Robert Fripp's Diary for Monday, 11th May 2009

Robert Fripp's Diary

	Monday, 11th May 2009

10.54

Bredonborough.

A bright day with a cold wind.

Morning reading…

JGB’s grasp of the overall picture, giving a framework to approach the mechanics of transformation, I find remarkable. The writing-JGB of DU II is at variance with the speaking-JGB, where one (mistakenly) feels I understand what JGB is saying! The difficult writing style is not, I think, intentionally difficult (cf All & Everything) but an inevitable outcome of struggling to clearly articulate insights & decades of reflection, and present them to an assumed readership that would not, in the main, be sympathetic – conventionally educated middle class white dudes of 1950s England.

A broadly-sympathetic review of the first volume of The Dramatic Universe (1957) took issue with the argument that the planet might be seen as a conscious, intelligent whole. Biosphere – what biosphere? Gaia – ring the other one, dude!

11.04 Two calls from the Minxie in Spain, at Madrid Airport, returning home following the successes of her two performances in Gran Canaria for Gay Pride. She is en route to Bredonborough. Yippee!

Stuff & launderising, preparing for tomorrow’s departure to Dartmoor.

11.16 Computing on the balcony at Blowers’ I…

II...

UK National news of the morning: continuing revelations of MPs expenses. We obeyed the rules! Who wrote the rules? We did! But we did nothing wrong!

It is almost as if the practices of the music industry & political practices operate in tandem: an internal system that does not stand up to scrutiny by impartial & independent observers standing outside the system. Providing there is no transparency, the system works, the system continues. It’s The Parliamentary Way!

Opposition leader David Cameron apologised, followed by the Prime Minister. The S Word – I’m sorry! – although this word did not spring speedily to the lips of government. Mr. Sam Alder, whose name a few DGM Diary visitors might recall, also apologised – kinda. In the early days of Endless Grief, when Mr. Alder hoped to re-launch EG as a music company of the first rank – Mr. Alder wrote to me: we’re sorry for what happened.

So, what happened? Mr. Alder didn’t say. This would have held him potentially accountable for whatever happened. Accountability would have cost. A declaration as to this is what happened that we’re sorry for it would have shown the established practices of The EG Way to be, at the least, not quite in accordance with principles of best practice; and even, according to Mr. Alder’s solicitor, if my claims against EG were accurate, some EG actions may have been criminal (this I am unable to judge; I merely quote the letter from EG’s solicitor).

On occasion, Mr. Alder threatened various parties with libel; and most of the EG artists & their professional advisors continue to be limited by gagging orders. Presently, some parties in Parliament appear more concerned to find who leaked details of MPs’ expenses to the Daily Telegraph, than addressing the implications of a system that has been widely corrupted. A system is the creation of people. Which people created the Parliamentary Expenses system? Parliamentary people. The EG Way was a system, created mainly by Mr. Alder. So, when we say the system is wrong, what are we saying?

Chickens are flying home to roost.

Let us acknowledge our own hypocrisy. Let us also acknowledge that, in privileged positions where much is claimed by those holding office, there is a degree of hypocrisy that goes too far.

Trust what someone does, not what they say they do. So, eyes open.

16.16 Stuff. Shopping. The town I…

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Collected from the picture framer…

… a Gerald Wilde. Chili Hawes of the October Gallery is kindly providing some background information on this. Gerald lived at Sherborne House during the 1970s, and I knew him during my time there (1975-76): a remarkable, wild & crazy guy.

The garden I…