Just Right, Only Right, Nothing But Right - that is, Right with No Other Side.

Thus, you have to choose one word of the two. You get to ask "Is there Absolute _____", and you can only choose one word.

Remember, we only get one question...

So there I am, it's my turn to ask my one question. Personally, I am not going to ask if there is absolute wrong. It seems a not so grand way to ask, given the grand and glorious moment of Grand Presence.

Nope, I would ask:

Is there Absolute Right?
Is there Right, and nothing but Right? Is there Right, with No Other Side?

And actually, I would substitute a word.

I would ask:

Is there Absolute Love?

Is there Love, with No Other Side?

Having finally figured this out, I've asked. I've had the answer confirmed countless times now. I see it confirmed everywhere I turn. This, for sure, is my question. It's the question I live, for as we are reminded in the song Grasshopper "When you live the question the answer is today."

CAUTION: This may not be the question you want to ask. Be careful. You see, if the answer comes back "YES!" - if there is Absolute Right - then it means that the Absolute Idea of Right applies to everything going on here and now, everything you can imagine or have ever witnessed. Everything you ever felt guilty about. Everything you ever condemned too.

Ev. Ree. Thing.

It means that you can go ahead and see Creation as perfect. Right now. NOW.

It means it is all good. Including you. You have nothing to attain. Nothing to add. Not even anything to understand.

It means, in other words, that you are looking at, and standing smack dab in the middle of your little piece of.... drum roll, please....

A NEW EARTH!!!!

Smile. A.N.E. is looking back at you, at every turn.

It's Time That Time Was Overthrown,

Greg, with Alice...

Now is Good Times

2008-04-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

I got an invite from the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, asking me to come down and sing some songs in May. They’re having a salon – their term – and the topic is Getting Thru Hard Times.

And then, I think just to be sure (unconsciously) that we’re sharing their pain, they added a clarifier: Getting Thru Hard Times (That’s Now Folks).

I got to thinking about it because frankly I do not believe that Now, the only Life moment we have available to experience, is hard times, nor should be considered hard times.

I know the traditional argument – “look around, man – these are hard times”. Recession, a stupid president, war, a stupid president, George W. Bush, a stupid president, a ridiculous congress, a stupid president. I understand all of that.

But I got to thinking about how I don’t ever have anybody on the street come up to me and start asking for help, and telling me their story of hard times. I don’t have one person do it, nor dozens, nor hundreds.

I only hear these stories on the news. In the media. And from organizations that want to wage war based on their story. The War on Hard Times. Oh no. Not again…

It struck me then, as I made coffee – a very patriotic Americano I might add – that perhaps by being proactive, inclusive, and nonjudgmental in my art/career/outlook for the past so many years, perhaps I have developed a different perspective. The folks I primarily share music with are seen by most in our society as living through hard times. They’re seniors, tucked away in nursing homes and living facilities, disabled adults and children in hospitals, care and day facilities. I used to look upon their Life situation as something akin to a hard time. I used to get that “what a good boy am I” feeling as well, fighting the good fight to make these poor folks forget about their hard Life for awhile.

The thing is I outgrew that point of view. I evolved beyond it. I understand now that all of humanity is truly created equal. And so I share my music with all men, all audiences, without judgment. I don’t judge their condition anymore. Would they tell you, if asked, that they would enjoy more visits from community members like me? Sure they would. But would they start up a society to recognize, broadcast, dwell upon and wage war on their Hard Time Lifestyle? No. Not to my knowledge. I don’t know of any such organization.

I don’t ever get to see the side of these folks that complains. They don’t complain. Others do that for them, pointing to them as miserable, less well off, and needy. Calling them all sorts of questionable names. Names I have for sure never heard them call themselves. Perhaps it’s because I simply love them as they are, and share with them as they are. They don’t have to drive designer cars, drink designer beers and hang out in a trendy nightspot to be in my audience inclusion model. And they don’t have to be a special, suffering charity case in my mind either, before I will share my music with them. Perhaps because I do not judge them as lesser than, or worse off than, I do not experience them that way. I don’t know.

But it occurs to me now that I also should not judge anyone else’s Time, or Times, as being hard, or harder than mine. Nor should I decide that someone else made my Time harder than it should be, and I now need to get through this awful Hard Time. And could they please change their ways so my Time will be less hard?

Time is mine, to do with as I please and choose, which means to perceive as I please and choose. I perceive there to always be only one useful moment in Time, and that is Now. I do not perceive it to be useful to decide that Now is somehow harder to “get through” than it used to be.

I just can’t do it.

I think I’ll go sing One Choice Thing for them, and explain to them that Time is a choice, not an obligation.

It’s an Opportunity.

**

One Choice Thing

When I said this before, somebody called it cliché
but there’s one choice thing about love I come to relate
Well all I can do is all I can do, & it’s all that I could have done then
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?

There’s one choice thing about – peace that I came to suggest
But whenever I do, the fighters are put to the test
The best I can tell you is all I can do – basic. simple. clear.
if peace is what I would have, I won’t start a war.

There’s one choice thing about – changing the world I can say
But whenever I do, blame gets in the way
Well all I can sing is all I can say, & all I can play is my part
if change is the end that I would have, maybe it’s also the start

There’s one choice thing about – god I was charged to remind
But whenever I do, ideas go on trial
Well all I can do is all I can do, God knows I continue to try
if god’s the track I am on, is belief the train I should ride?

There’s one more thing about – love I come to share
But whenever I do, I wonder what do they hear?
Well all I can sing is all I can say, I’ll probly sing it again
if love’s the end I desire, doesn’t that make it the means?
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?
if love’s the end We desire…

**

from the CD It's Time That Time Was Overthrown

R.E.M. - Accelerate

2008-04-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

Accelerate - What a great new CD this is from a great band. I'm enjoying every minute of it - as I did, by the way, with Reveal and Around the Sun. I don't understand critics - I thought those 2 albums were great - their diversity was part of the greatness. Anyway...

R.E.M. again have some great things to say on Accelerate and some great ways to present their visions, ideas and experiences. The record is a continuation of their fine presentation of valuable insights.

Which makes me wonder about people saying that Accelerate is some sort of return to form for R.E.M. I never thought they lost form, and I re-e-e-ally don't think this record is anything like Life's Rich Pageant or Fables of the Reconstruction. Those two records were stunningly practical metaphysical treatises of sorts; some "Life & How to Live It" glimpses into the R.E.M. that would eventually get'round to Accelerate a couple decades later.

Accelerate continues the tradition of poignant, often pointed, generally tongue in cheek lyrical observations of what is and what obviously might be - well, obvious to some of us...

The musicianship is R.E.M., 2008. I'm grateful for that. That freakin' keyboard thing on Houston is bitchin' - and it's wonderfully interesting to note that they proceeded without the keyboard for the filming of the TakeAway Shows. Going forward it's nice to know that they don't have to shy away from Houston in situations where they don't have Mike's keyboard handy...

Someone please post chords for Sing for the Submarine, soon. :^) email them to me. I'm awful at figuring stuff out.

If you have not seen the TakeAway Shows done by Vincent Moon - go HERE
and download them, especially Sing for the Submarine.

Sing for the Submarine is my favorite -the backing vocals are priceless, as is Michael's percussive contribution.

**

It's quite clear to me that R.E.M. is about having fun and being sincere about their music, but none too serious about themselves. I respect that. The world could use more of it.

I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world....

What a great CD - thanks fellas!

p.s. I'd have never guessed that Michael smoked cigarettes...

Untitled

2008-04-16T04:50:00.001-07:00

I just gotta say...

It's really something to tune into the media these days. On the one hand you get global warming, on the other you get endless examples of how society has no intention of changing - car shows, China and coal and petroleum, the US and coal and petroleum, US business' staunch refusal to simply do something different.

For crying out loud - it seems right clear that ethanol is horrid for the environment, not to mention the food supply, and we're just plowing right ahead with developing the stuff.

It should be clear by now that we are where we think we have been going.

But it isn't. We're still trying to get here, and killing off everything to do it.

Ain't Life grand?

**

Today's hint/reminder:

Time is not going to get you where you want to be. Time is where you want to be.

Now, what are you being?

Time is a Choice

2008-04-13T06:49:00.001-07:00

Dear sleepwalking Charlottesville musicians,

I do love you, but you're acting sort of asleep - no, actually, you're acting in a terribly discriminatory fashion.

Time is a choice.

For ten years most of you have been telling me you do not have Time to play in Community Venues.

Yes, you do.

Please stop discriminating against these audiences. It's very unbecoming of you.

It also explains to me why the traditional music business model is sucking wind right now.

I've been hearing people sing beautiful ideas from a place of inaction for 50 years. Thousands of you. Peace, love, get along. Share, care. Now, not later.

Now, you're doing it. Please...

Yo.

Live the lyrics.

Stop discriminating against old people, retarded people, sick children, and anyone that cannot drive a BMW to the club and buy a designer beer.

You really look and sound pretty stupid with your lame excuses.

I am just telling you this because I like you - it's like having a little booger at the end of your nose, and no one will tell you...

I'm telling you.

Time is a choice.

You have Time. In fact, you CREATE Time. You didn't know that, did you?

If you need some help with creating Time, let me know. I'm a shaman.

Best of Now, Always,

Greg & Alice

I Have A Question

2008-04-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have begun to understand less and less the media's tendency to rely on quoting people that they will not identify.

I guess whatever they do is fine, but why do we tend to believe any of it? I mean constantly you see in the news that someone said something extremely pertinent to the story being reported, and then "...who spoke on condition of anonymity because..." whatever reason. My favorite is "they are not authorized to speak to the press".

Maybe there's a reason for that... ??

It just strikes me as funny because so often I have run into the media's tendency to shun input from local or unknown contributors because we are not experts, not "authorized to speak" on this subject. Even though we'd happily put our face and name out there, we are not afforded the same respect or opportunity that someone who is speaking without authority (or some coward hiding behind anonymity, spewing bullshit?)

Yup. It just seems funny...

Sing the World Unified

2008-04-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

I can
Sing about Changing the World,
or I can
Change the World with the Song of My
Life.

Alice once pointed out to me that I was affecting the world
with every song I sang, whether I was aware of that or not. The important question, she said, is
"How are you affecting it?" Are you
influencing it with Belief that your Life Dreams are Dreams of Now, or Dreams of Later?"
"You can't have future visions," she added. "You can
only think they are."

Last fall I joined an association dedicated to something they call "positive music". A group of Virginia members are now planning a concert near me, in Charlottesville, where SongSharing was born.

When we had a meeting about this a month or so ago, I suggested that members might want to do some SongSharing Community Venue shows in association with this "positive" show, regardless of where it took place. I mentioned the positivity in action aspect, the live the lyrics aspect, as well as the added media appeal. The idea never got mentioned in the announcement made by the association later that week, as I am fairly certain the Virginia members did not pass it along. They did however pass along some misinformation, which I asked to have corrected in future.

I wrote to these Va. members several days ago when a confirmation of venue came through for the May Charlottesville show. I asked if anyone would be interested in arriving one-hour earlier than planned and doing a brief Community Venue show. One hour.

It's been 3 days. No responses. No questions. No acknowledgements.

From the new CD, It's Time That Time Was Overthrown, I am reminded of

One Choice Thing

When I said this before, somebody called it cliché
but there’s one choice thing about love I come to relate
Well all I can do is all I can do, & it’s all that I could have done then
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?

There’s one choice thing about – peace that I came to suggest
But whenever I do, the fighters are put to the test
The best I can tell you is all I can do – basic. simple. clear.
if peace is what I would have, I won’t start a war.

There’s one choice thing about – changing the world I can say
But whenever I do, blame gets in the way
Well all I can sing is all I can say, & all I can play is my part
if change is the end that I would have, maybe it’s also the start

There’s one choice thing about – god I was charged to remind
But whenever I do, ideas go on trial
Well all I can do is all I can do, God knows I continue to try
if god’s the track I am on, is belief the train I should ride?

There’s one more thing about – love I come to share
But whenever I do, I wonder what do they hear?
Well all I can sing is all I can say, I’ll probly sing it again
if love’s the end I desire, doesn’t that make it the means?
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?
if love’s the end We desire…

It's so easy. So easy to change the world right Now, as we sing about it. I wrote to someone the other day that Our Life is our "Show Me" answer to the question "How would humans act in Your pefect world?" It's the "put Your money where Your mouth is answer". It's our chance to Walk It, to Live the Lyrics.
That's what the Now Exspirientuality(tm) is about - simply creating/having the spiritual experience, Now.
I'll try to remember to keep you posted on what the Pozzers decide... I'll likely not be part of the show if no one will participate in SongSharing shows. It just doesn't feel right anymore.
Talking the talk is fine, it's good stuff. But it is the same old long way 'round that humanity has been taking down a self-destructive path. Many institutions have been talking the talk of humanity changing behavior for centuries, millenia.
The problem with every one of these approaches is that they are Other-focused - talking and singing about what a great place the world will be when Others - listeners I guess - begin to do things differently.
The spiritual seeker movement, and new age, and new thought, and new spirituality, and all of these rapidly soundling like the same old thing disciplines are Other focused.
Funny, to me, considering they speak and sing to ideas like Unity, One-ness, the Absolute.
Funny, they even believe they are singing and speaking to Others.
In the "who gives a musical hoot what I think" category, here's One word of experiential advice to them, and any musician - the traditional music model is suffering because it is about talk, not walk. It's about later, not now. It's about business, not music. It's about audience discrimination.
There is no later, kids. Poets should know that.
And frankly, there really is no talk. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are walking our walk right now. What are You walking? A Life of Later or a Life of Now?
A Life of Love with No Other Side, or one where Love has positive and negative sides, speculative sides and actual sides?
Please, if you're a singer, bring Your Dream to Life's Stage through the Song of Your Life, Now. Artists, Paint It! Dancers, Dance It! You get the idea...
Wishing you the best of Now, Always!
Greg, and Alice the Canine Messiah

Bible Babel

2008-03-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

You too can converse with god on a cruise ship.

I keep getting these emails telling me what god wants me to know today. I wish they would stop. In the sender's books he tells us there are no special messengers, then he keeps giving me messages that god gave to him, for me and millions of what he calls "others". Strange. Anyway...

**

Lord.

I am developing a new respect for the Lord (god). What a goofball! What a joker! I had no idea. Why do people make The Lord (god) out to be such a stickler for kindness and perfection and getting along and all that?

Monday I picked up a copy of a Holy Bible, placed by the Gideons, which I purchased at a used bookstore many years ago. I wanted to read the creation part again.

I began reading it, and learned firsthand that by page 5 god was so upset with god's creation that god was ready to flood it out and start over. Page 5! 1,103 pages to go... I guess I thought it took longer than that for god to realize the mistakes and want to try a do-over.

But that's not the point.

Here's the point. So there's the Noah thing, and the flood, and then the favored humans get off of the ark and start over. They agree to build a city & a big tower - whose top may reach unto heaven - in a place called Babel. Notably, when they state their intent to build this city and tower, the humans said "let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth".

So they are building away and The Lord (god) comes along to watch and The Lord (god) sees that a) all of mankind is getting along, and b) all of mankind can communicate, as in they speak the same language and c) all of mankind has agreed on a goal and is working towards it together.

And what does The Lord (god) do, according to the Holy Bible placed by the Gideons, swiped and then sold to me at a used bookstore? The Lord (god) sees that "the people is one" (sic) and "...now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

And then the Lord (god) decides to confound the languages and scatter mankind abroad upon the face of the whole earth!

Now, that's funny! God screwed it up, intentionally! And the humans sort of seemed to ask for it - as though they knew god would jump in if they were getting along...

Of course this has nothing to do with peace, love, getting along and all those images that Lord-people say The Lord (god) is all about. It has ZERO to do with the golden rule, as I understand it.

God did not do this to sinners, god did it on page 8 of an 1108 page book to Noah's people, who had found favor with god! God had just finished wiping out all of the bad elements on earth, leaving the one good element! Then, when they start getting creative, god does the Babel thing...

Weird huh?

Or maybe not. Maybe this is what we are supposed to get around to figuring out. God is a joker, and Life is the joke - a glorious joke of course - the humour of the divine! To be taken sincerely, but lightly, with laughter and joy. And Love.

Which is why I advocate It's Time That Time Was Overthrown.

Peace.

Time Overthrown - What I've Learned part I

2008-03-03T05:45:00.001-08:00

The beginning of the Time Overthrown Tour has been a trip.

The 3rd week of January I traveled by mySelf for two days and played three Community Venue shows in the Greensboro area.

The following week Tom Proutt traveled with me. We stopped at Golden Living in Martinsville, VA for a show on the way down to Greensboro. Golden Living is a skilled nursing facility.

This past weekend, the 1st one of March 2008, the fine duo known as Tom & Emily traveled with me. We made the Martinsville stop again, then traveled on to Greensboro where we played one show Saturday afternoon and another on Sunday afternoon.

What a blast!

The message of the Time Overthrown Tour is pretty simple - Time is yours, to do with as you please. Time does not control you.

It began with local musicians in Charlottesville, where I have been busy Making Music More Accessible since 1994. The idea is ridiculously simple, to me anyway. I am one of those songwriters who has something to say, something I'd like the world to hear. I am not unique - there are millions of us. Hundreds of us in Charlottesville, each with something to say, looking for ears.

The idea is simply to create and share my music. Wherever and whenever someone would like to listen. (It's deeper than that in a way - it's about "being" the music, "living" the lyrics, for me. But we don't have to get into that now...)

For ten years or more I have been inviting Charlottesville musicians to come play in these Community Venues I have been credited with creating. (Actually I discovered them. They've been there all along. There are many more waiting to be realized.)

For ten years or more Charlottesville musicians have been telling me they do not have Time. Ten years. Not one hour. Damn. That, my friends, is a bummer.

Musicians without an hour to play for an eager, appreciative audience. My heart aches for these musicians. Hence...

Time Overthrown! Give Time back to the musicians. Help them remember. Help them wake up to the truth that Time is theirs to do with as they please.

The Tour of course is a learning experience - I knew that going in. I know I don't know it all, just this thing Alice told me about Time. So I am going in with an open mind.

Yesterday, we played at a place in Greensboro, a very well-appointed senior community that has retirement living as well as assisted living and nursing care. After the show one of the younger residents came out to chat - I'd guess early 50's, maybe even late 40's. He's in a wheelchair. I don't know why. Early in the chat he sort of stopped the conversation in that awkward way when someone said "How you doing?" in that generic greeting sort of way, and he said that he was doing okay, but "really didn't want to be here". He meant the senior home I reckon, and likely the wheelchair.

But I was struck by the commonality of the phrase - the sentiment. "I'm doing okay... but of course I'd be better off if I wasn't here."

That would describe most of the musicians I know who don't have Time to play in Community Venues. They long to be elsewhere and are miserable in their "here-ness". "Here" to them, is a town with hundreds of "other musicians" with whom they "compete" for very few performance slots at a very limited number of "legitimate" music venues. The competition is of course to become "the next Dave" or something, by following a dated and clearly floundering traditional music model.

Then this nice gentleman told Tom how much he liked his guitar playing, as a lead in to "I used to play guitar", and went on to imply that the wheelchair coincided with the end of guitar playing as he knew it. Awkward again, for none of us knew if it was a direct physical disability that kept him from playing. Of course we all wanted to encourage him to play if he could.

Then he said the magic words... "I suppose I should pick it up again, but..." He shrugged, and his voice trailed off in that sort of "what would be the use" direction.

On the way home I brought it up in the van. I told Tom and Em that I wondered what he did with his Time. He obviously can play the guitar if he chooses to - he told us that. He led us to believe it would bring him joy. We'd witnessed the joy that our music and sharing had brought to the residents, and I cannot help but think that if he'd learn to play and share music with his friends at the senior home, and even others, well... what then? For him, I mean. Would he want to "be here" if that was going on?

And this morning I woke up recalling that I personally have never seen a guitar player in a wheelchair. Seems like there'd be an opening in the market, for sure. Then I wondered if they even make wheelchairs that would accommodate someone holding a guitar, which opens the possibility of another product/marketing niche.

Anyway, Emily told me that I did not know what his situation was really like, and maybe I shouldn't just assume that his attitude has something to do with his situation, or at least his attitude towards it.

She's right of course. I don't know everything there is to know. But I know this.

He has lots of time on his hands. He is physically able to play the guitar. He doesn't want to be where he is. Music allows him to transcend where he is.

I can't help thinking of the musicians in Charlottesville, somehow. They don't even have wheelchairs, but they tie themselves down with dozens of reasons why they cannot play music, and why they do not like being where they are.

I can't help thinking it's time that all sorts of ideas are overthrown. Mostly alot of the ones I've held for a LifeTime...

Unleashing Time Overthrown

2008-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

CD Release / Time Overthrown Tour

The CD has arrived!! The official release date for It's Time That Time Was Overthrown is March 15th, 2008.

We've begun the Time Overthrown Tour, which is running in conjunction with SongSharing On Tour 2008.

CD pre-orders are being accepted - email me thru the Grasping At Laws website. Pre-orders will receive a signed 11 by 17 full color poster as well. ($18.50 includes shipping)

I am very thrilled with and proud of the CD. Everyone involved did an exceptional job - the artwork turned out really great - I am just thrilled. The record would be nothing without the dedicated input of my musical friends that support my efforts to Make Music More Accessible. I'm so completely honored to know these folks, and to get to perform with them, and have them on a record with me.

I hope you'll give the record a try, and if you like it I hope you'll buy a copy to share with a friend. Some of the proceeds benefit SongSharing, as with everything I do musically.

Peace,

Greg

Bush Offers Peacemaking Checklist?

2008-01-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

holy crap,

that's a headline in today's news.

W. offering someone else a peacemaking checklist.

Is that because he has no use for it, since unification comes so naturally to him?

What a constant source of amusement that man is.

Have a great day y'all,

Greg

Get Well Now Stephen Stills!

2008-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Sending out huge positive vibes in the direction of Mr. Stephen Stills, who underwent surgery for prostate cancer yesterday.

Initial reports are that surgery went well, he is doing fine and should already be at home as I write this.

Dance In the Moment,

alice and greg allen

Quitting Spirituality

2007-12-30T09:58:00.001-08:00

I don't make New Year's Resoulutions - haven't in quite a number of years. Generally speaking when I've resolved to change something about Life, I don't need it to coincide with the calendar. Nor should the calendar call for making up resoulutions that have not come about of their own volition.

Occassionally, however, resoulutions do come along right about New Year time, and this is one of those coincidences. Do with that what you will.

I'm giving up Spirituality. For good.

Spirituality, from what I can tell, has come to be very Other-oriented, like Religion. The insights given to modern spiritual leaders are like those given to religious figures of old: they are insights for and about others, for and about the world. They carry promise of a better future for all if their messages are heeded by those Other than The Messenger. They are very special messages from the Grand Self to a Very Special Leader who can now help Others change, and thus change the world.

I'm giving it up.

I resolved this awhile ago actually, I thought. My recent experience with the New Spirituality movement has simply proven to be my final reminder of the effects of Other-based paths. I am indeed grateful to their leader, Neale Walsch, for the fine books he has written, and thank him and his followers for this final empowering reminder.

Insights of Self, however, are the ones I am going to focus on going forward. In the beginning was the Self, and looking about it said "I Am". That Self.

Self-based ideas - Insights from the Grand Self to the Grand Self about the Grand Self and for the Grand Self.

Of course this is exactly what has gone on for centuries in the history of "man's communication with" god or great spirit or whomever. As manifestations of Grand Self our deepest insights are simply of Grand Self. They "come from" Grand Self and are perceived by a particular human manifestation of Grand Self.

No big deal, and flat stunning, all at once.

It is quite enjoyable to share our various insights with one AnOther. Indeed quite often just when we need a particular Insight in Life we encounter that very Insight in the form of someone else sharing theirs, perhaps in a poem, a song, or a sermon. However, it is not necessarily true that anyone routinely receives Insights that are Abslutely Applicable. The Grand Self does not convey messages to the Grand Self about The Grand Other.

There is no Grand Other. Spiritual Leaders should know that, as should their followers.

Actually, there should be no followers...

I'm Quitting Spirituality.

I'm going to keep up these deep Conversations with Alice though... she has great messages for Self!

Happy New Year y'all!!

Greg Allen, with Alice the cookie monster

As It Is

2007-12-27T04:40:00.000-08:00

"If I could tell the world just one thing it would be: We're All Okay.
And not to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless at times like these.
I won't be made useless, I won't be idle with despair.
Gather mySelf around my Faith for light does the darkness most fear." (Jewel)

**

A friend wrote to me recently with some news about their father, who is gradually losing cognitive abilities. It took awhile to find the words to write back. Here is what I came up with.

**

Hi ....,

I'm very sorry to hear about your dad's news.

My grandmother had a stroke when she was still alive, after a surgery. She was doing fine, and they came in and got her out of bed and helped her to sit in her chair for a few minutes, as they had done each day - and they came back and she had suffered the stroke.

It was tough seeing her fine one day, then with so much gone the next. While she regained some of her abilities, she struggled with speech, and it was quite difficult for my mom and all of us. She had been a master seamstress, and all of that was gone - all of her creativity and ability to express...

I do not know what it was like for her. I do not know if she compared her skills "today" with those of her youth, or even last week. I only know what it was like for me. Sad. Frustrating. Painful. Agonizing trying to understand what she was asking for, what she wanted or needed. Gut wrenching to see her this way. It was hard to be around, and I wish I had spent more time with her then, on her terms. I was sick when they buried her, and did not go to her funeral.

My dad just accepted her as she was, and began to learn how she was able to communicate. The challenge seemed to be his, not hers, and for all she knew he was thrilled to be challenged with this new aspect of their life together. He never ever acted like anything was wrong, or different - other than the respectful, courtesy things of course, like being sure she was safe when walking, and using stairs, and making sure she was comfortable.

My dad understood - as he always has I think - that "it is what it is", and never missed a beat. Even though this lady had treated him not very nicely for much of their lives together, as his mother in law.

My point is this my Friend: It is what it is.

I respect your compassion, and I respectfully wonder about the wisdom of holding dad in comparison to some past "ideal state" he used to inhabit, and labeling the present moment "sad". Your dad is glorious just as he is, right now. He does not exist in comparison to anyone, or anything, or any idea. He does not exist relative to his past or some idea of a future. That is mind stuff, not existence stuff.

Your dad exists as an Absoulute incarnation of The Grand Self. Pretty impressive stuff. He is Self, acting as grand and glorious a role as any of which we are aware. You can honor the current role my Friend, as well as the past. The man with the 90 IQ is to be honored, is he not?

Perhaps this is what I am trying to get at: My dad honored my grandmother's 80+ years of life, and all she had accomplished, through the display of respect for her in every aspect of his dealings with her. He always treated her as the most brilliant artistic seamstress he'd ever known, even when she could not color a page in a simple child's book.

At the same time he honored the 80+ year old lady with a stroke by helping her color that page, and never ever carrying a thought in his head of how sad this all was as she smeared the page, or spilled her Cheerios everywhere for the thousandth time at breakfast...

He never had time for sad my Friend. He had time for Love. He absorbed his pain into his heart, and it came out Love.

Wow. You are helping me realize how deep my dad's heart is.

Thanks! :0)

I wish you, and yours, Love.

**

Dance In the Moment,

alice and greg

Solstice of The Self

2007-12-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the Day y'all!

...and Remember, It's About Self.

That has always been The Grand Message.

May the Light of the Season Shine Thru Year 'Round...

Dance In the Moment,

alice & greg

Can I Play for You?

2007-12-24T03:03:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Bob Seger's rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy" - the notorious ragamuffin child who comes to the manger to celebrate Jesus' birth. As the story goes everyone is bringing gifts "fit for a king", but the little drummer boy, being poor, and a little boy, says he has no gifts to bring.

"Since I have no gifts", he seems to be saying, "Can I play my drum for you?"

There it is again. That twisted modern idea about "no gifts".

One more time, this time let's sing it:

"Dear little baby, lest You forget, we'll sing this song to remind You that You come to Life with nothing of Value or Interest."

Unbelievable.

Yet one more way our culture drives home the belief that we come to this Life with absolutely nothing of value or interest to anyone.

Talent is not a gift. Time is not a gift. Love is not a gift.

**

The song, being a Christmas song, resolves nicely of course. The little boy plays his drum, Jesus smiles, and it's all good.

Does the message ever get through, I wonder?

The little boy brought the finest gift of all - HimSelf!!

Do children understand all the wonderful things they bring to Life, the idea that Life is an Absoulute Gift Exchange? I am just now figuring it out.

Do you know??

**

For those of you spending your life in pursuit of gifts worthy of consideration, forget it! You can relax now. You have had them all along.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simply to uncover, discover and re-engage Your Absoulute Gifts - the ones you brought with you to this Life.

...and, to teach the children.

**

Celebrate!!

Dance In the Moment,

alice and greg

Rest In Peace Dan Fogelberg

2007-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hats off and hearts out in honor of the legendary Dan Fogelberg, who passed away Sunday December 16, 2007 after battling prostate cancer.

Thanks for everything Dan! You have long been an inspiration.

alice and greg

**

there's a great AP article here...

Just One?

2007-12-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

Alice woke me up this morning with the thought: "This could just be One manifestation of The Self."

Huh??

Just One?

What if you and I and all that is "going on here" are ONE manifestation of The Self?

NOT many, like I am One manifestation, and your dog is An Other manifestation and so on.

Just One manifestation.

Doing all this. Unique personas and all...

Wow. Where does this dog come up with this stuff?

Dance In the Cookie Moment,

alice and greg

What The Messenger Knows about Me

2007-12-15T02:42:00.000-08:00

"Greg, I was just looking at the forum, 10 posts 5 are yours. That is my definition of monopolizing. I have had no more complaints, Now I am pointing it out. So be aware and stop that.
I am sure that's not who you are."

That's the text of an email I received from the nice folks at the Neale Donald Walsch website. Neale is a self-proclaimed spiritual guru who wrote some books about a series of long chats he had with god.

I have said for awhile now that anything labeled "New" begins getting "Old" immediately. Remember how quickly the glitz wore off the new toy when you were young? I have discovered this also applies to things like Spirituality, and "new" ideas about a very old word like "god".

I am quite certain that indeed The Grand Self of the Universe communicates with the Neale Donald Walsch Self of the Universe.

As The Grand Self has done with every incarnation of ItSelf.

The Grand Self shares messages FROM The Self, TO The Self, ABOUT The Self, and FOR The Self.

In many traditions, somewhere along the line, this message from Grand Self becomes about Other and for Other, and suddenly the Messenger becomes convinced that he/she is the Grand Interpreter of this Self-message-for-Other. This sort of attitude would indeed allow a spiritual organization to say:

"I am sure that's not who you are."

Eerie. Funny. Sad at times.

All good.

It's a great role and I applaud these Messengers. Many times in my months at Neale's forum - I have now instructed them to cancel me after receiving the above email with vague personal guidelines for how NOT to post - I have sensed that many of Neale's "messengers" (the people who pay to be in the forum) are asking for clarification of the message of Self Realization, and Self Awareness, but they keep being pointed to the condition of Other in the world as the true basis for any meaningful spirituality and/or eventual action and/or assessment of their own Life.*

Strange.

Traditional.

Not seemingly New to me, although Neale calls his movement The New Spirituality, and his followers defend that term staunchly.

I met Neale at a seminar, and very much enjoyed the seminar, the exchanges, and my time chatting with Neale briefly. His intentions are good, and I hold no ill will for the manner in which his forum admins. do their job.

Note that, in the spirit of transparency and acceptance and open expression of the Self/spirit there are no stated rules for Neale's forum, and no guidelines for posting.

Nothing. So I did find it interesting to be told I am posting "too much", while not being given an indication of what "just so" would be. I have asked, in writing, before, for clarification and received none.

Anyway - check it out. NealeDonaldWalsch dot com, and join the Messenger's Circle. I encourage you to get involved and I'd love to know if you sense the same atmosphere of "God gave me a message for you" that I have sensed. Going in I thought Neale celebrated and recognized us all as Messengers; even the spoken intro by Ed Asner indicates there is no person or time more special than any Other (there's that word again) ...

Suddenly it seems that maybe Neale is the Messenger, and we should gather 'round to be given the truth about who we are... sp-o-o-o-o-kyyy....

Sounds like a journey of Other Awareness, Other Realization.

Which is cool - eventually one realizes it is Self, and there is no Other. Take the long way home...
I love the following quote. It was staring me in the face at a gallery last night where my friends blue stone sky performed. In hindsight it was like an omen for the email I would get today. I had posted the qupote at the Messenger's Circle last night. It was part of the "too much" for them... no kidding! ;0)

I have been struggling to clarify this idea that losing sight of Other is a good thing, One that frees Humanity's Grand Self to full expression. This nails it...

"and finally she came to a place
where the other no longer mattered.
where Grace lit up the room.
lighting her candle from that
sacred flame -
she went out to warm the world."

from Terri @ Bonesigh Arts

Dance In the Moment,

greg and alice

* Notably this Life assessment is in terms of a flawed past and anticipated grand future. This sort of Time based assessment is generally done under the able guidance of their guru who has shown them that there truly is only the Now moment. Yup.

Life is Bigger

2007-12-13T05:58:00.001-08:00

"death of this physical life is actually the greatest thing that ever happens to us" (since we are being freed from this bondage of our physical body).

That's a quote from an arguably wonderful book called Conversations with God (CwG) by Neale Donald Walsch.

Physical Death is the greatest aspect of Physical Life, it seems to say.

THAT is an interesting statement, linguistically and conceptually.

Is CwG promoting yet another spiritually based idea that "Later" is the Goal, far superior to Now; that Physical Death is Far Superior to Physical Life...???

This would seem an interesting twist on what is purported to be the refreshingly new spiritual message of the CwG series, and its offshoot called The New Spirituality. This "new" spirituality indeed seems to have many direct parallels with, and apparent carryovers from, traditional religions and belief systems.

Indeed, even Jesus tried to show us that Death is preferable, didn't he? Not to be feared. Ugh! Did we miss his message again? Follow me, get dead.

Truthfully, given the opportunity to stick around and Live or accept Death on a cross, all accounts tell us Jesus did indeed choose Death. Hmmm....

What are we doing staying alive?

Was Jesus' message after all that Physical Death is Preferable to Physical Life - and has CwG provided insight into this stunning new truth?

We don't think so. It's deeper than that.

Dance In the Living Moment,

alice and greg

What Thinking's For

2007-12-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

There is only The Self.

If you look out and see Other than Self, look again.

Spiritual folks seem to get hung up with this idea, afraid that it takes them into a highly egotistical realm of "this is about me, john doe, and nobody else".

Quite the opposite. It destroys the basis of the Relative Ego and opens the possibility for the Absolute Ego to be expressed and experienced.

The Grand Self manifests in every imaginable way, and in many we cannot imagine.

Knowing this, we look out and are aware of countless aspects of The Grand Self.

Our Self Awareness is also an aspect of The Grand Self, and we give it a name like alice or greg allen.

Deeply we know that all we are aware of is The Grand Self.

And then comes the question "So you think this is all you? You do not think that I am even here as a unique personality called jane doe? How egotistical of you."

And we say "You and I are one, jane doe. That much we know. But... Do we think you are Other than Us? Even though we know we are One, do we think that you are Other than alice and greg?"

"Of course we do. That's what thinking is for."

Up to Know Good

2007-12-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

Wing.
It's written on your feet.
Your Achilles Heel is a tendency
To Dream.
You've known that from the beginning.
You didn't have to go so far.
You didn't have to go.**

**
The idea that we absolutely MUST experience really lousy stuff in order to know what "not lousy" stuff is, is a wonderful "alibi", a basis for all sorts of horrible human behaviors and excuses to justify them.

We find it interesting that spiritual leaders and their followers are convinced of and propagate this outdated and arguably harmful idea.

It is a human idea of Relativity, a Relative Idea of Relativity.

It is not an acceptable idea to us any longer, although we enjoyed that movie for years...

As manifestations of the Absolute, humans "know", and have been privileged with glimpses of "it all".

We know Love, or we would not long to return to it.

We are Love. (With the glorious ability to pretend we are not, and make excuses for it.)

Relativity is an Absolute concept, in which there are no "lousy" experiences.

Only Grand and Grander.

Dance In the Moment,

alice and greg

** lyrics from All the Way to Reno from REM's Reveal CD.

Pearls of alice

2007-12-05T05:15:00.000-08:00

In the realm of the Absolute there is only Relative Up.

Grand and Grander.

so says alice...

Happy Celebration Season!

The Now Moment

2007-11-30T09:19:00.000-08:00

Living in the now moment has little to do with time, believe it or not.

The Eternal Now Moment is not like a really long time - it is more like the absence of time.

It is more like "an awareness" within which time and space and etc "take place"...

Relative Ideas like past and future should not really be confused with Absolute Ideas like Now, or "living in the moment".

Absolute Ideas are, to me, best not discussed as though they have "opposing sides", or "either/or sides" - as though the past and present conflict with each other. (Remember, there are no conflicts in the Absolute...)

That being said, of course it is a wonderfully fun Relative Life Experience to learn more Now about our past lives, and we can even look into our future lives Now if we choose. It is not necessary, but certainly an option to place one's focus Now intently on past or future lives.

We wrote about the idea of Exchanging Gifts below, and this reminds us of that.

It is totally cool to Exchange Our Gifts of Time, Talent, Love and whatever else we perceive Life's Gifts to be for further knowledge of things we have already done, or may do one day.
In the same way it is fun to Exchange Our Gifts so we can explore a foreign language, or how to better pilot a racing motorcyle, or take "better" photos. Simply because one enjoys these things, and wishes to know and experience more about them.

All of these are things we do and experience in Relativity. That, to us, is Life!!

Robert Monroe wrote great books on out of body experience, and the direct, conscious exploration of past and future lives, and that "spirit family" concept you mention he also touches on. The Monroe Institute is near where we live, although we have never visited - but we have read many of his books and experienced a great deal of that which he discusses - great, great stuff, and wildly fun!

Finally, some Now find that their deepest most directly rewarding Relative Life Experience is to delve deeply into the Absolute Experience of the Eternal Now Moment.

This would be to focus our Now Gifts on the Now Moment of the Now Life. Not better, just another way.

This arguably, theoretically, merges the Relative and Absolute perspectives - the Relative is observing the Absolute, and the Absolute observing the Relative. Sort of "locking eyes with The One as one goes through the day".

Often some sort of transcendent thing is reportedly experienced.

Best regards,

Alice & Greg

Can the Law of Attraction Repel?

2007-11-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

The Law of Attraction (L of A) is a hot topic these days. I frequent the Conversations with God web forum known as The Messenger’s Circle, and it is an extremely hot topic. It is also a well-misunderstood and sorely overanalyzed one.

First and foremost, the word Law is misunderstood. The Law of Attraction came after the fact. It does not determine how things are caused.

A Law such as the L of A simply clarifies a consistent observation. You do something over and over and get the same, describable result, and you can call it a Law. This is not a big deal, but it is a truth. As we know trees stayed put and apples did not fall into the sky long before Newton described the Law of Gravity. The Law is secondary to and subservient to the Observed.

Hence, the possibility for so many beautiful exceptions… ;^)

The idea of any Spiritual or Self-help principle is, for me at least, the experience of it. I understand the L of A to produce desirable results, and that is my experiential goal – the “right” results. Thus it strikes me as odd that the L of A has become such an incredible cause for discussion and concern over just “how” to actually “do it”. There is a great fear of “doing it” wrong and attracting undesirable results even as we repel the desirable ones. As though it were some big magnet that we could turn 'round the wrong way and pull the devil right into our living room.

There is an infinitely greater amount of talk about this fear, and how well justified it is, and how to avoid the "repulsive side" of this L of A.

It is worthy now to recall that the L of A is purported to be an Absolute Principle, a Universal Law. It should thus strike one as odd that it is then immediately considered to have Relative Opposites – “good” and “bad” results, and should thus be thoroughly understood prior to actually giving it a whirl.

Like dynamite, there are a great many books to read and movies to see and seminars to attend and classes to go thru and tests to take prior to actually messing with the stuff and blowing something up. L of A is like that – you could blow your Life up…

Sadly, this widely held idea is a harmful point of view that basically ignores the fact that Absolute Principles do not have Relative Opposites of any sort.

**

Keep the Principle Simple.

In Richard Bach’s wonderful short book Illusions, he is encouraged to attract something into his life, as he and the “Messiah” character Don Shimoda, are talking. “Keep it simple” says Shimoda. “Nothing fancy or too big at first.”

“Okay. A blue feather.”

Shimoda then evokes from Bach a brief but clear description of the blue feather being visualized, and they go on about their day. Soon enough the two are having coffee and the waitress sets down a creamer carton and there in the artwork is a blue feather, part of the milk company’s logo!

That’s L of A. Simple. I hear your argument – “Oh for crying out loud. He used that creamer fifty times and never noticed the silly feather. Then he noticed. So what?”

Precisely. Good point. One of two that are missed.

1) It IS that simple – the "blue feathers" - the things we desire to bring into our lives - are everywhere, we just do not notice them because we have claimed no commitment to bringing them into our lives - we have yet to state that they are of interest or concern to us. Until we state clearly that they are, perhaps they are not, Intentionally speaking? Hmmm…

This means that our “dream Life” is right there as well, every aspect of it everywhere. We just do not notice it because we have not stated clearly what our dream is; our vision.

If I ask you to jot down something about bringing a blue feather into your life, you would oblige me for it would take but a couple minutes. Yet I bet a nickel most of us could not in a few minutes even clearly summarize a well stated, well thought description of our “Perfect Life” – heck, how about even a day in our “Perfect Life”?

Could you do it? Have you done it? Is it in clear simple actionable terms of What It Is? (Not “What It Might Be”, or “What It Would Not Be”)

2) Describe and Document YOUR Vision. Your Statement simply must be made. In writing. In a format that allows Evolution through updating as you go; as needed.

Computer is nice for evolution, and can be printed and posted/reviewed. It can be well-honed by reading it aloud until it makes sense to you, and "speaks easily" from you…

a) be clear – razor-clear, electron micro-clear, Hubble-clear

b) remember that the basics, compounded, result in the “bigger experiences”

c) Come from the simple basics always, as you dream beyond grand!!

d) Come from the simple basics always, but do not confuse this with thinking small. Apply the basics to doing dishes as you do to your craft, and your caring for, and your loving, and your living... Baseball hitters practice the basics endlessly, moreso than hitting home runs. They know that home runs come from brilliant, consistent execution of the basics.

**

And now you ask “Alice, what are the simple basics?”

Indeed, these are something you can and perhaps "should" determine as you go – they will likely come to you as you write and read aloud and ponder that which you are Describing and Documenting. They are already there, waiting to be nudged.

We encourage you to begin by Describing and Documenting your “blue feather” – that small thing you are going to attract into your Awareness. Describe several of the feathers you dream about. Soon enough we can describe the birds, and how they fly, and where...

I hope you’ll share something here about your "blue feathers"!

Dance In the Moment,

alice & greg
**
Great Gift Idea!!

if you like what you read and want to support our efforts please visit CD Baby and buy tales of the uneasy writer with greg and alice's lyrics for living... thanks! new CD to be released March 15, 2008

Greg Allen Music

SongSharing

Rebellion of Thought – the movie

Exchanging Gifts

2007-11-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

I have been reflecting on the idea of Exchanging Gifts - the gifts we are given and bring to Life.

There are a variety of different "currencies", things or forms of value, that we spend a lifetime exchanging our gifts for.

Most of us focus on cash currency to a large degree, and vaguely dream that "everything" we do will have cash currency attached to it, and a great deal of it. Then we can exchange it perhaps for other forms of value that reward us in other ways.

As a musician, I have realized that the primary currency that motivates my musical and non-profit professional endeavors is what I now call Transcendent Experience Currency (tm). Musicians hope to have that experience where the self and other melt away and the One is experienced, lived. Musicians hang their heart and soul very plainly out there for the audience to do with as they will. So they tell me, and I know I do.

Clearly the primary motivator would seem to be rewarding Currency.

For the last dozen years I have put Transcendent Spiritual Currency as a necessary factor in all of my musical and SongSharing endeavors. I was doing it rather unaware, and the other day a musical friend showed me that I have come to be able to create musical situations where all of the elements necessary for the possibility of that experience are present, and the experience is there for the taking.

"That is valuable to musicians", he said.

Of course, all of us hang our souls out there - not just musicians or artists. Every single one of us. The message is - be sure to create situations where Soul Currency stands the best chance of being earned. If caring for pets, flowers, and/or human beings brings you deep Joy, gobs of Spiritual Currency, then do those things. Monetary Currency WILL follow.

That is my experience, and the possibilities are magnified and multiplied these days...

Dance In the Moment,

Greg Allen - and Alice!

Greg Allen Music

SongSharing

Allowing Gratitude

2007-11-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

There, I said it...

Today is the day to express Thanks to Your Self, first and foremost.

We woke up this morning wondering why humans are taught from day one to look up to people and ideas and accomplishments outside of themselves.

Why are we not taught to look up to ourselves, from day one? Why are we not busy writing letters to ourself from the time we learn to write?

Why are we taught to give our power away, and not empowered to give our love away?

"We will love you if you give your power away, young child."

Why not: "We will empower you to love, young child."

Eventually one day we figure out that this entire exercise is about us, in the broadest and most human sense.

Why not just begin with that understanding?

Today, give thanks to your self, for your self, and love your self!!

Dance In the Moment,

Alice & Greg

The Idea of Absolute Truth

2007-11-18T15:36:00.001-08:00

My copy of Rebellion of Thought arrived in Saturday's mail and I've been watching it today. It seems to me there have been some changes since the version I saw screened a year ago here in Charlottesville. Great film! I am thrilled to have Story of Our Lies, the included in the soundtrack. The soundtrack rocks - I am in some fine company. I'm not sure when the Soundtrack CD's will be available - they sent us advance copies for now.

The Rebellion of Thought DVD has the entire Soundtrack and all of the Artist Bios as one of the Special Features.

I've watched the pre-release version about 4 times, and in viewing Rebellion of Thought again I was struck this time around by the attitude of most of the "experts" in the film toward the idea of Absolute Truth. The term is tossed around quite a bit in the film. Most of the religious experts view Absolute Truth as an idea which has the polar possibility of an "Absolute False". The idea that there may be a God is either Absolutely True or Absolutely False.

As though Absolute means a Duality with a great deal of space between the Extremes, but no Continuum of Ideas within that Space. Along the way from Hot to Cold we find an abundance of warmer, warm, cool and cooler. There is no such continuum of ideas with respect to the Truth or Falseness of God. There is no partial truth about God or Not God. So goes the argument.

That seems odd. Anything with the possibility of a polar other, or opposite, is a Relative Thing, not an Absolute Thing. Even the filmmakers cite the idea that "We will all die" as an Absolute Truth. It is not. The fact that all humans will ultimately stop being human is a Relative Truth. We will be dead humans compared to living humans. Even Christians acknowledge the continuation of the conscious life of the spirit, albeit in the continuing Relative Imagery of "heaven" as opposed to "hell".

The idea of an Absolute Truth having the possibility of a polar "other" is odd to me. It misses the point entirely I am certain.

The concept of Absolute is not "part of" the concept of Relativity. Nor is it "other than".

The concept of Absolute Anything is a concept that has no other side; no relative other.

It just IS, and is accepted as such in polightened** company.

One cannot say what The Absolute IS. One can however refer to The Absolute by saying what it is not, or what it is like.

And one can know The Absolute, up close and personal, for it's simply and gloriously the "Christ" within***, to use one reference point. The knowing within that manifests Relative Truths like The Golden Rule. It's what theologians should mean when they talk about "accepting Christ" personally, but mostly it is not.

An Absolute Truth would be more along the lines of "all humans and the planet and universe originated in the same creative moment that continues to unfold". No matter what your creation story, there is "no other side" to this simple obvious truth.

The Absolute Truth, sadly for the religious experts is indeed One's Own Truth. It is indeed that simple, that glorious, and that scary if one has no faith in the Creation Story they claim, and perhaps even their Awakening - or Evolution - Story.

***

The other odd manifestation of the experts' misunderstanding of Absolute and Relative showed up in their claim that "Relativism" is when each of us has our own truth. When we put Truth into God's Realm they claim, then we will know Absolute Truth.

Flat backwards.

Placing God in a position of "Other Than" man is the very (obvious) basis of Relativism, at least Spiritual Relativism, which is what we are on about here. This view states that God created us, we are separate, God has the truth and we do not. Yet.

When each of us possesses the Truth of God within ourselves, we are instantly United with God, Unified - the very basis of Absolutism. No Other Side. No Other Source.

I Am. It.

Of course this scares the crap out of theologians...

The brothers Williamson on the other hand seem to be getting it. They are asking some crazy good questions. The experts seemed to miss the point, which I think is the film's point. That's my analysis so far anyway... ;^)

More importantly, the brothers Williamson seem to be living their questions!! That is impressive, promising and radically threatening to the church structure. The idea of living the questions is one I highly recommend. (The idea is presented in the song Grasshopper on my upcoming CD It's Time That Time Was Overthrown.)

The Rebellion of Thought DVD has great special features, with over an hour of unedited interviews from many folks in the film - stuff that got cut from the final mix, but rounds out many of the perspectives very nicely.

Check It Out!

available at Amazon dot com and Barnes and Noble dot com and others...

website: Rebellion of Thought

Dance In the Moment,

Greg Allen

footnotes:

*The Absolute can indeed be seen as a Duality with No Continuum between the Extremes; however there is No Continuum because there is No Space between the Extremes; for they have merged into The Absolute...

**Polightened = Polite Enlightened (copyright me 2007)

***Hint: Not the Jesus within...

Rebellion of Thought

2007-11-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

The movie Rebellion of Thought has been released today on DVD.

It's a great movie about faith and the role of the church in post-modern times.

I'm thrilled to be a small part of the moivie, having my song "Story of Our Lies" included in the soundtrack.

It's a great movie to share with friends, discussion groups, churches, etc.

www.RebellionofThought.com

Acceptance and Apathy

2007-11-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

I told my friend I accepted the world the way it is, and they said "How can you say that? There is so much that needs to be fixed in our world."

So I said to my friend...

You know what - in a beautifully dreamy sense something truly does "need" to happen in our world. But it is a "waking up" that needs to happen. That is what many of us dream, and have been dreaming all along. It is why we came. It is the dream we brought with us.

I can totally relate to that strong "need to wake them up" tug inside my heart.

But remember, the world may be asleep, but it is not broken. It needs not fixed.

Once Awake, it is gloriously mine to do my part of the gentle waking up, and ALLOW the rest of the waking up to happen.

It is mine to ACCEPT that God is not slacking off; indeed, once I awaken I know God has never ever been slacking! And it is mine to enjoy God's work as I do mine and whenever I rest from mine.

Rest is acceptable, and perhaps even more crucial when doing God-work.

Remember in CwG?**: "Your soul's purpose is to wake you up. God's purpose is to wake everyone else up."

In that sense, you and I are NOT God - we do NOT have to wake everyone else up.

Primarily ourselves. Once Awake, we do not (it is unthinkable in the most beautiful sense) just say "Hey this is cool - thanks Soul. Hey, keep up the good work God" and then be all lazy and not help wake folks up.

Waking our friends up IS big in the dream. It IS the dream perhaps.

Once Awake, we know our role and how we interact and co-create with God; that we are to lighten up on ourselves, and in so doing, lighten up the path for others. The beacon unto others idea.

Don't you see? Going into the holidays with any sort of "dragging down" idea about the world is counterproductive to God's work, and ignores the very sacrifice Jesus made. It is counterproductive to the co-creation of the Holiday Spirit!!

It ignores and minimizes the spot that awaits each of us "basking in the glow of the AWARENESS of our part of God's work."

Basking in that glow, one still empathizes with the needy and have-nots, but it is all good. Every time I "check with God", it is all good as it is, and even better that we are working together to wake others up.

Even those who want to keep napping.

Enjoy the day folks - enjoy the holidays, whatever you call them.

Enjoy, for your own sake.

Greg

**CwG refers to one of Neale Donald Walsch's books called Conversations with God - Neale has a wonderful series of books that I highly recommend.

Where Does the Time Come From?

2007-11-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of my next 50 years. It's kind of strange thinking that I have been around for a half-century.

Wonderful family, wonderful friends, wonderful dogs and cats, and a wonderful life filled with wonderul opportunities.

I am grateful for all.

http://graspingatlaws.net/music-13.html

So much to share... Time to keep beginning.

Dance In the Moment,

Greg

Zoe Mulford

2007-11-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Last night Zoe Mulford, a wonderful singer-songwriter from Manchester, UK performed at The Colonnades for a group of seniors in Assisted Living. It was magical.

Zoe plays banjo and guitar, presenting her songs with a wonderfully rich voice. She is from the States, but living in the UK now. During this tour she is traveling with her mother acting as manager-roadie, keeping them straight on where and when to be.

We spent a good 45 minutes after the show talking to the seniors. Zoe was so very gracious, patient and warm. She gave every minute that those folks requested of her. Listening, Smiling, Laughing.

We went to dinner afterwards and I once again learned what an incredible experience this is for seasoned musicians. Zoe and her mom could not stop talking about what a wonderful group it was, and how it seemed to have been Zoe's best performance of this tour! They asked about SongSharing and my motivation, and experiences I'd had, and that sort of thing. I recall telling them that I finally understood why these performances mean so much to me, and why I think they instantly struck folks like Zoe. I said something along the lines of "It's because people are a Gift to US. We are not doing them a favor with our music and our sharing. They are Our Favor! They are an opportunity for us to share The Gift of Love that we know we have been Gifted. And the Sharing is the most powerful Experience of that very Love. I've discovered that this is THE simple thing that Life is about."

We agreed that this was akin to Life's Simple Secret, and then Zoe gave me a copy of her wonderful CD called Roadside Saints. I gave her a copy of my soon-to-be-released CD, and SongSharing's Studio Series CD.

Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily
Life is but a Dream...

Dance In the Moment,

Greg

www.zoemulford.com - and you can listen to some songs at www.myspace.com/zoemulford (I really like "Nobody Knocking" and "Elegy: Crystal Glasses")

The Gift Identity

2007-11-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

I Am The Gift.

The Gift is Infinite, Eternal, Absolute Love. - Love with No Other Side.

Keep It Simple.

Know that You Are The Gift, and that The Gift is Absolute Love.

Absolute Love is Eternal, Infinite.

An Awakened Life is about Living the Gift, Being the Gift, Giving the Gift in one's own unique way.

One Thus Has the Opportunity to Live Life as The Gift That Keeps On Giving, in a multitude of wonderful ways.

***

The Gift is Love.

I Am Love.

Expressed In the Manner I Choose.

A Unique Individuation of Absolute Love.

Keep It Simple.

The Gift is Love.

The How is Up to Me.

The Teachings of Jon

2007-10-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Wow - if you have not seen this film, I highly recommend it. I watched it last night on PBS here in Central Va.

I am going to share some links that just knocked me out - the Greeting and Christmas Cards they have available from their Jon website.

http://www.teachingsofjon.com/img/greeting_cards_large.jpg

http://www.teachingsofjon.com/img/christmas_cards_large.jpg

and of course their website

http://www.teachingsofjon.com/

Stunning.

We Are Our Own Saviors

2007-10-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful email story going around about a lady's encounter with homeless folks at a restaurant. For me it is a simple reminder that there are Such Opportunities as This every day.

It is the most incredible experience to Just Do something like this. It's easy to take $5 or $10 or $20 and put it in a special place in one's wallet - always have it handy. And to Declare That It is Intended specifically for an Opportunity such as this. The Opportunity can show up so fast we might miss the first one. But there'll be more if we do - not to worry.

The lady states to the homeless folks she buys breakfast for, when they Thank her, "I did not do this for you. God* is here working through me to give you hope."

Oh My God is that powerful. I tried to speak it last night, imagining I had actually said it to someone that I had actually helped in a similar situation. I could hardly speak it for the tears and the shaking. I am going to work on being able to say something along those lines.

I can hear some folks saying "Oh, how arrogant". It is rather bold in one sense to say "Yo. God chose me to work through and Give you Hope."

But when God in Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God books asks "Are You ready to declare YourSelf a man of God?", this is the very context in which I take the question. Are You ready to live every moment like this lady just did, ready to act and "explain" yourself from the deepest truth you know? That is exactly what she did with her act of Love and when she made that statement from a place of her deepest - and oh so beautiful - truth.

My deepest truth is that God is working through both myself and the homeless folks in that story. (I think she knows this, and just did not word it thus - I am not saying I am better. O'tay? :^)

So I might try to say it more like "God is here working through Us. We are Our Own Saviors; You are Mine, and I Am Yours. Our Relationship In this Beautiful Moment Is Also Our Opportunity To Allow Absolute Love to Shine Into This Place, and Thus Into This World. Bless You, and Thank You."

Or something...

How wonderful I will feel having spoken such a Truth - in a fast food restaurant no less...

***

This is what I refer to when I say it is so very important to Conceive and State Very Clearly One Simple Thing. Who I Am.

Perhaps many people look at homeless and think "Who I Am Not". It is then easy to step away from those things when they come close to us. This is true about Life in general. The easiest thing to do is to point, point, point at and talk, talk, talk about all the things I Am Not. There's a lifetime worth of them to say no to.

But pinning down that One Grand Thing - The Gift.

Stating it clearly, humbly, and In Every Living Moment.

That's Big. Like quitting smoking, or dieting - only bigger - You feel like You ought to Live Up to It if you're gonna state it. And that is frightening for some reason.

I have known my Gift since childhood. I could tell you stories of why I am only claiming, stating and Living It now. But I won't. They are stories. Memories. Now is Now.

God is at work through Us, dear Friends. We are Our Own Saviors; You are Mine, and I Am Yours. Our Relationships In Every Beautiful Moment Are Also Our Ongoing Opportunities To Allow Absolute Love to Shine Into This Place, and Thus Into This World.

Let's Together Give Ourselves Away**.

Peace, and Thank You, and Dance In the Moment,

Greg

* Atheists, as always in my posts, can begin now to substitute the phrase "Big Bang" for the word God. Perspective.

**closing line from my song Story of Our Lies, the

Faith: Showing What You Know/Don't Know

2007-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

welcome to the first post in awhile - I plan to post here more frequently as I develop various writing themes. I welcome your comments and feedback, and especially your questions.

I'll expand on ideas such as the Absolute Studio in other posts very soon.

Dance In the Moment,

Greg Allen

Faith is Living One's Life as The Announcement of What One Knows That One Will One Day Know..

A Self-Aware Creator in God's Absolute Studio is a gift to the world.

To declare One's Self as A Creator In God's Absolute Studio is simply to announce the Deeply Known Truth.

Faith is the attitude that allows One to Announce and State The Vision of their Creator Role even prior to their Understanding It, or "Feeling It". Indeed I have come to know This Very Understanding/Experience to be an Evolution, a Process to be Enjoyed throughout My Life.

It does not just happen, and then You go on. It happens, then You and It go on. ;^)

In a Very Real Sense, Life Itself is simply and profoundly The Evolution of The Knowing.

Faith Unfolding Into Knowing is Faith In Action - it's a Life Well Lived and Loved, even before you knew you could do it. Even before it felt acceptable to you.

Eventually the Acceptance, the Knowing, Comes, in an Experience or Moment commonly termed "Enlightenement". Again, this is truly a process, a series of "moments". The beginning of a lifetime of them, strung closer and closer together...

The Noble Experiment is to put Aside Human Hope and Announce Absolute Faith.

The Noble Statement is the Clear Announcement of One's Vision, One's Gift, One's Purpose

The Noble Moment is Every Moment in Which The Stated Vision is Lived, The Stated Gift Given, The Purpose Brought To Life; regardless of the Degree to which One Feels They Know The Truth.

What Time Is and Isn't...

2007-07-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

- Time is not money, time is love - caring enough to create time for others, and time is our creation.

- Time is an illusion, an element of the separation game. We believe there is distance between us and create space and time to traverse it.

It's always now.

Past and future are thus then-now: reflections of then, now.

Einstien knew this, and showed it to me.