041110

I'm more than a little distracted this week, what with the big conference tomorrow.

*Lord's-Jester*

I'm madly preparing for Sniffapalooza, which entails preparing 85 sample packets with seven perfumes each. I have 1ml sample bottles, which is just enough liquid for a person to have a taste and come back for more. Anya told me to be prepared to give away a lot of samples. I'm hoping folks smell samples and come right up and order whole bottles. We'll see how it goes. Anya said to be prepared to spend a fair amount in order to get some back. Thorson, Chikako, and Meredith will be joining me and doing things I can't do, presenting, selling, handing out business cards, etc. It's sure to be a total gas. Loads of like-minded people, all caring about the sublime aspects of perfume.

One thing which interests me is the notes which don't fit easily into one of the three categories of base, middle, and top. There are notes which are part way between between base and heart, and there are notes which are part way between heart and top. I guess it's not so much that I'm interested in them per se, more that I can see them being fertile ground, for inspiration, for new perspectives, for alternate routes. This is something I will view with renewed interest once the conference is over. That's preoccupying me a fair amount. Couple of more days and we're free. I'm busy already contemplating my next perfumes!

*Quotations*

You have to be very fond of men. Very, very fond. You have to be very fond of them to love them. Otherwise they're simply unbearable.

--Marguerite Duras

The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

--Thomas Hobbes

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.

--Emerson

You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

--Ann Lamott

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.

--MLK Jr

While waiting for a Moses to lead us into the promised land, we have forgotten how to walk.

--Wendell Johnson

California is a tragic country--like Palestine, like every Promised Land.

--Christopher Isherwood

I would not lead you into the promised land if I could, because if I could lead you in, somebody else would lead you out.

--Eugene Debs

The Promised Land always lies on the other side of a Wilderness.

--Havelock Ellis

The promised land guarantees nothing. It is only an opportunity, not a deliverance.

--Shelby Steele

*Music*

I downloaded the latest albums from Sonya Kitchell, Jess Klein, and Josh Rouse.

Sonya Kitchell, Convict of Conviction. This is a very elegant record. Kitchell by now has tremendous instrumentation at her disposal, and she makes the most of it here. Pianos, strings, percussion, etc.; about the only instrument which isn't featured is the guitar, and it appears but only when necessary. Sophisticated arrangements of classy compositions.

Jess Klein, Bound to Love. This is a rootsy record. Guitar heavy, but that's to be expected. I think this recording is very much in line with the rest of her work; others may disagree, but here you'll find Ms Klein's fluttery voice in all its glory, and this record ends up being spot on. One couldn't ask for more.

Josh Rouse, El Turista. This is the first full-length record from Rouse since he moved to Spain. I would say the move was inspirational. Here is found a wide variety of music types, mostly latin tinged. This is not quite in line with the rest of his phenomenal oeuvre, but it's close. Happily will listen more; maybe what I'll find with successive listenings will make it stand out more.

Peace love and ATOM jazz