{"id":5404,"date":"2019-03-24T14:43:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-24T14:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/?p=5404"},"modified":"2019-05-10T13:34:54","modified_gmt":"2019-05-10T13:34:54","slug":"the-music-archeologist-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/?p=5404","title":{"rendered":"The Music Archeologist Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Go to <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/?p=5397\">The Music Archeologist Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So now there was just this one thing left to do: end the world. And I was just a spectator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We had walked some distance away from the car\u2026 into a lovely bit of desert nothingness, just sand and small clumps of scrub grass vying for our attention. We three were momentarily pensive, seemingly lost in our private thoughts\u2026 until Jay cheerfully smashed the silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI looked high, saw the empty sky.\u201d He was singing the Elton John song again, and it seemed strangely appropriate. \u201cIf I could only\u2026 could only fly! I\u2019d drift with them in endless space, but no man flies from this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gord was kneeling now on the ground, inside a finger-drawn circle, further drawing some kabbalistic rune in the sand, muttering quietly to himself in something that seemed to resemble the Yiddish my girlfriend\u2019s grandmother spoke. Figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat\u2019s he doing?\u201d I asked Jay. I wanted him to walk me through our moment of doom\u2014 Gord so serious and focused\u2026 Jay suddenly carefree, almost happy\u2026 I had no idea what to think or feel\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHim?\u201d Jay seemed surprised that I would ask. \u201cHe\u2019s organizing his intent, structuring his dream of destruction.\u201d He said it so casually, like such a thing utterly lacked meaning or consequence. No big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe circle keeps it in,\u201d he added, and I looked on bewildered. \u201cOh\u2026\u201d he realized suddenly, \u201cI suppose you\u2019re rather frightened\u2026 by all this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPfft\u2026 who me?\u201d Honestly, I was struggling to keep my sense of humour. In the pit of my stomach\u2014 the place that really counts\u2014 I had accepted that this was the end. But my paranoid brain was still scheming, scrambling, looking for the exit sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s nothing,\u201d said Jay with perfect seriousness. Somehow this was meant to be a comfort. \u201cRelax. Enjoy the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sun was just beginning to dip toward the horizon. The very first hints of sunset colour were just becoming detectable. There was a promise of beauty coming like coolness to the desert sky\u2026 How do you enjoy the death of everything?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apparently I said it aloud. \u201cHow do you enjoy the death of everything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith everything you got,\u201d said Jay. \u201cUntil it\u2019s all gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWill it hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay looked suddenly wounded by the question. \u201cNah, it\u2019s not really our prerogative to inflict pain\u2026 at least, not anymore.\u201d For that last bit he looked directly at Gord, levelling some vague accusation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I let the insinuation go and continued on more directly. \u201cBut we\u2019re gonna die\u2026?\u201d It was half question, half statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay looked directly at me with soft eyes and smiles, the visage of compassion incarnate as he answered. \u201cWell, I imagine you\u2019ll die\u2026 when you lose all context\u2026 and there being no sun and all. But me and him, we exist elsewhere, so we\u2019ll just carry on\u2026 elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of what Jay was saying flew past me as I stared death\u2019s reality in the face, really for the first time in my sixteen years on this planet\u2026 er, in this realm, I mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat\u2019s death?\u201d I asked next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA very old agreement,\u201d answered Jay quite easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAn agreement!\u201d That didn\u2019t sit well with me. \u201cWhose agreement? Who agrees to die!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou all did,\u201d answered Jay softly, soothingly. And then he added \u201cIt was a good invention. Adopting a strict death policy was the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat?!!\u201d Apparently, we earthlings had chosen death for ourselves\u2026 and that just didn\u2019t seem at all right to my helpless victim mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFree will is the supreme law of the universe,\u201d explained Jay. \u201cYou\u2019d do well to remember that. Everything proceeds and develops according to mutual agreement. Y\u2019all agreed to die when you were born here\u2026 from the lowliest blade of scrub grass to the mightiest of kings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I didn\u2019t doubt in the slightest the veracity of what Jay was explaining. I accepted that it was true, but I just couldn\u2019t fathom the necessity of it. \u201cWhy?!\u201d I nearly cried. \u201cWhy on earth did we choose death?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay sat down in the sand, getting comfortable before answering. \u201cHave you ever played poker?\u201d he began. I nodded with a look of puzzlement creeping upon my face. I sat down across from him as though we were about to play. I half expected him to pull a deck of cards from the sleeve of his robe. He continued. \u201cAnd do you play for money?\u201d he asked. Again I nodded. \u201cWhy?\u201d he finally asked. \u201cWhy not just play for fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBecause\u2026 because playing poker isn\u2019t fun if you don\u2019t play for money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExactly.\u201d Jay elaborated upon my simple declaration. \u201cWhen there\u2019s nothing at stake, nothing to lose, players are typically reckless. They can bluff without consequence, and they never have a compelling reason to fold. In such circumstances, it\u2019s not much of a game, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cutting elegance of Jay\u2019s explanation removed a lifetime of scales from my eyes. It made such simple sense. We made Death the bank, holding the value of our chips for when we eventually cashed them in. And just like the previous one in the car with Gord, I was really warming to this conversation with Jay. However, a definite sense of irony was creeping over me as I realized that I was receiving these kick-ass existential answers right before it was all about to end\u2026 forever. Apparently, life loves irony above all else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now a million questions were coming to mind! And Jay seemed more than content to answer in his simple and direct way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat about reincarnation? What are souls? Does Satan exist? What\u2019s the deal with the moon?\u201d These were the first questions to come to mind, and I felt no hesitation to voice them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay leaned back laughing, truly enjoying the apocalypse. \u201cWhere would you like me to start?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I didn\u2019t know. My thoughts were an enthused jumble. And Jay seemed to understand perfectly. He just jumped right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHmm\u2026\u201d he pondered and stroked his chin like some wise cliche. \u201cLet\u2019s start with souls.\u201d Okay, I was bright-eyed and attentive. \u201cSouls consist of personal agreements\u2014 binding agreements\u2014 that carry on beyond the confines of a single lifetime. So yes, reincarnation is real. You can\u2019t just go around making contracts with your fellow earthlings, and then just simply die and have the slate wiped clean. We\u2019d be right back to playing the game without meaningful consequences. Souls are attached to a specific will\u2014 a line of choices stretching through time held together by propensity and persistent tendencies. That which survives death is merely the sum of your proclivities in life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are survived by our habits?\u201d That seemed dire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes,\u201d Jay agreed, \u201cthat\u2019s a very succinct and accurate way to put it. Those habits determine the circumstances of your subsequent incarnation\u2014 that, and the outstanding agreements you\u2019ve made. Souls need resolution\u2026 and that drives action in life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKarma,\u201d I said to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hate that word,\u201d said Jay. \u201cIt has way too many stupid connotations\u2026 like it\u2019s some kind of tit-for-tat universe based in reward and punishment, balancing good with evil. It\u2019s way simpler than that. Karma is just something outstanding that needs to be resolved\u2014 because those involved agreed to eventually resolve it, mostly through experience gained.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo\u2026 there are no Lords of Karma?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo! God no!\u201d spat Jay into the first hints of twilight. And then he quickly added \u201cThere are no gods at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I looked at him gape-mouthed. I turned my head to stare at Gord muttering inside his circle. I turned back to Jay, wearing my incredulity conspicuously, like drool running down my chin. \u201cWhat\u2026 what do you mean there are no gods?\u201d I was pinning him with my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay fell over backward laughing. \u201cThere are no gods!\u201d he cackled. \u201cTrust me,\u201d he gasped, \u201cwe\u2019re all the same\u2026 you\u2026 me\u2026 him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut\u2026 but\u2026 he\u2019s the creator,\u201d I insisted, jutting a thumb toward Gord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIndeed he is,\u201d said Jay, returning himself to an upright position. \u201cBut do you really think that he created you? Really?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question was just so blunt it knocked me upside the head. I\u2019d had this idea what a creator was, what a god might be. And then I\u2019d met these two jokers\u2026 and certain ideas began to coalesce and congeal in my brain as we\u2019d progressed in these conversations. But now as Jay asked me pointblank whether I really thought that Gord or someone like him had \u201ccreated\u201d me, it seemed pathetically absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo,\u201d I whispered. And for a timeless moment I was utterly adrift in immeasurable confusion. And Jay, of course\u2014 my hero\u2014 came immediately to my rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe only thing he ever created here,\u201d he said nodding toward Gord, \u201cwas the opportunity for you to create yourself\u2026 for me to create me\u2026 for everything to create itself, along with its own parameters of existence. He\u2019s the God of Opportunity, nothing more, nothing less. You, me, him\u2026 we\u2019re all exactly equal. I\u2019m no higher than you. Gord\u2019s no higher than me. We\u2019re all made of exactly the same stuff. And in terms of potential, we\u2019re identical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that\u2019s what I call revelation! It cut through eons of bullshit and baggage with the simple ring of truth. But there were things still unreconciled, habits of thought and being that couldn\u2019t be so completely and easily undone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut he\u2019s about to kill us all!\u201d I insisted. \u201cAnd there\u2019s really nothing I can do about it,\u201d I argued. That smacked of inequality to me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s not killing anyone,\u201d answered Jay calmly. \u201cHe\u2019s simply removing the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow you\u2019re splitting hairs!\u201d I shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe IS the one who put it there in the first place,\u201d answered Jay with perfect grace and ease. \u201cAnd that created the opportunity for all this.\u201d He stretched his arms wide as though embracing all eternity. \u201cThings didn\u2019t work out. The self-created creatures of earth forgot themselves and became lost\u2026 despite the revealing light of the sun. It\u2019s time to pull the plug. Nothing has been lost. Everything has been gained.\u201d Whatever Jay was telling me, he, himself, believed it. But I was still having a hard time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s dooming us all to oblivion!\u201d I insisted, though I hardly even knew what I was saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that most infuriatingly calm manner of his, Jay gently elaborated. \u201cIf you were caught in the throes of a terrible nightmare and I looked on, would you want me to wake you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWell, I suppose. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd when you awaken from a dream, whether fearsome or sweet, has anything been lost? No,\u201d he immediately answered, \u201con the contrary, you have gained the experience of the dream to carry with you in your newly awakened state\u2026 to dream again, as you so choose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cReally?\u201d I was somewhat mollified, but not wholly convinced. \u201cThat\u2019s all this is\u2026 the ending of one dream so another can begin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVerily.\u201d He said it. And I believed it. But there was something lurking in his eyes suggesting that things were just slightly more complicated or impactful than what he\u2019d just described. I let it go though, choosing instead the obvious peace of mind he offered. I relaxed into the dusky quiet and mulled things over for a bit\u2026 while Gord muttered and gestured inside his magic circle and Jay hummed the refrains he remembered from the car ride here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my quiet rumination, I convinced myself that the end of the world really wasn\u2019t a big deal after all. Shortly, I\u2019d be dead\u2026 just like I\u2019d been supposedly thousands of times before\u2014 each lifetime a new self-created dream. Dreaming\u2026 waking\u2026 dying\u2026 just consciousness at play. But why didn\u2019t I have any memory of dying before? Thousands of times before? You\u2019d think it might just be the sort of traumatic event one would surely remember. I was just about to ask Jay about that when I suddenly realized that no, I can work this out on my own. And so I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea of past-life memories had always been intriguing but controversial. But suddenly, now with my new insight, I had it figured pretty damn quick. We couldn\u2019t be allowed to retain clear memories from past lives. Who wouldn\u2019t allow it? We\u2014 ourselves\u2014 couldn\u2019t allow it. If we permitted ourselves to remember our deaths and the past lives we\u2019d lived, we\u2019d be right back at square one again, playing poker for nothing. Remembering our many deaths would negate death, rendering it\u2014 and life\u2014 meaningless once again. Our constant reoccurring amnesia was necessary. It made the game possible. Remembering our past lives would be like being able to see all of the cards all of the time. The fun of the game always lies in its secrets, the things we don\u2019t know, can\u2019t know. How boring and pointless would poker be if all the cards were always dealt face up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And just like that, I suddenly understood the meaning of life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were here to create unsolvable mysteries for ourselves\u2026 and spend eternity trying to solve them. Why? Because it was the best fucking game in town! Could there be a better reason?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I let that question hang in my mind like my best Sunday suit from when I was a kid and my mom dragged me to church every week. Just having a once-a-week suit to sit among once-a-week friends worshipping a once-a-week god begged an unending litany of unanswerable questions\u2026 and suddenly I had outgrown them all! Just like that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God! Had there ever been an evening more beautiful than this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sun was beginning to get kinda low on the horizon. I knew that Gord would have to make his move soon. I was actually looking forward to it. Go figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To pass the remaining time, I re-engaged Jay in conversation. \u201cSo what\u2019s with all the muttering in Yiddish?\u201d I asked, glancing at Gord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not exactly Yiddish,\u201d Jay explained. \u201cIt\u2019s the root language. There\u2019s power and inherent meaning in sounds\u2014 their placement, repetition and patterning. It\u2019s why we love music. A well composed tune can bring a brute to his knees or lift the darkest heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I liked where his explanation was leading and I told him so. He took that as an excuse to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSound is a correlate of light.\u201d He paused to let that sink in a bit. \u201cIs it mere coincidence that there are seven colours of visible light in the rainbow and seven whole notes in the western musical scale? Of course not,\u201d he answered. \u201cSound is merely light stepped down to the languid pace of everyday life. Sound is a tool for creators inside the creation. Light is a tool generally wielded from the outside. Well, no, that\u2019s not exactly right. Gord can explain it better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And at that very moment Gord turned to us and spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is time,\u201d is all he said, standing there with a strange fire in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jay sprang into action and helped me to my feet. Then we both flanked Gord outside his circle, and turned toward the setting sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith your left hand point at the sun,\u201d he instructed Jay. \u201cAnd you with your right,\u201d he said to me. \u201cWhen I grab each of your free hands, the circle will be broken, the deed done\u2026 untied the Gordian knot, the Seal of the Sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that was it. Without any further preamble or explanation, Gord grabbed both our free hands. A jolt of ecstatic electricity shot through our trinity and flew like a deranged lightning bolt from earth to sun\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026demolishing it in an instant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sun winked out. It vanished from the sky. And darkness swallowed everything\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026except that I could still see the spot where the sun had been just a second before. I thought it was something akin to an after-image burned onto my retina. But what was I doing still standing here, witnessing anything, still having retinas at all? And I knew for certain that something was amiss when I heard Gord curse into the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShit!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"425\" height=\"427\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-7.44.00-AM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-7.44.00-AM.png 425w, https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-7.44.00-AM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-7.44.00-AM-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To say that the ride home in the car was weird would be a bit of an understatement, but perfectly understandable\u2026 even if nothing else at the moment was\u2026 perfectly understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a waxing gibbous moon that night. Gord was pensive and tight-lipped. Jay seemed typically unconcerned, calling from the back seat for \u201cMore tunes, man!\u201d I obliged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd the Tyne God has arrived,\u201d sang Ginhouse from the car speakers. Finally, Jay thought it prudent to break the ice with the obvious question. But first I gotta say that it was both nice and wholly unnerving to have someone else asking the questions for once!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo\u2026 what was that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBlack Sun,\u201d is all Gord offered. Apparently that meant something to Jay. It was gibberish to me. After a moment, Jay sighed, and did what Jay does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou might as well talk it through,\u201d he said to Gord. And it was Gord\u2019s turn to sigh. And then Gord began to babble\u2026 and that was perhaps the most disconcerting thing of all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe rumours were true after all\u2026 The Black Sun is real\u2026 The council tried to warn me\u2026 I thought it inconsequential, even if true\u2026 Now, I don\u2019t know\u2026 Those fuckers! Grey traitors! This changes everything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I waited for an explanation, but instinctively I knew that the preceding events hadn\u2019t been fully digested yet. Jay\u2019s calm demeanour must have rubbed off on me. I kept quiet while Jay gently prodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWho\u2019s behind it?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Grey Men.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI see,\u201d said Jay, but I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWho are the Grey Men?\u201d I queried the darkness and the silence once I couldn\u2019t stand it anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThose who have lost the capacity to dream,\u201d said Gord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCompletely lost it,\u201d added Jay. And then further for my benefit he elaborated upon the Grey Men. \u201cThere are beings in the earth realm who have over many lifetimes invested themselves in external power, to the eventual exclusion of their own inherent power to dream. Having forgotten how to dream, they instead manipulate others to dream the reality of their bidding, reinforcing the external, institutionalized systems of power upon which they rely as manipulators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Grey Men are stalkers,\u201d added Gord. \u201cThey stalk dreamers for their own ends and means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s all part of the game,\u201d resumed Jay. \u201cStalking and dreaming occur in every realm. They are the two obvious means to power. Either you are able to dream the reality you wish to experience, or you influence the dreams of those who can\u2026 dreamers and stalkers. The Grey Men are exclusively stalkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUsually, it\u2019s not a big deal,\u201d he continued. \u201cStalking is inherently inferior to dreaming. It\u2019s derivative, whereas dreaming is clean and direct. A few stalkers is like fleas on a dog\u2019s tail. It\u2019s an annoyance, but it\u2019s not the end of the world. Stalkers are just parasites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut the Black Sun!\u201d interjected Gord. \u201cThat\u2019s collusion, co-ordination, organization. The parasites have an agenda of their own!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was understanding really very little of this. I just wanted to keep the conversation going. \u201cBut why?\u201d I asked. \u201cWhat\u2019s the purpose of the Black Sun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s purpose was fulfilled tonight,\u201d replied Gord ominously. \u201cThe Black Sun was created and hidden behind the real sun precisely for the purpose of thwarting my world-ending intention on this very eve. They will not allow the dream to end. And they will do everything in their power to ensure that the dreamers never awaken again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hmm, that didn\u2019t sound very good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know what you\u2019re thinking, and I was thinking it too\u2014 all of it. Gord and Jay answered all of my immediate concerns and what you need to know now, before I resume the full telling of this tale, is that yes, the real sun came up the very next day right on schedule. And yeah, for awhile there back in \u201972 folks talked in whispers about the day the sun winked out for a moment. And even though millions of people around the world witnessed the sun blink, they eventually talked themselves out of believing that it had really happened\u2026 because\u2026 how could it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it did. You KNOW it did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"69 Give and-or Take 3 The Music Archeologist Pt 2\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EqH7ciVu9SE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>&#8217;69 Give and\/or Take 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tracks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Tyne God -Ginhouse<\/li><li>Giant -Gentle Giant<\/li><li>Song to Comus -Comus<\/li><li>In Ancient Days -Black Widow<\/li><li>Alucard -Gentle Giant<\/li><li>Black Sabbath -Black Sabbath<\/li><li>Dreammare -Uriah Heep<\/li><li>Obsolete Machine -Tasavallan Presidentti<\/li><li>With You There to Help Me -Jethro Tull<\/li><li>Epitaph -King Crimson<\/li><li>Dawn -Grannie<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"69 Give and-or Take 4 The Music Archeologist Pt 2\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q1SQ6DI59C8?start=54&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>&#8217;69 Give and\/or Take 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tracks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In the Beginning\/Lovely to See You -The Moody Blues<\/li><li>Look Into the Sun -Jethro Tull<\/li><li>Treat -Santana<\/li><li>Kings and Queens -Renaissance<\/li><li>Ice -Spirit<\/li><li>Sweet Dream -Jethro Tull<\/li><li>Sun in a Bottle -Ginhouse<\/li><li>Ina Gadda Da Vida (excerpt) -Iron Butterfly<\/li><li>To Cry You a Song -Jethro Tull<\/li><li>Innocence -Renaissance<\/li><li>Hypomode de Sol -Jean-Luc Ponty<\/li><li>Just Trying to Be -Jethro Tull<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"988\" height=\"752\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-18-at-10.55.48-AM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-18-at-10.55.48-AM.png 988w, https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-18-at-10.55.48-AM-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-18-at-10.55.48-AM-768x585.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 988px) 100vw, 988px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Go to The Music Archeologist Part 1 So now there was just this one thing left to do: end the world. And I was just a spectator. We had walked some distance away from the car\u2026 into a lovely bit (&hellip;)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/?p=5404\">Read the rest of this entry &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-progects"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5404"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5418,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5404\/revisions\/5418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.nielskunze.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}