newest entry 2002-12-23 12:44 p.m.


On this ever-revolving wheel of being
The individual self goes round and round
Through life after life, believing itself
To be a separate creature, until
It sees its identity with the Lord of Love
And attains immortality in the indivisible whole.


--Shvetashvatara Upanishad




R.I.P. Joe Strummer. This is such a shock, and I am completely bummed out. Fuck. He was only 50.


Joe Strummer was my John Lennon, the Clash were my Beatles.

When I was a miserable 14-year-old, I would read about the Clash in Trouser Press and Rolling Stone, and go over the articles so many times that I still have entire passages from them committed to memory. Their story was mythical to me, and inspired me to keep going. Joe's articulate thoughts about politics and the state of the world were what informed my earliest opinions about things. He was rebellious but self-deprecating and made me believe that no matter how crappy you think your life is, you can do something about it. He was also the first male musician I ever liked who didn't come off as a misogynistic asshole.

I was horrified when MTV made them big stars, and even the cheerleaders in my high school were starting to write "I [Heart] The Clash" on their notebooks. I gave 'em up for a long while....and I never listened to Joe's post-Clash output because I just didn't want to go there, but now I feel like I have to--and I've heard that his last record was really good.

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