Miles from Coltrane

There's this great John Mayer song called Comfortable. It's only on his live release, so you probably don't even know it, but it's a great song. It's about moving on from one girl to the next. He is still stuck on his old girl, and reminiscing on some of her finer points. There is this great line about the ex: "you could distinguish Miles from Coltrane." What an awesome line - that's my kind of girl. And honestly, it isn't that hard - Miles Davis plays the trumpet, Coltrane the sax. A little concentration should allow most people to make the distinction.

There's another great line in the song, too: "I love you, gray sweatpants, no makeup, so perfect." Word. But in the end, he can't get over the old girl. "I want you back" he sings. Then again, good things may be yet to come.

Woody Woo

The other night I wandered about the Princeton campus. I love it - it's so beautiful, and cold, and warm, and strong. It fits almost any mood. I love to walk along the path that goes through the building with the outdoor square at the center, giving this strange feeling of being both in- and outdoors. Once you leave the square, you are confronted by the "chapel" that is more like a small Gothic cathedral. It's terrific on the inside, and magnificently towering from the outside. It brings back memories of the cathedral in Freiburg that I spent many a night walking around or sitting at and pondering all variety of things. I walked along the pool outside of the Woodrow Wilson building (i.e. Woody Woo), and even found the building itself appealing. Now I know I must be in a funk, because normally I think the thing looks like a monstrosity. I liked the campus that night because most of the students are gone, so it felt very empty and private. I found myself getting mad at the people who passed by for disturbing my aloneness with the campus, and yet at the same time I felt a million miles away from each person I passed. You know that mood when you are holding your lover, and you want to hug them, squeeze them so hard. You can't seem to squeeze them hard enough - it's not that you want to hurt them, just that you want to get them so close that you are one with them. It's not a sexual thing - just a desire to be so close to someone that you don't know where they end and you begin. Yeah, it was one of those nights.

I walked around the campus again, tonight (twice in 3 days, and I would've last night if not for the sudden shower). I went back to Woody Woo and watched people splashing around in the pool and fountain. The temperature was perfect with a slight breeze, and everyone seemed so relaxed and peacefully joyful. I couldn't help but laugh for no good reason, despite my funk. I even liked Woody Woo again. What is happening here? I couldn't stand it before. I guess we do change.

When I got home, I looked up into a beautiful star filled sky. Then I noticed the fireflies. Absolutely amazing - so many of them all around me. It's like tiny little lightning storms all around you. It was one of those moments you just want to share with someone because it's so cool, with the twinkling stars and fireflies.

Those songs

You know those songs that just click? You love how they sound, but the lyrics also sink right into you. There is this fantastic song by Nickel Creek called "Somebody More Like You" that does just that for me. It's about a former girlfriend - got a tinge of bitterness, but seems well-wishing in the end.

There's this John Mayer song on his new album, Continuum, that's like that, too. The song is awesome, and the lyrics just blow me away. Man does it hit home.

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

He's doing some sweet stuff with his guitar. Nice pick'n'flick John.

It's just my opinion

I'm sure you've heard someone say that. "It's just my opinion." They say it in defense of their thoughts on the matter, but it's really a pretty paltry defense of one's point of view. Of course, if we are talking about licorice, or some other completely subjective matter, I suppose it's fairly defensible (what about in the case of wine - makes you wonder if taste is truly subjective). But for any matter of objectivity, it's a pretty poor basis for holding an opinion. Essentially, all you are saying is that what you believe is what you believe. Wow, thanks for that insightful little tidbit.

I was reading this interesting article in the Princeton alumni magazine about this class being taught by Robert George and Cornell West. Sounds like an amazing class. In the article, George says that you can't really hold an opinion until you can give a complete argument for the other perspective(s). And he's dead right. If you think you are right, but don't even have a clue what the other side is saying, how on earth did you come to the conclusion that you are right? I'm not sure if it's intellectual laziness or hubris (we think it, so it must be right), and it's likely a combination of both. But the next time you are in a debate with someone, and you can't even articulate their point of view, perhaps you should do a little more listening and a little less arguing.