The end is coming... as it always has been.

For most of my adult life, many folks have been warning about the consequences of our shortsighted and greedy suck up of natural resources and the degradation of our environment.

And, since the late 60s, one of the recurring warnings has been about the potentially disastrous implications of upsetting global climate patterns with the build-up of gases in the atmosphere related to human activities.

And for most of that time, I've listened as a chorus of those who would fight any attempt to curtail their accumulation of obscene amounts of wealth have made one spurious and deceitful claim after another trying to buy themselves a little more time to suck the life out of the only world we have and increase their stacks of gold.

Now, we are confronted with the clear and painful evidence of the disastrous consequences of the actions of the greedy and the uncaring.

And, frankly, I'm at a loss for words...

On the one hand, I have a deep and burning anger for the sins of greed and arrogance of these criminals, these monsters -- and on the other I recognize that I'm just as guilty in my own ways. I consoled myself that my own sins and crimes were so much smaller than theirs -- and that I talked a good fight. But guilty, nonetheless.


Anyhow... it's Friday and it's looking like a beautiful day here at the western edge of the American continent. Even in the shadow of these dark thoughts, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It's not a perfect day, maybe, but it's a beautiful day.

One of those beautiful days we have to remember to live fully and really appreciate... because, whether or not the End-of-Life-on-Earth-as-We-Know-It is coming for all of us as a race -- as little creaturs crawling around on this pretty rock in space -- we all know the End is coming for each and every one of us.

Go out and live. This isn't forever.

It never was...

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Previous AYoS versions
May 9, 2006
November 22, 2005

studio version [soundclick]

This Perfect Day

petals drift through the warm spring air
got my hand in your pocket got my nose in your hair
got my heart on my sleeve and it's all too clear
everything i wanted is all right here

this perfect time this perfect place
a perfect tear slides down your face
It's such a shame
It's such a shame...

the rain comes down all night long
we just lie there until the dawn
the world's in your eyes and you're in my arms
everything I wanted right here all along

this perfect time this perfect place...

one last kiss one last sigh
one last wish though you know it's a lie
One more laugh just to not have to cry
I love you baby til the end of time

this perfect time this perfect place
a perfect tear slides down your face
It's such a shame
It's such a shame...

(c)1999 Thomas K. Major
1998-01-08

Just another noodle in the bowl...

Trifling piffle.

Is that a pejorative?

Well... so be it. This brief but probably pointless improvised instrumental duet is a trifling piffle.

Perhaps, someday, this song will become emblematic of the notion of a trifling piffle... if so, it will have found a purpose and meaning in its very purposelessness.

Until then, it's just 2 minutes and 12 seconds of... nothing much.

Another Noodle in the Bowl

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After the Darking of the Day

It's just after sunset as I write this.

Like any working stiff, even one who has worked odd hours for a couple of decades, I find myself relaxing a little at sunset. Even if I'm hard into a project of some kind, I'll usually take a few minutes to watch the sky's blue deepen to indigo and whatever clouds there are pick up the last rays of the sun, watch the birds as they fly purposefully at odd angles across the darkening sky.

Sometimes I'll sit with my guitar in my lap, plucking out a tune. Sometimes I'll just sit, hand on chin, watching, trying to keep words from forming in my mind... just... watching.


This little solo guitar instrumental has a kind of jaunty feel, I guess, but the chords are similar to Gene Clark's "She Darked the Sun," which I played the other night (none too well, I'm afraid... it was a rough day but I was glad to be around people and devote myself to music for a few hours and the audience was kind and, of course, I had my pals Tareq and Raindog to take up my slack.)

And the style reminded me -- in its clumsy way -- of the finger style playing of guys like Richard Thompson, whose song, "The Dimming of the Day," I've always deeply admired.

I sort of ran it all together in my head and came up with this oddly constructed title...


After the Darking of the Day

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