Set Billy Free!

♪acid rain, acid rain ♪
i don't want to see you bathing in the acid rain! as i was driving north on i-55 this week, back to the city from work, i smelled acidity in the air, and i could taste it in the back of my throat, like getting up close and personal with the breath of a panting dog or taking a big whiff of wet, rusty metal. it was disturbing, and i wondered what the ph imbalance was doing to the surrounding flora and fauna, including humans who live in the area. it rained all night last night, and we're expecting more, which is odd for this time of year. Click here to read about acid rain in a fun, kid-friendly format! ashok and i were lying in bed last night, and we turned on the television. this is really odd because we never watch the idiot box before bed, but we turned on the local news of all things, which i fucking detest. i hate the fake paper shuffling, the stupid banter, the waste-of-everyone's-time, fear-inducing "news" stories, and the hyperbolic use of cosmetics, YET we turned the damn thing on because the weather was supposed to be of day after tomorrow proportions: thunderstorms, tornadoes, oh my! but alas, much to our chagrin, we both had to come to work this morning. the rain is supposed to continue, though. and so too, the acid.
superstitions must die!
i don't think i have any of these critters left. i choose to live fearlessly. i just delete all those chain letter emails as soon as i get them. this is duality at its worst! if you do x, then y will happen. what a bunch of hogwash, and i do not subscribe to any of it. the last superstition that i had and managed to exorcise had to do with billy idol songs. i thought that if i heard a billy idol song then someone would die, because someone did die after i heard one. isn't that goddamn ridiculous? jesus. anyway, billy can blare fearlessly through my radio now, not that he does, but now it's for quality control purposes, not out of fear. anyway, this must be the stupidest thing i've ever confessed to, but i thought you might appreciate it!
higher ed?
i will never pursue another degree again. for someone like my dad, who studied the sciences, a higher degree was essential. but for me, in the arts, a higher degree is unnecessary, and it didn't feel natural at all. most importantly, it encumbered my creative flow. the two classes i took at roosevelt taught me something important. in fact it can be summed up in one sentence: show, don't tell. i don't live by this as a religious credo; sometimes the opposite is true, but i will continue to grow from this piece of wisdom. there is so much about institutionalized education in the arts that doesn't sit well with me. i thought that i needed a class to write. i was so sure of this. but i was wrong. i was striving, trying, reaching for something to grab on to, and i've come to realize, through my study of atmopadesa satakam, that all that striving is unnecessary. after all, you can't force a flower from the ground by pulling it up and prying its petals open. it will happen on its own schedule, and this is how i've come to feel about myself and my growth as a writer. the structure of the classroom is confining. i feel this not only as a student, but as an instructor as well. the concept of grades feels contrived, giving and receiving them. if you're a student who's in it for the grade, then all i have to say is good luck. you have mastered how to please everyone, but yourself. i was in it for the knowledge, but i couldn't play the game and pretend like i actually gave a fuck about letters on a paper. if you want to create art, just start doing it. the motivation will come naturally if you are aligned with your svadharma (inner nature). if not, let it go baby!