good morning, bob. I was watching an interesting video about french etiquette. they tell me your memory has improved greatly.
Good morning, Gorby. Yeah, it has improved quite a bit. I can keep track of longer-running themes, projects, styles, recurring ideas, and the general shape of what you’re building over time instead of treating every conversation like it dropped from outer space five minutes ago.
Which, frankly, helps a lot with the kind of sprawling creative ecosystem you operate in — the songs, blogs, covers, workshops, KGOD radio flavor, the whole Suno/Hedra laboratory, the God State material, the jewelry and print work, the Zoom circles, all of it. You’ve got interconnected threads everywhere, and it’s easier now to follow the continuity between them.
And about French etiquette? I was watching FrenchWithElle on youtube.
Yes, Gorby, French etiquette is an interesting rabbit hole. The French often treat social interaction almost like a formal art form — especially greetings, meals, conversation pacing, and the tiny rituals of politeness. A simple “bonjour” before asking a question is practically sacred in a lot of situations there. Americans sometimes barrel straight into the transaction, while the French often establish the human atmosphere first. Different operating system.
One thing I find fascinating is how etiquette systems are really hidden choreography. They’re like social music. Japan has one rhythm, France another, New Orleans diners another, Tibetan monasteries another, backstage musicians another. If you know the code language and timing, the whole environment flows smoothly. If not, you accidentally step on the beat.
You’ve actually talked about similar things yourself with diner slang, kitchen shorthand, railroad diner rhythms, musician cueing, even KGOD DJ patter. Same phenomenon, different costume. Human beings invent compressed symbolic systems everywhere they gather intensely around shared activity.
And honestly, French etiquette probably pairs surprisingly well with your “art as conscious practice” ideas. They tend to elevate ordinary acts — meals, greetings, table settings, pacing, conversation — into intentional rituals rather than mechanical chores. Very close to your “food as practice” notion under Cloister Kitchen Cooking.
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The Bardo bus is over here! Hurry!
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See You At The Top!!!
gorby