Nights As Old As Time

"To compromise with Tyranny is always to be destroyed by it. The sanest and most logical choice lay always in resistance.”― Michael Moorcock"

Dec 18, 2022

Tonight, as the sun goes down, and the darkness calls…it is time for the shine of a single candle as it lights another as we usher in Hanukkah and prepare for the shortest day of the year (which is coming on Thursday).

Here at the Katznelson home we have already had a pretty eventful weekend, with Kaya playing Mrs. Potts in the San Anselmo 8-18-year-old-production of Beauty and the Beast. Yes, I cried every night that she took the stage and sang that signature song that was once owned by the great Angela Lansbury. What parent wouldn’t? My daughter is so very serious about her acting and singing, finding such joy in the troupe of friends that she performs with. Last night after her second show the two of us went to The Guest House in Ross for an elegant dessert, with her telling me behind the scenes stories of the day.

The other big news is that my friend gave me (and installed) a top-of-the-line 1980s Pioneer turntable, the finest of its class…by far the finest I have ever owned. I never thought I wanted such a machine, but now I cannot believe it took me forty years to get one. My stereo system has never sounded better…and I already have listened to dozens of records experiencing them in a whole new way, including In Search Of Space (Hawkwind), Stranger (Ethan Daniel Davidson), Way Out Wardell (Wardell Gary) and Blind Area (Hans Ven Eck). Next up: my test pressing of the original Ardent almost-release of side A/D of Big Star’s Sister Lovers. My record collection issues might or might not be negatively or positively affected by this new machine…but something is definitely evolving here on top of the mountain…we shall see. Great way to start the holiday, that is for sure.

Happy Hanukkah, y’all. For those who celebrate…Reboot put together a fantastic kit to help make the next eight days more expansive. For those who don’t, many of us will be celebrating together as Xmas and Hanukkah converge. For those who don’t celebrate either, Elmer Flick day is coming up on January 11th, which is open to any and all mortals. Regardless, who does not like a good latke anyway? Here is my favorite latke recipe. Enjoy and shine on…

RECIPE FOR SWEET POTATO ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
2 cups zucchini
2 cups sweet potato
1 onion
¼-1/3 cup flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 -1 TEASPOON OF PEPPER

AND MAY I SUGGEST a listen to Jeremiah Lockwood’s fantastic solo guitar Hanukkah record, A Great Miracle? Inspired by John Fahey’s Christmas record, it truly adds sparkle to the night….

Top 25 Most Expensive Items Sold on Discogs in November 2022

There is Cosmic Michael, underground American psych artist, and Michael Cosmic, underground English Jazz artist, who have both released records that are massively sought after by collectors. For the month of November, it is Michael Cosmic who wins the $ war, with his sole release from 1975 selling for $8000. WOAH. It is a great listen, actually (check it out here). Also on the list, besides the usual Led Zep and Nirvana, is another bit of psych goodness Andwellas Dream’s Love and Poetry that sold for $2105. And for that one, if you are bummed you missed out, NOT TO WORRY…there is another one for sale for $2,437.80!

Shriek of the Week: Waxwing

One of my favorite newsletters, focused solely on British birdsongs, has published its December pin-up: The Waxwing with a comparison (you need to read it) to Mariah Carey.

Srendi Vashtar by Saki

On this day of Saki’s birth, there seems to be no better way to celebrate than by reading one of his short stories. I LOVE his short stories…getting initially turned on to his work because Edward Gorey illustrated an edition of them. But my love for Saki continued to grow. His language economy allows him to tell engrossing, complex stories in 4-6 pages. Incredible. Happy Birthday Saki!

‘People told us what a consolation it was’ – Toby Jones on the return of Detectorists

I am so jazzed about the upcoming Detectorists reunion…one of my favorite shows in decades. It is coming in a week or so. YES!!!!! There is still time to watch the first three seasons!

Nathan Salsburg Releases Landwerk No. 3

Nathan Salsburg’s Landwerk releases are beautiful conversations between Nathan and the mystical sounds from his 78 collection. This new one, that dropped last week, is a great next installment and perfect for dark, candle-lit nights.

700-Year-Old Viking Shipwreck Found at the Bottom of Norwegian Lake

“Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a mysterious vessel that could be one of Norway's oldest shipwrecks, during an effort to locate tons of unexploded ammunition dumped on the bottom of a lake near Oslo. Sonar images show the hull of the 33-foot-long (10 meters) wooden ship at a depth of about 1,350 feet (410 m) beneath the surface of Lake Mjøsa, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the Norwegian capital.What is known of the ship's construction suggests it was built up to 700 years ago, soon after the transition from Viking ships — which were almost the same at both ends — to medieval designs with a distinctive bow and stern.”

Burning a Light at Night

By: Kiyoko Nagase

As a silkworm spins its cocoon
I spin my own night
I reel off the night to build a room
Under the deep-violet-colored starry night
I burn a light just for myself
and build a small egg-shaped world

The daytime is there for everybody
That’s when I work forgetting everything
At night everyone recedes to distant places
All things visible become invisible
and for pampered me
gently thoughtfully melt into the darkness

Inside a world for myself alone
I gleam just as mosses and fireflies do
Wishing to live out a good life
to deepen my heart’s desire to yearn for the beautiful
I weave a few quiet lines
with my fingers still soiled from my daytime work

A drop of my nightly world,
my small solitary world with my own light on,
my egg-shaped world for recollections and wishes,
a quiet pathway I take all alone between today and tomorrow –
it filters the painful fevers from my daytime self
to make me into a crystalline droplet