THE ART OF BEING PROPER

The blog has been quiet the past couple of weeks beside the random book recommendations. This is, of course, because it takes time to create great things.

That being said I need to rewind to a couple of my first posts and bring the commitment and approach back in the mix. Because the art of being proper means and entails that you find the balance and act accordingly. This is not at all as far fetched as it may sound; far from actually. If you have a proper way of thinking, a proper way of living and a proper way of acting well, then you have the proper fundament in life.

The proper way of thinking can be summed up pretty easily - to think for yourself, think positive thoughts and think as creatively as possible.

The proper way of living, however, is a little more tricky as this has to be fundamental rather than subjective. So the proper way of living, with fear of sounding redundant, would be to live with respect for all things living and breathing. In our modern days this is far from happening, so maybe it's the perfect time to step back a few steps and re-think a few things. In any case, and in order to add to the fundamental value of living, it has to be as simple as that really.

The proper way of acting should be the natural extension of living and for that reason alone not that difficult to sum up. To remain as objective as possible it has to with acting (and reacting) according to your surroundings, your emotion, your environment and your evolution/process.
In order to make it proper it would necessarily mean that an open mind is required. If a person is fully able to adjust to changes and development in life and at the same time capable of transcending emotional reactions then the fundament appears intact. 

This is just excerpts of a long essay I'm looking to include in my forthcoming book (work title: "Ageless Thinking") that will be published next year. In this book I will include and elaborate on the entire list of entries you find posted on this blog.

THE ART OF READING - part VI

Now it's time! I need to get this one out of my system right now. Why? Because it's the best music related book I have ever read. As in E-V-E-R!

It may not be the most important one of the most challenging one. Heck, Cockney Rejects may not even be the best band in the world after all ;-) But this book, by front man Jeff Turner, is the most action packed, superply paced, disturbing and insightful display of vulgarity I have ever read. Actually, it's so good that I find it hard to believe it's not a work of fiction. We're talking this one - "Cockney Reject" by Jeff Turner:

 

It was only last year it was put and it was causing quite a stir up to release as it was publically known what the infamous Geggus brother had been going through at an early age. And luckily for us, Jeff has had no quarrels laying it all out there so to speak.

The story, in short, is one of bravado, triumph, ruckus, betrayal and despair. In just 2 years, and even going from the tender age of 15 to 17, Jeff Turner went from Top 10 stardom to staring down a barrel looking to end it all. Literally from being Top Of The Pops to queuing at the job centre. That, entirely, has to do with the Cockney Rejects that came out of nowhere and stormed the music scene with their melodic and immensely aggressive blend of Oi! music. It basically stood for being young, working class and not taking anything from anyone. That, of course, quickly resulted in aggression and violence and the 'Cockney' quickly became 'Cocky' and in a matter of months the band was at war with all of England...in public!

Being this young and going through this madness and the insane ups and downs, fight and showdowns you're bound to come down. And down it went alright.

Jeff Turner is a skillful writer and the details are scary to say the least. The story is gruesome but at no time does Jeff Turner come across as a subject of hate. That requires skills as the way he has been treating people breeds little to no sympathy.

I read this mother in one go and instantly put on the entire Cockney Rejects discography. This is beyond film material - it's that vivid in writing!

THE ART OF READING - part V

Having just mentioned the 2 books by John Joseph it's time to spit in the other direction - in every sense really. Norwegian black metal has been up to debate since it's incarceration and countless efforts have been made in order to ban the entire genre. All of this - and much, much more - is documented in this fine piece of literature:

 

Don't judge a book by its cover I guess shouldn't apply for this specific one to begin with. When "Lords of Chaos" was first published it caused a major stir and quickly became both a major seller and also a subject of great debate; especially concerning the motifs of the two writers of the book.
Either way it's being viewed it portrays explicitly how the Norwegian black metal scene was taken to extremes at an early stage and how the world reacted to it. Multiple church burnings, murders in between rivaling band members and suicides are just the tip of the iceberg.
It's a horrifying account of a scene that went crazy and continuesly tried to top itself in a macabre way. It's truely fascinating and incredibly disturbing at the same time! There is a reason for this book's immense popularity.

THE ART OF READING - part IV

Having brought one of the very finest personal accounts to the table yesterday - in the shape of John Joseph's "The Evolution of a Cro-magnon" - there seems to be no other choice but to continue with John Joseph's second book. Importantly it has to be stressed that this is a very different story being told here. However, the flair and the attitude is very much intact in "Meat is for Pussies":

Just like "The Evolution of a Cro-magnon" the "Meat is for Pussies" book shares the same tone, brashness and honesty; this seems to be the quintessence of John Joseph. But where the first book dealt greatly with the struggles and troubles this book deals with documenting why every person should lay off the meat, start working out and becoming a better and more responsible human being. 

John Joseph has some excellent points and draws on a selection of literature and personal experiences to back them up. However, the motivator-tone can be a little too Cpt. Righteous at times and it can have the feel of a school teacher barking at the kids. I know this is for effect though and I interpret it as John Joseph deliberately trying to reach a wider audience with this book - because, above all, this is very suitable for people not living properly and needing a kick in the rear. 

And equally important - it's about time to scream the truth about the food industry into peoples faces and who better to do so than John Joseph? He covers the protein myth, the problems with diets over lifestyle adjustment, the power of the medical industry and how to properly exercise body, mind and spirit.

What I especially enjoy are the recipes and the 7-day program for beginners. It's a fantastic way to put it simple and it can work for everyone. If you want to change, get off the meat, get off the couch while getting a good insight of what you're actually consuming on a daily basis this is a brilliant place to start.

Pick it up, check out the fantastic "The Future of Foods" documentary and wait for the John Joseph cook book coming next year!

THE ART OF READING - part III

Yesterday I gave justifiable praise to Alex James and his account "Bit of a Blur". Today I raise the bar as we're somehow within the same field of autobiographical work. However, this one I'm mentioning here is far more disturbing, far more appealing and perhaps also far more relevant in a way. I'm talking about John Joseph's incredibly well-written book "The Evolution of a Cro-magnon":

John Joseph is a true legend in his own time. In many ways a role model and a picture of health at the very, very least. But it wasn't always like this and the complexity of the persona is intriguing. He's best known as the frontman in the premier New York hardcore band the Cro-Mags. But before that ever happened he spent the major part of his childhood living in the streets and turning tricks.

When I started this book I could not let go. I had to dose it because it was that incredible. Not only is John Joseph an amazing storyteller but what he went through at such an early age is being put to life in this book in a way hardly imaginable. The honesty and the sheer tone is incredible and tear provoking.

Among many things he sold fake acid at stadium concerts, was abused by his foster parents, got sent to the most dangerous juvenile prisons in the world and had countless near death experiences. But he had a lucky charm, apparantly, and later in life he turned into a yoga-practicing believer and a 47-year old physical master piece with a flair for vegan and vegetarian cooking (more on this very soon!)!

For the fans of hardcore music, and especially NYHC, it's also a tremendous account of a scene on the rise and the challenges it was met with back when it was dangerous. 

This autobiography is one of the very best out there and a true lesson in coming out on top when the odds are against you!

THE ART OF READING - part II

Having started off yesterday with recommending a book that explicitly deals with the theory and history of the music industry I figured I'd have to make a quick turn and include a work coming from a band's perspective. One of the better books to come out in recent years is this one:

Alex James, the once-womanizing, skinny bass player from one of Britains most important bands, Blur, gives his documentation of a true phenomenon. I highly recommend this one partly because it proves how incredibly clever a writer Alex James is and party because the story is amazing.

"Bit of a Blur" is filled with funny notions, out-of-this-world debauchary and also a lot of sadness and reflection. When Mr. James states that "he was the second drunkest member of the drunkest band in the world" you know where it's going and where it's going to end of course. Somehow it deals very little with the career of Blur which is a refreshing take on an autobiography from a band member. And it actually works perfectly fine this way and adds to the personal reflections of Alex James.

It deals with 4 peoples journey that quickly began spinning out of control resulting in broken friendships, alcoholism, addiction in general and depression. Luckily, in aftermath, we all know how it ended though.... 

THE ART OF READING - part I

On a regular basis I will recommend an important work of music litererature - refered to as the ART OF READING. The art is really not reading in general but rather sorting out the right things to digest intellectually.

Please note that I will obviously not be recommending garbage. Part I is this one:

 

This book is a perfect introduction to the music industry and what once was and isn't any more. It documents the glory days of the major label corporations, the wild parties, the bribing of the radio hosts and DJs while also perfectly describing the decline of the entire structure.

The key cases are all here, including Napster that took the music world by the neck in so many ways. It also offers in-depth analyzes and draws on a large variety of interviews with some of the major players of all the eras in the industry.

It's a must-read if you're the least bit interested in the history of the music industry and a perfect showcase of how human (and business) fates can change in a heartbeat by not following the trends of the world. In many ways a terrifying read... 

THE ART OF COMMITMENT

Having put little thought into the art of approach a few days back, I thought it was time to write a few lines about the art of committing. Commitment as a term, as a noun and as something no living person can do or live without.

To me commitment is key; as essential as drawing breath and waking up each morning before 6 am to meditate and work out. Commitment is what defines me to towards myself and towards all my relations, both privately and in my business life. Here is how I use it - in short:

I'm in a constant evolving process and decided long ago to challenge myself hourly in order to push myself to the limit and thereby obtain full potential in life. This includes committing 100% to staying focussed on whatever task lies at hand; work, marriage, parenthood, friendships and so on. It's quite a load and therefore commitment is needed to stay in line and improve.

I've come to the conclusion that what works for me is keeping an open and clean mind and continuously analyzing my various interactions with people in all types of settings and situations. Because each person has flaws, and plenty of them. I, for one, have a temper issue that in all fairness has improved tremendously over the years. But occasionally I still feel the urge to kill a person or at least smack that person around and that solves little to nothing admittedly. Committing to the process of realization I contemplate a way to minimize and in time completely remove this way of thinking. The power of thought and actually free will! Committing to not being a slave of poor, poor instinct is key in this quite normal example.

Daring to commit to challenges in life is a hard thing to do and it takes strength! Removing the excuses and stepping up your game (= committing) is the way forward. Then the commitment term known in everyday life (e.g. girlfriend/boyfriend, school, work, exercise, etc.) becomes a walk in the park!

COMMIT TO CHALLENGES AND CHANGES!

THE ART OF APPROACH!

Well, time to post the first real blog - and this will be a short one that I will later bring up again in order to document destructive behaviour.

In these times of individual online platforms it appears to become more and more common for people to express, quite explicitly even, how they would like to see people react and/or behave to certain events. Clearly I'm not talking about the recent acts of deranged terror in Norway or hooliganism in England. On those events we generally all agree. No, I'm talking about more diverse matters.
For instance, I stumpled across a tweet not long ago suggesting that "everyone should f**king stop eating tuna", and that really got me thinking. Thinking about the art of approach if you have something you wish to inform people about.

It is not important who the tweeter is. But what's important is to stress how absolutely ridiculous this approach is and how negatory the effect is. Because I am ALL about not eating tuna, to say the least, and I am also all about spreading he informative facts of the results of the fishing industry. But I would never, ever, lay my world views upon anyone in such an infantile and confrontational manner. It has the complete opposite effect than desired all of a sudden. Nobody likes to be cursed at. Imagine, even, reading a tweet like this, not knowing about any of this.

That, as just one simple example, becomes more and more common. Lesser intelligent people dictating tabloid related stories upon everyone, using social media. Please stop this immediately and take action instead or at least have the curtosy to be informative rather than acting like the teacher's sub that never completed your post grad.

So in short - as much as I love and use social media it's rapiply becoming a problem with too many of these self-righteous, sensationalist and downright annoying people craving attention.
Future reference - I will write a post on the Danish and British fishing industry and will be including the now endangeroured tuna!

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN TWEETS!

SET IT OFF!

The design is stale and boring, the header equally so. The content is not appealing but then again - it has to reflect the world to appear trustworthy. Also, if you need a quick pick-me-up of superficiality you can always tune in to whatever it is that the public service provide.

And if that doesn't cut it for you I recommend you a stroll around the Danish pride of high culture - the various bars located on every other street corner - and swing down a world-renowned brew or two. It will surely not sharpen your mind or senses but you will be down there with the rest of them.

This may all sound a little confusing and even spiteful but I guarantee that this is not the case. This is merely to indicate, cunningly, what lies ahead.

The blog you're reading now will be bringing up peculiar topics or rather topics that I feel are portraying peculiar behavior. It's a crazy world and rebellion clearly has many faces as seen in recent events around the world. The more stand a person can take in everyday life and the more critical questions you can ask yourself the more alert, liberated and together you become.

But first things first and one step (or rather topic) at a time. So in near future I will give my take on different matters one by one! And I won't be shooting blanks ;-)

But don't worry - it will be a fun read too!

SET IT OFF....I just heard that the bombing in Libya continues :-(