To Mick:

I am sorry to hear of your passing. From what my friend says you were pretty exceptional. He says you changed him for the better and so I thank you. I thank you for being what you were and what you are; for taking the time to get to know our friend and for being so kind to him. I am glad you got to know him because he his pretty exceptional as well, but you know that already.

I was hurt inside by the abruptness of your death and its tragic scene. I hope that you and the individual directly involved will be reconciled one with another. I think about this individual and what his response and subsequent actions and emotions were. I hope that he feels the loss caused and in response works to improve others as you have helped to improve others.

My hope and faith are that you will see and be with your friend again; that you will again get to plow your head into his body. But for now I am at peace because I know that you were loved and that you loved others. I think that this marks a fulfilled life and a life that reminds others that not all is lost when something beautiful existed. That which exists will always be but it may be in a different form.

We are grateful for the time we have,

corb

Corb Herzog

About eight years ago I saw a German film called Fata Morgana by Werner Herzog (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067085/). This film is mainly all footage of Africa set to the music of Leonard Cohen. Since seeing the film I have thought about it often over the years and always wanted to make my own version. Here is a little clip to understand what I mean (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGtl7LvPjfg&feature=fvw). The footage captured by Herzog in my mind gave a very real and insightful view of Africa. The landscape was everywhere and was everything, it was dead but also living and it flourished but also struggled. The film allowed a view into part of the world where I had never been and it showed Africa for what it was. I was able to experience a part and time in Africa that I never would know otherwise.

Cohen’s music is a nice complement to the film but otherwise I found it hard for me to connect with his monotone sound. A few years ago while in Portland I stayed at the Ace Hotel (http://www.acehotel.com/portland) which had the lyrics to one of Cohen’s songs written on the wall. As I was reading them I recognized them from somewhere but had a difficult time remembering the song without the music to accompany them. I spent the rest of the evening finding the source of the lyrics and then listened to the song once I found it over and over again. As soon as I heard the lyrics with the music I recognized it from Fata Morgana. It is called "Suzanne" and there is one version of this song that I like in particular which I have shared previously on this blog (http://idiocorb.blogspot.com/2008/09/turn-and-face-strain.html).

A few weeks ago I returned from Africa and while there had a chance to create my own little video in the "Fata Morgana" style. The song which plays along with my video is not Cohen but one of my favorites Joseph Arthur and the song is called “Toxic Angel”. I hope you enjoy.