Buck 65‘s Situation is his most coherent, thoroughly masterful and enjoyable album to date. It’s filled with the retro-eclectic themes and masterful rhymecraft that Buck 65 has become admired for while remaining essentially fun, inventive and fresh. This is a superbly smart, sexy, playful and observational collection of tracks.

Loosely based around the year 1957, there’s a complex nest of ideas within these songs and an underlying longing for a return of the creative and subversive cultural explosion Buck 65 perceives in the counter-cultural events of that year. He sees himself as a cultural observer and this comes through in so many plays on historical and present events and norms. Betty Paige, beatniks, film noir, hip hop, regional wrestling, pornography and hobos collide and form an unlikely thematic storm that is never unwieldy, but rather seems perfectly pieced together.

Buck 65 performing “Dang” from Situation live in Halifax
(I was lucky enough to be there for the taping)

Buck 65′s take on cyclical rebellion is worth exploring in addition to the music, so check out this recent Pitchfork interview where he explains the album’s genesis.

Joe Perez is the featured guest on Integral Naked this week. Joe is one of the bloggers I admire most —intellectual and soulful impact like his is seldom found—, and it was a great pleasure to walk through the dusk this evening while his dialog with Ken Wilber played. Joe’s story is a brilliant example of the value of an integral stance in living our lives, and it’s also deeply touching just as a human struggle.

Soulfully Gay is sitting at the top of my pile of books to read when academic demands allow, and I’m even more enthusiastic about sinking into it after hearing some more pieces of Joe’s story. There’s much to be inspired by and to learn from just on the surface of what will be within, and he has shown ample evidence of a great depth in the writings I have read. I highly recommend Joe’s blog at Until for a taste of his writings and contribution to integral understanding, especially as applied in integral Christianity.

The author of one of the most searing, courageous personal memoirs of our time shares how an Integral Approach helped him reconcile a life of fierce inner struggles with what it means to be a gay man in today’s culture, the difference between genuine spiritual experiences and psychotic episodes, and the thorny intersection of homosexuality and Christianity.

In the foreword to Soulfully Gay, Ken Wilber writes: “Joe Perez’s book is perhaps the most astonishing, brilliant, and courageous look at the interface between individual belief and cultural values that has been written in our time. By a homosexual, or a heterosexual, or any other sexual I am aware of.” Ken wrote this foreword without even having met Joe—probably one of the strongest complements one writer can give to another—and Soulfully Gay is the second offering from our Integral Books imprint at Shambhala Publications.
…
As Ken so beautifully summarizes, “Joe’s life is being artfully lived in the very fact of its truthfulness, its deep embrace, shadows and warts and worms and all, woven unhesitatingly into the tapestry of a lustrous display, a deep peace, an abiding love… and therein, surely, a lesson for us all….”

You can find a free sample of Ken Wilber and Joe Perez in dialog at Soulfully Gay. Part 1. Out of the Closet, Into an Integral Embrace and sign up to hear the full transmission and many other brilliant conversations.

Today the newest version of Ubuntu, my operating system of choice, was released. Codenamed Gutsy Gibbon, it’s the most beautiful, polished and accessible OS I’ve used. What is Ubuntu? Simply put, it’s an open source operating system (think a replacement for Windows or OS X) that is shaped by a desire for a free, easy to use and robust environment to work, play and live with.

I switched from Windows a couple years ago and haven’t looked back. Ubuntu is better in all the ways that matter to me, and it’s entirely free. Millions of us across the world happily use Ubuntu daily for all our computing needs and breathe easier to be free of the confines of Apple and Microsoft products that just can’t compare to the software produced by the vast open source community.

Applications for Ubuntu (and Linux in general) are of tremendous quality and are usually freely, quickly and easily available. In fact, if something I need to do isn’t available with Ubuntu out of the box, a few clicks and a couple minutes with have the program I need running. The ease of use is above and beyond anything in the proprietary software market.

Many folk have picked up on the wonders of Ubuntu lately. Wired champions it as accessible, while Boing Boing calls it “easy, sexy“. There even arises a degree of OS jealousy when many Windows and Mac users see just how slick Ubuntu is. The good news is that all it takes to get Ubuntu up and running on your computer is one CD (either downloaded or ordered by mail), and you can even try it out before doing anything at all permanent to your computer. Or you could buy a computer with Ubuntu installed from Dell.

Did I mention it’s beautiful? Take a look at some of what can be done for eye candy: more »

Transhumanism has been an easy movement for me to embrace, as much as I disagree with some theories, opinions and timelines proposed within the field. Longer, better, more productive and more free lives would be hard to refuse. Infuse that with an integral framework and you have the makings of a luminous future.

New Scientist has a feature on transhumanists in its Death-focused new issue, under the title “The Plan for Eternal Life“. It seems some transhumanists are making a play to bring the ideas of technologically enhance humans into the mainstream.

Here is a video from New Scientist that features transhumanist leaders Aubrey de Grey, Nick Bostrom and Anders Sandberg:

I disagree with Mr. Sandberg that we are merely data, identity and personalities (objects), but rather that consciousness itself is essential to who we are. Still, there is a lot of benefit to be gained with digital recording of our memories and other traits. Aubrey de Grey is one of my favourite speakers on transhumanism in general because he presents a pragmatic and simple argument, free from some of the more contentious claims being made; he makes clear the moral imperative we have to work to improve quality of lives.

Imagine a world where we have more time to develop. Imagine a world where our lives are rich and lengthy enough that we can achieve our fullest potentials. To refuse this possibility to the world would be a terrible loss.

Today there is a movement happening in the blogosphere that is pushing environmentalism to the fore. Blog Action Day aims to have thousands of bloggers posting their take on the environment in order to increase the dialog around the environment. Some of my favourite bloggers have already provided their views, from C4Chaos’ writing on conscious capitalism and bright greens to Lighter Footstep’s call for individual action and wise leadership. Also check out the contributions of Integral Options Cafe, Craig Photography, and Integral Praxis, three of my other daily reads.

I try to keep my own stance pragmatic and wide. I’m in favour of using technology in every way we can to increase efficiency and quality of human life while simultaneously reducing harm to our environment. This, as far as I can tell, if entirely possible and is actually a major thrust of innovation already. Genetically enhanced plants, more efficient devices and smarter public transportation are among the tools we have emerging as viable changes for preserving and benefiting the environment. And we should be cheering on innovation and existing technology as a way to protect our world and to create the quality of life everyone can flourish with. We should not give up advancements for some romantic ideal of returning to nature. Spider Robinson, in “Sustaining the Planet” (PDF), sums this up nicely:

Some still doubt such things as global warming and urge against believing that humans have a tremendous impact on the earth. I don’t think the evidence points to that, but there is one simple and compelling argument that I was impressed with for whether or not we should work to reduce our emissions. What’s the worst that could happen?

What isn’t asked here is what do we do if we can’t slow or reverse global warming, whether it is caused by us or not. I think that if the worst predictions are accurate we can’t do anything now to stop global warming. What options do we have then? I think we have to seriously look at what we need to do to adapt to a world that is changed tremendously. Our lives and those of countless others will be threatened and the lifestyles that breed better humans will be lost. Can we afford not to plan for the preservation of a humanity far stronger than it has ever been before? Can we afford not to look at how other life would be changed?

And even if we just improve our technologies and live in ways that are more sustainable, what have we gained beyond survival? I don’t think any short survey could encompass all the benefits we can reap from being spurred into change by a concern for the world. If we shrug off fear, at least let us embrace the hope that we can create a better world.

School has me locked up with studying and writing and is eating up exorbitant amounts of time. That’s what I signed up for with my return to university, but that doesn’t make it any easier to have neglected this writing to the extent I have. Remaining healthily social, physically active and otherwise staying sane takes some effort and all the time I’ve been able to peel out from studies.

Having a strong toolkit helps. A solid media player, cell phone and laptop are things I couldn’t thrive without. Clunkier, less efficient things just don’t cut it when I am trying to get all I can from my time.

Walks are an important activity for me, and I like to maximize what I’m getting from them by listening to podcasts, lectures and other talks, music and braintech. My YP-T9 is an elegant device that allows me to be listening and ready to receive calls on my cell phone with the touch of a button, all with the same headset. On walks this is invaluable, especially when I’m making my way along a rocky beach and don’t want to be fumbling, lest I fall on the rocks.

When I’m working on essays, chatting with friends, catching up on the latest Integral Life goodies, reading hundreds of RSS articles or any number of other important tasks, I’m settled in with the reliable Dell laptop I call Lunar. I’m running Ubuntu Gutsy on Lunar, and it’s the best OS I’ve ever immersed myself in. I can’t imagine going back to a Windows or Mac OS now that I’ve tasted what’s out here in the free world of open source operating systems. Ubuntu, when tweaked a bit, is stunning, efficient, intuitive and beautiful beyond anything else I’ve encountered. Software like Amarok, Miro, Firefox and Pidgin are as good as you can get, as far as I’m concerned. And the best software is entirely free.

I’m thankful I have some solid tools to work and stay connected with the world, and I’m happy to have them looking sharp as well. I’ve been sliding custom skin stickers from MyTego onto each of them and having such beautiful devices makes using them even better. The service is superb from Tego and the skins are excellent.

I’ve been following the “Saffron Revolution” (a series of anti-government protests in Burma) and the response to it for days now with tremendous sympathy. The protests are a non-violent movement lead by Theravada monks, aimed at creating reforms in the fascist government that is currently in command of Burma. The response to the protests was bloody and heartbreaking, but not unexpected. This is what so often happens when absolutistic forces (fascists) collide with multiplistic defenders of freedom (democrats); emerging freedom is met with violence.

These monks represent a noble and progressive movement within religions that we should embrace and support when it faces off with harmful governance and other injustices. William at Integral Options Cafe shares this sentiment and expressed it beautifully in “More on Why the New Atheists Will Fail“.

One of the greatest values of religion is when it calls us to raise ourselves to higher wisdom, greater compassion and the very freedom and higher cognition that some claim religion as a whole limits.

Symbolic support for Burmese freedom may be limited in impact, but I feel compelled to take part both in this blog and likely in the flesh at local solidarity events that will come up. Beyond this, we can pressure our governments to act to limit the damage done by the Burmese government in ways that are swift and responsible. I’d love to know of other actions that we can take to help the people of Burma, so please do comment with those.

Thanks to C4Chaos for the heads up on the first blogging action and John Craig for spreading the following one. For some background on Burma, check out William’s “A Brief History of Burma” post.

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