Gonzo Weekly #161/2
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Subscribe to Gonzo Weekly http://eepurl.com/r-VTD Subscribe to Gonzo Daily http://eepurl.com/OvPez Gonzo Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/287744711294595/ Gonzo Weekly on Twitter https://twitter.com/gonzoweekly Gonzo Multimedia (UK) http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/ Gonzo Multimedia (USA) http://www.gonzomultimedia.com/ with issue 164 the weekend after. Life in Britain, and I suspect in many other parts of the world, has changed dramatically over the last twelve months. If I was a paranoid horror fiction writer I would say that much of mankind seems to have been gripped by a collective psychosis brought on by rampant capitalism and religious extremism. Hang on, I am a paranoid horror fiction writer (amongst other things) and that is exactly what appears to be happening. The ubiquitous use of social media doesn't help. The news stories that one sees promulgated through Facebook are always the most grotesque and the most extreme, and as these are the news stories that most Dear Friends, people read, then it is hardly surprising that we seem to be locked into a self-destructive Welcome to this year's super duper spiral of nastiness. Christmas Holiday Special of your favourite weekly slice of Rock and Roll subversion. My family, historically at least, have mostly This bumper edition will have to last you turned out as substance abusers or preachers until the end of the year, whereupon we take (and sometimes both) and I would very much a nostalgic look at 2015 with issue 163 rather not be seen to be encroaching upon my which will be out in the first few days of brother's territory (he is a high ranking next year, and normal service will resume Chaplain in the British Army) by preaching a 4 I believe that all Gods are the same, and the only religious law that matters is what Charles Gibbon first (in 1604) and Chuck Berry (in 1957) called 'The Golden Rule'. sermon, but I have a horrible idea that this is But its the only way I know to survive what this editorial is going to turn out to be Christmas". despite my best intentions. A few years after that I met my second wife, When I was a child I loved Christmas. It was Corinna, and my personal life took a a beautiful, magickal time when the family significant upturn, but I became more and came together, my Father did his best to keep more distressed at the way so many of the his temper, and everybody did their best to people I saw around me just used this time of be nice to each other in honour of the birth of year as an excuse to spend revolting amounts the Christ child all those centuries before. of money and get themselves in debt for the My family lived in Hong Kong, and my rest of the year. It was very nice for someone Father was a high ranking officer in HM I hardly knew to give me a £40 bottle of Overseas Civil Service. Every Christmas my Scotch, but it was nothing but embarrassing. parents would invite a selection of people So I drank the Scotch, said my thank yous, who would otherwise have spent the holiday and quickly put them back onto my alone, and our apartment was chock full of Christmas Card list. revellers, including a couple of elderly Catholic priests, and sailors from whatever Marrying Corinna gave me the gift of British or American warship was currently at stepdaughters, one of whom last year made berth in Hong Kong Harbour. me a Grandfather, and I have recently gained some kind of inkling about what families do As I got older the magick sloughed off layer at this time of year. But my girls are in the by layer until I found myself hating Midlands and East Anglia, and I miss them a Christmas with a vengeance. Christmas with lot but never as much as at this time of year. my first in-laws was purgatory, and things There are a surprising amount of young got even worse after my divorce, culminating people of all genders who have been kind in me drunkenly trying to kill myself on enough to adopt me as Uncle Jon, and it Christmas Eve 2000. The next day I wrote sometimes feels as if I am in an avuncular my one and only Christmas song which can role to half the kids in North Devon, and - be found on Spotify: finally, aft all these decades - I am surrounded (digitally, if not IRL) with people "I've been drinking for days, and I'm that I love, and as the world staggers on the throwing up blood, and my skin is beginning brink of apocalypse, I am truly blessed. to turn blue, 5 Which brings me to this magazine, and to the that everything is part of an all- point of this editorially sermon thing. I am encompassing, immanent God. All forms of not going to get all religious on you. I was reality may then be considered either modes brought up Church of England, flirted with of that Being, or identical with it. Roman Catholicism for much of my life, and am now reasonably successful in combining I believe that all Gods are the same, and the by own peculiar brand of Franciscan only religious law that matters is what Christian Anarchy with a very Zen Paganism, Charles Gibbon first (in 1604) and Chuck and if I have learned anything in the fifty Berry (in 1957) called 'The Golden Rule'. See seven years I have been on the planet, it is what I mean? that - as in sexuality, mental health, and a whole slew of other things - labels are for "Hence, (keeping these in mind), by self- pots of pickles, not people, and that much the control and by making dharma (right same holds true for religion. conduct) your main focus, treat others as you treat yourself." Pantheism is derived from the Greek πᾶν pan tasmād_dharma-pradhānéna bhavitavyam (meaning "all") and θεός theos (meaning yatātmanā | tathā cha sarva-bhūtéṣhu "God"). There are a variety of definitions of vartitavyam yathātmani || pantheism. Some consider it a theological (तःमाद्धमर्ूधानेन भिवतव्यं यतात्मना। and philosophical position concerning God. As a religious position, some describe तथा च सवर्भूतेषु वितर्तव्यं यथात्मिन॥ pantheism as the polar opposite of atheism. Mahābhārata Shānti-Parva 167:9) From this standpoint, pantheism is the view 6 "That nature alone is good which refrains you would have people do to you, do to from doing to another whatsoever is not them; and what you dislike to be done to good for itself." - Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5, you, don't do to them. Now let the stirrup go! [This maxim is enough for you; go "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do and act in accordance with it!]" — Kitab not do unto others." Shayast-na-Shayast al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 146 13:29 "And if thine eyes be turned towards "Do not do to others that which angers justice, choose thou for thy neighbour you when they do it to you." – Isocrates that which thou choosest for thyself." — (436–338 BC) Bahá'u'lláh "That which is hateful to you, do not do "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; would find hurtful." — Udanavarga 5:18 the rest is the explanation; go and learn it." — Talmud, Shabbat 31a, the "Great "Just as pain is not agreeable to you, it is Principle" so with others. Knowing this principle of equality treat other with respect and "A Bedouin came to the prophet, grabbed compassion." Suman Suttam V 150 the stirrup of his camel and said: O the messenger of God! Teach me something "The sage has no interest of his own, but to go to heaven with it. Prophet said: "As takes the interests of the people as his 7 Prudence and Archie and all the less important members of the Gonzo Weekly team wish you a very happy Christmas own. He is kind to the kind; he is also Jimmy Page, P J Harvey, AC/DC, Trent Reznor, The kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He Beatles, Michael Jackson, EODM, Madonna, Wilko Johnson, David Bowie, Barbara Dickson, N.W.A., is faithful to the faithful; he is also Galahad, Strange Harvest, Friday Night Progressive, Mack faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is Maloney's Mystery Hour, Jaki Windmill, Tim Rundall, faithful." — Tao Teh Ching, Chapter 49 Adam Roth, Mick Lynch, Mary Joan Okum, James Hill OBE, Peter Broggs, Johnny Winter, 13th Floor Elevators, Spirits Burning, The Pirates, Dee Palmer, Freddie King, "Here ye these words and heed them The Selecter, Ducks De Luxe, Alexis Korner, James well, the words of Dea, thy Mother Brown, John Lee Hooker, The Nightmare Before Goddess, "I command thee thus, O Christmas, Judge Smith, John Brodie Good, Public Service children of the Earth, that that which ye Broadcasting, The Long Lost Band, Jacqui McShee's Pentangle, Spooky Ghost, Gary Duncan Quicksilver, deem harmful unto thyself, the very same Drones for Daevid, Pink Fairies, John Martyn, Liz Lenten, shall ye be forbidden from doing unto Wreckless Eric, Howard Eynon, Roy Weard, Trim Tab Jim, another, for violence and hatred give rise My Dad's LPs, A J Smitrovich, Mr Biffo, Ken to the same. My command is thus, that ye Worthington, John Shuttleworth, Hawkwind, Alan Friswell, Xtul, Elvis, Black Sabbath, One Direction, Cliff shall return all violence and hatred with Richard, Yoko Ono, Yes, Neil Nixon, Emit Bloch, Cave peacefulness and love, for my Law is Growl love unto all things.