adventure story

 acrylic and ink on pages of discard book
Lohbado's painted books were born from his love of books and the pleasure of reading. This morning, Lohbado read the introduction to Spinoza’s Ethics. According to Spinoza, good is that which enables something to reach greater perfection. Bad is that which interferes. This discussion is useful in pointing out how moralistic talk is not grounded in reality. Everything that exists is part of nature and acts according to nature, not because a person wants things to be a certain way. A tree grows, not to provide shade or lumber. The uses and benefits of a tree are how humans interact with the tree according to their desires. A tree doesn't grow because a human wants it to grow, although a human might plant a seed and do his or her best to ensure ideal growing conditions. A tree grows of necessity when a seed experiences the right circumstances. The tree grows of necessity from causes and conditions in nature, not because of some purpose or end in mind. The tree grows because the nature of a tree is to grow.

Proper moisture, light and weather conditions which enable the tree to grow and flourish, in other words, anything which enables the tree to reach greater perfection is good. Anything that interferes with the growth of the tree is bad for the tree. Drought, excessive heat, parasites and fire are bad for a tree in that they interfere with the growth and well being of the tree. Good and bad are not independent entities. They exist in relation to things. Good is that which is helpful. Bad hinders. This runs counter to the moralistic idea of good and bad, which is based on a personal agenda, for example, when someone says homosexuality is bad or loud music is good. Those are moralistic judgements based on one’s desires  or personal interests. 

Lohbado's Lesson: let's pretend

ink on paper

Theater... let’s pretend to have a meaningful conversation. Let’s pretend to be in love. Let’s pretend to be having a good time. Let’s pretend to be getting the glow on. Oogah!

Lohbado Book pages

acrylic and ink on paper

acrylic on paper

Three pages from Lohbado's ongoing painted books, each picture is worth a pile of words.  Lohbado went to the laundry to wash a load of trousers, socks and towels. He read some Husserl, a few pages from Cinq Lessons, about the difference between immediate experience of a phenomena and the way one describes, communicates or contemplates that experience. There’s the level of the experience and then the level of thinking and conceptualization. Adorno suggested that even so-called immediate experience is mediated.

vision of the cosmos

a lohbado picture

For a few seconds Lohbado saw what was always there, but which he had been unable to see through the mental filters. It was something that couldn't be put into words. In that instant, his identity fell apart. It felt like he was dissolving into space. His mind fragmented into balls of light. He experienced the vast and profound nature of being. The vision was gone as quickly as it occurred, so be it.

dream temple

Dr Jane Wormsly

In the temple of the Great Nomroh, the Chief Nomroh (male or female) supplicated helpful forces and begged protection from forces of death and destruction. A certain amount of destruction is necessary for survival, for example, to eat meat, cutting trees, digging up minerals, sucking oil. One generates sewage and waste. 

oogah window

a Lohbado graphic

copyright face

a lohbado digital painting

After reading about a painter, Luc Tuymans, found guilty of plagiarism for doing a painting of a newspaper clipping, Lohbado decided to take a copyright out on his face. Any form of recording, including memory, would be considered copyright violation. In other words, you can look at Lohbado, but you're not even allowed to remember him, since the act of memory involves reproduction of an image. So if you see Lohbado the day after first meeting him, you're supposed to act as if you've never seen him before, otherwise, you would be linking his presence with a memory reproduction of his face. You would have to have applied for permission to do so, otherwise it would be a copyright violation. Next Lohbado plans to copyright his smell. A person would have to ask Lohbado's permission before smelling his body odor.

moronovian knife ritual

weird door

Throat Clearing Howl

a Lohbado digital painting

Lohbado walked into town. There was no place for him to sit down in the plaza because they’d removed all the benches. Lohbado needed to sit down to rest his jelly legs. He quickly left the plaza, crossed the street and went to a park, a strip of pavement with cement blocks for benches along the street. A cement and plastic statue to the Almighty Dollar stood in a corner of the cement park. The statue featured a couple, laughing, mouths wide open so you could see their tonsils, LOL. A metal panel at the base of the statue asked people to press the Like button, since each press of the button generated revenue.

    Lohbado ended the throat-tightening strangulation with forceful throat clearing howl. A back slapping sound occurred as a jelloid wormlike substance sprawled across the pavement. He wiped saliva residue from his lips on to the back of his right hand. The throat clearing howl is an effective way to eject impurities from the throat and respiratory system. Lohbado followed up with a few moments of nostril clearing yoga. He was amazed at the amount of material that came out of his nose.

light bulb dream

light bulb dream

Weird air pressure, throat burning, joints aching, nausea, Lohbado woke up sick in the night. In the darkness, he saw pulsating light bulbs and patterns.

Lohbado goes for a walk video

Lohbado decided to try doing some street video with the point and shoot camera. It's fun to do video snapshots, since the city is constantly changing.

Oogah Foundation

a Lohbado graphic

signs from a few years ago

These were taken in Montreal many years ago, when rent was affordable. Now the area has been fixed up or gentrified.

ceiling lamp

ceiling lamp from Lohbado image library

wall lamp

slithery grilled cheese sandwich

Lohbado pulled over at a country store, went in and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. It was wrapped in foil. He drove to the top of a hill, laid the sandwich on the hood of the car and unwrapped the foil. Grease leaked out on to the car hood. Lohbado picked up the moist, slithery goo and ate it before it got cold.

what is a thought?

cartoons by Lohbado

Lohbado was surprised when, during a discussion, a person made a declarative statement. When Lohbado asked for clarification, the person replied that the statement was true, because the person had thought about it. Because the person thought about it, no further exposition was necessary. The person assumed: I think, therefore it's true. If you argue, I'll get angry and intimidate you into playing along with my declarative statement.

winter memories

outside a country store several winters ago

winter 2007

the nature of self

Lohbado enjoyed questions and contemplation of questions. Try to locate a single fixed entity which could be called self. Of course, one has an identity, a name, address, a personal history, medical records a resume, a lot of memories. One has a disposition. Some people are fiery others high strung, some phlegmatic, others quite earthy, some quite spacey. But in terms of locating a permanent tangible self-substance.... good luck. Lohbado thought of self as being an index of one's position in society, or relation to others, a heap of characteristics, loosely held together and subject to change.

Oogah Lunch Goo

Oogah Lunch

As part of his research into the DME (Digestive Model of Existence), Lohbado ate an Oogah lunch.

digestive goo

goo from Lohbado's image library

Lohbado loved to play with food before eating, then to imagine its various transformations throughout his body.

bubblegum dispenser

from Lohbado's image library

Jaw breakers, good old bubble gum, Lohbado used to like it when he was a kid.

ice drink during ice storm

Today it was difficult to walk down the street. Lohbado put on a pair of Frankenstein boots, arctic parka, mitts, and hat. When he got home, he had a few glasses of a blood red liquor. He dropped the glass. About half a teaspoon of blood-colored fluid spilled on to the snow.

Club Morono New Year!

Lohbado's lunch

sprats or sardines

On behalf of The Chief Nomroh and the priests and priestesses at the Moronovian Tabernacle, Lohbado and members of Club Morono wish you a Happy New Year!