"Don't close your eyes when you open your mind"
Sunny Day

Elon Musk is the Kanye West of the tech industry.  Which is not to say he's a moron, but if you think he's a genius, you have no discernment.  I'm not even going to finish the thought.  If you can't finish it yourself, you're finished.

I have never understood the appeal of Joe Rogan.  The hip, stylish background of his podcast doesn't take away from the undeniable feeling that you're listening to people talk about philosophy in a locker room full of monkeys.  How many F words does it take to convince a populace that you're not intelligent?  A couple hundred million?  What kind of hint are we expected to take from your logo?  You're finally free of the shackles of discernment and wisdom?  Ayahuasca is a good thing?

Surely not that you're happy, and that your "smile" is one of calm self-possession and fulfillment.  Please don't expect us to believe that.  Because we don't.  The fact that your podcast is so popular isn't an insulting indictment of the degradation of American culture in any way; let's tell Josh Brolin that "No Country" is your favorite movie of his because "it's so F'd up" and pretend we're intelligent, thoughtful people who are part of the solution because we're so open-minded our brains are falling out.  Please.

I can't take it any more.

The left half of the image above is the cover art from my 2004 album All The Diamonds You Can Eat.  Still a highlight of my discography, Diamonds nevertheless tells the story of one of the stupidest seasons of my life.  The right half of the image is Joe Rogan's logo.  The demons in them are clearly related.  I'm posting them for 2 reasons:

1.  I've been there myself, and am not better than anybody, and

2.  Joe Rogan has expressed a recent interest in Christianity, which means he needs to be prepared to be evicted from the Ayahuasca locker room, and have his entire world turned upside-down.

Because that's what will happen. 

I sincerely hope he makes it.

I don't think I've expressed my real opinion about Joe Rogan to anyone before, not even in private.  His show tempts me to uncharted heights of misanthropy and cultural ennui.  To address the topic at all is counter-productive in the extreme.  But 2 recent articles in The Western Journal (linked below) make me want to roll the stone away from the door of that tomb, and see if there's anyone inside.  For the first time, I have a genuine, hopeful brotherly love for the man.  The mere mention of his name no longer makes me roll my eyes so hard they bounce like pinballs off the chattering lightbox in my skull.  To my own amazement (and relief), I find myself actually rooting for him.  Come on, Joe.  Follow through man.  Don't stop halfway through the swing.  Go all the way.  I've walked away from the same things.  Not money and fame, but the stupid part.  Been there.  Done it.  I'm not above it, but I am beyond it.  It was hard enough for me, and I didn't have anything to lose by abandoning those demons.  Maybe you're stronger or smarter than I am, and God knew it, so He gave me less to lose by walking away.  Because you have something to lose.  But there is so much more to gain.  I'm living in the driveway of a friend's house on Dagobah, and would rather be here writing articles in a flooded basement with Jesus than sipping drinks in the aloof, wuthering heights of fake genius occupied by such obvious global frontmen as Elon Musk.  Don't even get me started about that guy.  I can't talk about him. 

It doesn't help.

There go my eyes again.  My brain just went full tilt on that one.  Another cosplay intellect, bringing the standards of the world under the subjugation of his master, The Tasmanian Devil.  I can't even talk about this guy.

What a maroon.

So anyway, if you're like an innocent doe wandering through the wilderness of our current intellectual and cultural landscape, heed the warning of any bipedal, glove-wearing rabbits you may come across (unless of course they're furries).  Scram, go on, beat it.  The Tasmanian Devil's liable to getcha.  He's a mean, vicious, nasty, no good, baggy-eyed, bobble-headed ignoramorus.

Don't close your eyes when you open your mind.

Thanks for listening.