(Part of the retro blog recovery series...also posted at original retro date July 15th, 2007)
So… it’s been a while - believe me, I know it has and it grates on me, but here I am.
I was talking this evening, with someone more definitely worthwhile talking to, about the latest Pixar release. The details of that part of the conversation is not pertinent at this juncture, but what popped up during that, is.
Pixar was a little fish. Pixar was eaten by The Big Fish; Disney.
Now there are some, quite seemingly, valid arguements to make this actually a good idea. Almost, actually quite possibly, a case where the small fish steers the big fish in a positive direction. But I don’t care, on principal.
What got me ranting today was when I found out that Pixar/Disney has now gobbled up another smaller fish; Zemeckis’ CGI house “Imagemovers”.
I don’t like conglomerates. Conglomerates are bad.
The argument was made to me that Lasseter wanted to aquire some talent because he needs more people and I am not at all denying that is the case but I don’t care. And I don’t care in a 'quite frankly' kinda way.
Conglomerates are bad. And here is why.
Because mediocrity sucks.
Conglomeration is how everything gets sucked into being the same. It is how one person/mindset gets to own everything and everything we get is a filtered down version of the same one mindset. What they like, what they believe in, what they think is ok for us to see. It is how great shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip get canned after one season.
Conglomeration is how The Big Fish gets to eat all the little fish and the uniquely special parts of the little fish are disseminated and filtered through to become just parts of the big fish and the small fish is no longer around to be appreciated and compared to other fish and the big fish gets all the credit for those little tiny sparkly bits that were much bigger on the small fish and quite unexpectedly beautiful.
Do you know what the land does? What the wind and erosion and the rivers and the rain do? The ultimate goal of those processes is to smooth out the land. To remove the variations and this is what I am talking about here.
Conglomeration is what wrecked Route 66. It is the antithesis of “variety being the spice of life”. There is a reason that saying was invented you know! Because variety is good and great and just and supports our growth and development as people.
Conglomeration is the creation of mediocrity.
Conglomeration is mediocrity.
A mediocre man is always at his best.
And that is BAD.
Conglomerates suck
on principal
I don’t care that I love Pixar.
racism sucks too and I don’t think any individual racism is ok even if it serves a good purpose.
mass controlling and buying up and driving towards mediocrity is bad.
mediocrity is bad
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Ego and the Attachment to the Perception of Others
For your own sanity you must give up this ego need to understand people.
You can't ever really understand the thoughts and motivations of others and you don't need to.
Heck - I have enough trouble working out and understanding my own motivations a lot of the time - let alone trusting that someone else has any sort of honest concept about why they do what they do.
You don't need to understand people.... you just need to be you.
Other people's crap is their own and not something that is your responsibility or that you need to understand.
If you can manage to react to and approach everything that comes your way from a foundation of good intention that is the very bestest thing you can do.
Give up that struggle to understand others.
Release yourself from that task.
Give responsibility for other people's stuff back to other people. It's not yours.
You really are of no real good to anyone else if you are no good to yourself and that is only a decision away.
I say this in an EMPOWERING way - the only thing you can control in this world is you and your reaction to the stuff that happens.
Sometimes when you are in a place in your life where you are ready to move forward into something more than you have experienced - that can feel like a struggle when the people we are attached to are not moving or at least not going in the same direction.
Sometimes moving forward can mean you need to let go in order for the things that are trying to get into your life, and make it less of a struggle, can come in.
It's challenging but there are always choices - (sitting on the fence is one by the way and if that works for someone and makes them feel fulfilled and at peace, then it's valid and where they are meant to be for the time being).
Some things to remember
What other people think is none of your business
What other people think OF YOU is none of your business.
You can't control it, so give up living your life trying to. People are gonna think what they want no matter what you do because - and this is the imporant part to under stand - what they think of you (and the things you do) has NOTHING to do with you or the things you do!
The way people perceive things is based on their own emotional baggage and past experiences.
You can't be the you who you are meant to be when you are busy trying to be what you want other people to think you are.
You can't ever really understand the thoughts and motivations of others and you don't need to.
Heck - I have enough trouble working out and understanding my own motivations a lot of the time - let alone trusting that someone else has any sort of honest concept about why they do what they do.
You don't need to understand people.... you just need to be you.
Other people's crap is their own and not something that is your responsibility or that you need to understand.
If you can manage to react to and approach everything that comes your way from a foundation of good intention that is the very bestest thing you can do.
Give up that struggle to understand others.
Release yourself from that task.
Give responsibility for other people's stuff back to other people. It's not yours.
You really are of no real good to anyone else if you are no good to yourself and that is only a decision away.
I say this in an EMPOWERING way - the only thing you can control in this world is you and your reaction to the stuff that happens.
Sometimes when you are in a place in your life where you are ready to move forward into something more than you have experienced - that can feel like a struggle when the people we are attached to are not moving or at least not going in the same direction.
Sometimes moving forward can mean you need to let go in order for the things that are trying to get into your life, and make it less of a struggle, can come in.
It's challenging but there are always choices - (sitting on the fence is one by the way and if that works for someone and makes them feel fulfilled and at peace, then it's valid and where they are meant to be for the time being).
Some things to remember
What other people think is none of your business
What other people think OF YOU is none of your business.
You can't control it, so give up living your life trying to. People are gonna think what they want no matter what you do because - and this is the imporant part to under stand - what they think of you (and the things you do) has NOTHING to do with you or the things you do!
The way people perceive things is based on their own emotional baggage and past experiences.
You can't be the you who you are meant to be when you are busy trying to be what you want other people to think you are.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Changing Consciousness
I was at a seminar on Friday where a panel of local people (MPs, local government, business, “green teens”) spoke on the question “What does a sustainable future look like?”
It was an interesting thing to listen to – as what seemed to emerge out of all the different people’s comments was the need for a change in the way ‘we’ (as a collective modern western society kind of entity) think. A change in the very nature of what we habitually do, what we hold important, what we strive for.
It made me think about how there is a growing movement around the world of people that believe there will be some sort of an “event” near the end of 2012 (some even narrow this down to Dec 21 2012, in conjunction with what equates to the final entry of the Mayan calendar). Some people believe this will be heralded by calamity – a huge series of natural disasters that will devastate the entire infrastructure of the modern ‘western’ world – a situation many of them refer to (somewhat ironically in my opinion) as a “reboot”. Some of these people believe that this event is actually about a shift in consciousness.
I have been pondering what important components of this consciousness shift might be or rather, what I would hope they might be.
So far I have loosely come up with;
• becoming more mindful of why we think what we think and do what we do
• living more meaningfully
• practising what you preach/being the change you want to see
• sharing more of self (ideas, believes, actions) in local community
On deeper delving I have come up with the following.
This consciousness shift is something humans are capable of.
I think the general (and increasing) lack of this now is easily attributed to the society we have created for ourselves in the modern world**. In a culture where money and stuff is the measure of success it PAYS to complain, take things personally, be defensive and/or aggressive and have almost a victim attitude. It does not pay, in that materialistic way, to be compassionate and forgiving to those people you judge to have transgressed against you. You can sue, you can be recompensed, you can get newspaper articles written about you and get a gang of followers supporting you with an atmosphere of "poor you" further perpetuating your disempowerment and literally keeping you down.
This, in my opinion, tends to be a negative way to live, the way most people do it (which is in that disempowered victim type way and not the positive empowered standing up for your own rights way).
Perhaps this is one of the options for the consciousness shift - coming to terms with this balance between standing up for your rights/being compassionate to the motivations of others (positive) and whinging about everything that seems unfair and taking everything as a personal attack (negative).
I see it even here on this website and of course it is a natural normal human reaction and if that is where you are in your personal development and you are happy and content to be that way, that's fine and dandy (and normal) - we do what we know how to do and when we know better, we do better - and this is what we are discussing here - the opportunity to transcend the natural normal human reactions and utilise the new abilities that evolution has brought to this human creature. Mindfully becoming more than we have been before and are now.
This is the new evolution.
Feeling empowered and positive is a far more energy efficient way to live than having a negative, poor-me, everyone-is-against-me, look-it's-happened-to-me-again, oh-I can't-do-that-coz-I’ve-got-< insert condition here> attitude.
The human being is equally able to choose to take a positive compassionate attitude as they are to choose a negative attitude. I know which one puts a genuine sincere smile on my face and gives me more energy and motivation to get out in the world spreading the love and being of meaningful use to others.
And that is what it is... a choice - meaning that YOU are in control of you, learn to be worthy of that and live up to all that it means.
I would like to see more people choosing the positive on a more consistent basis and in the very least take a NEUTRAL stance, if you can't assume the positive at least do yourself a favour and don't assume the negative.
If you perceive someone is being an arse to you
* firstly, remember that that IS your perception and it could well be that they aren't even talking about you and it's just your ego and perceptions of your self that make the cap fit (so to speak)
* secondly, detach yourself from you ego and actually look at what they have said and see if it has any merit or is even an attack and not just a comment of fact that you have taken a dislike to because of your own emotional baggage (something helpful here coudl be - does this situation occur with other people, is it a familiar thing that always seems to happen to you whereever you go?)
* thirdly, if they are in fact, without a doubt, abusing you, that's THEIR problem and, of course, says screes about them and has nothing to do with you personally (especially in the anonymous environment of the internet!) and don’t let yourself be drawn in to it (don't dignify it with a response).
What people believe about you is their business.
Please use your power to choose.
**This 'modern world' humans have created (the 'developed" world) is like most human led schemes - it was not well thought out for the long term and to quite a degree indulged the percieved wants and needs of the people with the power rather than the people with the appropriate intelligence.
(eg: one such scheme is european colonisation of New Zealand - a very unique ecosystem dominated by birds with only ONE kind of terrestrial mammal (teeny insect eating bats who prefer to scurry on the ground than fly) and birds who have evolved many mammalian traits and fill the niches that mammals do in other places. This influx of people led to the introduction of many mammal species that have devastated our environment. One of the things these european settlers thought was a good idea was to introduce possums to start a fur trade. Possums directly compete with our native birds for food and also eat eggs and females birds on the nest and have led to the local extinction of many native plants and creatures. Another 'bright idea' not well thought out was the introduction of stoats with the intention that they would eat all the rats. No one bothered to think from the stoat's point of view... why on earth would they bother to chase agile wily fast rats around when there was a wealth of flightless birds who's idea of defence was to freeze and camoflage.... but I digress!!!)
We really strived to create this modern 'western' society where we have all this stuff but we have not thought throughand put processes in place to constructively and purposely utlise the benefits this modern world has created for us and do in in a sustainable way that will leave the world in a better state than we found it.
It was an interesting thing to listen to – as what seemed to emerge out of all the different people’s comments was the need for a change in the way ‘we’ (as a collective modern western society kind of entity) think. A change in the very nature of what we habitually do, what we hold important, what we strive for.
It made me think about how there is a growing movement around the world of people that believe there will be some sort of an “event” near the end of 2012 (some even narrow this down to Dec 21 2012, in conjunction with what equates to the final entry of the Mayan calendar). Some people believe this will be heralded by calamity – a huge series of natural disasters that will devastate the entire infrastructure of the modern ‘western’ world – a situation many of them refer to (somewhat ironically in my opinion) as a “reboot”. Some of these people believe that this event is actually about a shift in consciousness.
I have been pondering what important components of this consciousness shift might be or rather, what I would hope they might be.
So far I have loosely come up with;
• becoming more mindful of why we think what we think and do what we do
• living more meaningfully
• practising what you preach/being the change you want to see
• sharing more of self (ideas, believes, actions) in local community
On deeper delving I have come up with the following.
This consciousness shift is something humans are capable of.
I think the general (and increasing) lack of this now is easily attributed to the society we have created for ourselves in the modern world**. In a culture where money and stuff is the measure of success it PAYS to complain, take things personally, be defensive and/or aggressive and have almost a victim attitude. It does not pay, in that materialistic way, to be compassionate and forgiving to those people you judge to have transgressed against you. You can sue, you can be recompensed, you can get newspaper articles written about you and get a gang of followers supporting you with an atmosphere of "poor you" further perpetuating your disempowerment and literally keeping you down.
This, in my opinion, tends to be a negative way to live, the way most people do it (which is in that disempowered victim type way and not the positive empowered standing up for your own rights way).
Perhaps this is one of the options for the consciousness shift - coming to terms with this balance between standing up for your rights/being compassionate to the motivations of others (positive) and whinging about everything that seems unfair and taking everything as a personal attack (negative).
I see it even here on this website and of course it is a natural normal human reaction and if that is where you are in your personal development and you are happy and content to be that way, that's fine and dandy (and normal) - we do what we know how to do and when we know better, we do better - and this is what we are discussing here - the opportunity to transcend the natural normal human reactions and utilise the new abilities that evolution has brought to this human creature. Mindfully becoming more than we have been before and are now.
This is the new evolution.
Feeling empowered and positive is a far more energy efficient way to live than having a negative, poor-me, everyone-is-against-me, look-it's-happened-to-me-again, oh-I can't-do-that-coz-I’ve-got-< insert condition here> attitude.
The human being is equally able to choose to take a positive compassionate attitude as they are to choose a negative attitude. I know which one puts a genuine sincere smile on my face and gives me more energy and motivation to get out in the world spreading the love and being of meaningful use to others.
And that is what it is... a choice - meaning that YOU are in control of you, learn to be worthy of that and live up to all that it means.
I would like to see more people choosing the positive on a more consistent basis and in the very least take a NEUTRAL stance, if you can't assume the positive at least do yourself a favour and don't assume the negative.
If you perceive someone is being an arse to you
* firstly, remember that that IS your perception and it could well be that they aren't even talking about you and it's just your ego and perceptions of your self that make the cap fit (so to speak)
* secondly, detach yourself from you ego and actually look at what they have said and see if it has any merit or is even an attack and not just a comment of fact that you have taken a dislike to because of your own emotional baggage (something helpful here coudl be - does this situation occur with other people, is it a familiar thing that always seems to happen to you whereever you go?)
* thirdly, if they are in fact, without a doubt, abusing you, that's THEIR problem and, of course, says screes about them and has nothing to do with you personally (especially in the anonymous environment of the internet!) and don’t let yourself be drawn in to it (don't dignify it with a response).
What people believe about you is their business.
Please use your power to choose.
**This 'modern world' humans have created (the 'developed" world) is like most human led schemes - it was not well thought out for the long term and to quite a degree indulged the percieved wants and needs of the people with the power rather than the people with the appropriate intelligence.
(eg: one such scheme is european colonisation of New Zealand - a very unique ecosystem dominated by birds with only ONE kind of terrestrial mammal (teeny insect eating bats who prefer to scurry on the ground than fly) and birds who have evolved many mammalian traits and fill the niches that mammals do in other places. This influx of people led to the introduction of many mammal species that have devastated our environment. One of the things these european settlers thought was a good idea was to introduce possums to start a fur trade. Possums directly compete with our native birds for food and also eat eggs and females birds on the nest and have led to the local extinction of many native plants and creatures. Another 'bright idea' not well thought out was the introduction of stoats with the intention that they would eat all the rats. No one bothered to think from the stoat's point of view... why on earth would they bother to chase agile wily fast rats around when there was a wealth of flightless birds who's idea of defence was to freeze and camoflage.... but I digress!!!)
We really strived to create this modern 'western' society where we have all this stuff but we have not thought throughand put processes in place to constructively and purposely utlise the benefits this modern world has created for us and do in in a sustainable way that will leave the world in a better state than we found it.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bip Bippadotta
fat
cat
sat
hat
fat fat fat
cat cat cat
sat sat sat
hat hat hat
A fat cat sat on a hat, saw a rat on the mat, got a bat, had a chat with a gnat that he'd pat in a vat that was flat, oh yeah!
oh yeah...
sorry about that
small
ball
tall
wall
small small small
ball ball ball
tall tall tall
wall wall wall
see a small ball on a tall wall see it fall in a hall see it crawl give it's all and call hi y'all! see it stall, wear a shawl oh yeah!
oh yeah...
red
head
fed
bread
red red red
head head head
fed fed fed
bread bread bread
see a red head being fed bread on his sled made of led as he speed to be wed he fled instead out ahead up to Ted in his bed and he said
Red, head, fed, bread
Small, ball, tall, wall
Fat, cat, sat, hat
And that's that!
SCAT!
cat
sat
hat
fat fat fat
cat cat cat
sat sat sat
hat hat hat
A fat cat sat on a hat, saw a rat on the mat, got a bat, had a chat with a gnat that he'd pat in a vat that was flat, oh yeah!
oh yeah...
sorry about that
small
ball
tall
wall
small small small
ball ball ball
tall tall tall
wall wall wall
see a small ball on a tall wall see it fall in a hall see it crawl give it's all and call hi y'all! see it stall, wear a shawl oh yeah!
oh yeah...
red
head
fed
bread
red red red
head head head
fed fed fed
bread bread bread
see a red head being fed bread on his sled made of led as he speed to be wed he fled instead out ahead up to Ted in his bed and he said
Red, head, fed, bread
Small, ball, tall, wall
Fat, cat, sat, hat
And that's that!
SCAT!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
ORANGE RIBBON Campaign
NZ Friends of Tibet are launching the Orange Ribbon campaign here tonight - 08/08/08 to remind China that we have not forgotten the illegal occupation of Tibet while China enjoys world attention from the Olympics.
“Light Candle4tibet and wearing of Orange Ribbon on Friday and during the term of the Olympics are reminders that, all is not as harmonious as China is promoting, and that the people of Tibet will not be forgotten “ said Thuten Kesang, the Chairman of Friends of Tibet (NZ)."
Early this evening I will be wearing orange, lighting a candle and attending this talk
Life in Tibet Today with Amnyi Trulchung Rinpoche
Rinpoche will give an up to date account of the current situation in Tibet, the progress and changes that all Tibetans face in the modernising Republic of China and how it affects the Tibetan people across the country. Ju Mohor Monastery, Rinpoche’s spiritual home, is situated in the upper reaches of the Dzachuka Valley, Sichuan Province close to the recent earthquakes. He will talk of the Vista Project which is helping young Tibetans retrain to support themselves in a changing world.
I will not be watching the olympics.
The Olympic Handshake -"With this handshake, we reach out to one another as citizens round the world in the Olympic spirit of friendship and excellence, committing to hold all our governments to a higher standard of peace, justice and respect for human dignity wherever they fall short – be it in Tibet, Iraq, Burma or beyond. Dialogue is the best way forward,
for China, and the world."
“Light Candle4tibet and wearing of Orange Ribbon on Friday and during the term of the Olympics are reminders that, all is not as harmonious as China is promoting, and that the people of Tibet will not be forgotten “ said Thuten Kesang, the Chairman of Friends of Tibet (NZ)."
Early this evening I will be wearing orange, lighting a candle and attending this talk
Life in Tibet Today with Amnyi Trulchung Rinpoche
Rinpoche will give an up to date account of the current situation in Tibet, the progress and changes that all Tibetans face in the modernising Republic of China and how it affects the Tibetan people across the country. Ju Mohor Monastery, Rinpoche’s spiritual home, is situated in the upper reaches of the Dzachuka Valley, Sichuan Province close to the recent earthquakes. He will talk of the Vista Project which is helping young Tibetans retrain to support themselves in a changing world.
I will not be watching the olympics.
The Olympic Handshake -"With this handshake, we reach out to one another as citizens round the world in the Olympic spirit of friendship and excellence, committing to hold all our governments to a higher standard of peace, justice and respect for human dignity wherever they fall short – be it in Tibet, Iraq, Burma or beyond. Dialogue is the best way forward,
for China, and the world."
Thursday, August 7, 2008
08 08 08
8 is my favourite number.
I remember the 8th of the 8th '88 and I remember it being a special day for me.
Tomorrow I plan on having an especially amazing day!
Below one of my fav 8 logos...the space programme ROCKED.
Jackson Pollock's number 8
You can bet I am gonna be watchign a bunch of antique sesame street tomorrow because antique sesame street makes me happy!
Monday, August 4, 2008
"My Penguin Is Filthy!"
well... he is!!!! Just check out his flipper!
People look at you funny when you suddenly realise such things and are so shocked you blurt out that kind of sentence in public, by the way.
People look at you funny when you suddenly realise such things and are so shocked you blurt out that kind of sentence in public, by the way.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
nothing will ever be the same again...
this evening
I
M A D E
C H E E S E ! ! !
I feel like Chuck Noland in Castaway when he made fire...
Below is what I did and to be fair, it was MUCH easier than making fire (sorry, Chuck) and I am surprised, being the huge cheese addict I am, that I have not tried it before...
1. Place one cup of milk in the saucepan, slowly bringing the milk to a boil while stirring constantly.
2. Turn off when it boils, leave it on element and stir in two teaspoons of vinegar - leave to sit for 5 to 10 mins
3. Put curds and whey onto paper towel (tuffy works just as well as cheesecloth or hanky!) and press, squish, squeeze to get as much of the moisture out as you can (I used a few paper towels)
4. Open cloth and add some salt, mix it in and squish moisture out again
5. Form into shape you want, put in mould or cling wrap and put in fridge for a while
I
M A D E
C H E E S E ! ! !
I feel like Chuck Noland in Castaway when he made fire...
Below is what I did and to be fair, it was MUCH easier than making fire (sorry, Chuck) and I am surprised, being the huge cheese addict I am, that I have not tried it before...
1. Place one cup of milk in the saucepan, slowly bringing the milk to a boil while stirring constantly.
2. Turn off when it boils, leave it on element and stir in two teaspoons of vinegar - leave to sit for 5 to 10 mins
3. Put curds and whey onto paper towel (tuffy works just as well as cheesecloth or hanky!) and press, squish, squeeze to get as much of the moisture out as you can (I used a few paper towels)
4. Open cloth and add some salt, mix it in and squish moisture out again
5. Form into shape you want, put in mould or cling wrap and put in fridge for a while
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Things That Are Important
yeah there was an eclipse, the whole water on mars thing has been confirmed, nasty storms hit my town (and the rest of NZ!), a farmer had a double arm transplant, someone is paying 14million dollars to be first to publish jolie-pitt baby pics, live fish were found at record depths, California had a pretty good sized quake, jesus' face was seen in cat fur, and Sir Richard Branson unvieled his space plane
But... instead of all that - go play with this!!!
(my fav is classic)
But... instead of all that - go play with this!!!
(my fav is classic)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
There Are No Bad Things
This is a statement I believe - and as with all beliefs, putting them into practise does not always go smoothly. I think it is the developing of beliefs and the putting them into practise, that make up the important part of our life.
Of things that happen to you, there are no bad things and conversely, no good things either - just things.
I know this to be true as I have observed many of the same things happen to different people and result in very different reactions. Meaning that it is the internal workings of the person that change a thing that happens into a bad thing or a good thing - not the thing itself.
For myself I know that in different parts of my life the same things have happened to me and *I* have reacted very differently.
Take the last few days for me, for example.
I have had some things happen - more than usual and although I know from my beliefs these are just things - in the very least they were extreme in the ups and downs department. The single most personally devastating conversation with a person of long standing importance in my life, meeting and shaking the hand of our prime minister, a hearing test confirming significant hearing loss in my right ear, a stressful situation at work, an astounding opening of a Tibetan photography exhibition, and a beautiful meditation class.
There are no bad things or good things - just things, and our reaction to them.
Some people when presented with things that happen see a pile of nasty sour lemons and screw their faces up and complain, other people, when presented with the same things see the opportuntity to make themselves lemonade and others take that lemonade and give it to their family and friends - others still take the lemonade and share it with everyone.
The things I listed are all just things. In the past I would have crumbled and been resentful of the world and miserable. Now days I am more contemplative. I am selfreflective about the feelings that arise for me. I ponder. Most of all I am grateful. I inwardly say thankyou for all things and the insights they bring me about myself. Just as I allowed myself to feel pride that I had worked hard to be in a position to meet our prime minister and I smiled, I also felt sad and wept for the devastating conversation.
I am grateful for both experiences and the opportunites they give me for personal growth.
There are no bad things or good things that happen - just things that happen.
We live in a world and it is the nature of this dynamic living wonderful world that things happen.
Things happen.
I think that to label them as bad or good sets up an environment where it is possible to fall into the trap of being judgemental and assigning blame. This thinking makes it easy to be unhappy and feel overwhelmed with the fact you cannot control things that happen.
You cannot control things that happen. You can waste a lot of energy and time trying.
You cannot control things that happen. You cannot control how people will react to things that happen and you cannot control how anyone thinks.
You can only control yourself, your thoughts and your reactions.
There are no bad things or good things that happen - just things. You are not responsible for the things that happen. They are not in your control. You are responsible for your actions and reactions. These you can control.
Do we always react, think, do the wise, sensible, responsible action, thought, reaction?
No. Because we are imperfect beings, humans, in this life to experience what the universe has for us to learn. We do the best we know how to do and when we know better, we do better.
Do not be so hard on yourself for your percieved mistakes. Learn from them, don't be ashamed. Give yourself some credit where it's due, be kind and forgiving to yourself. If we were perfect we would be elsewhere.
Life on Earth is about trial and error, experiments, having a go, adventure - adapting to what comes.
Making the most of the things that happen.
Enjoy it.
And say thankyou.
Of things that happen to you, there are no bad things and conversely, no good things either - just things.
I know this to be true as I have observed many of the same things happen to different people and result in very different reactions. Meaning that it is the internal workings of the person that change a thing that happens into a bad thing or a good thing - not the thing itself.
For myself I know that in different parts of my life the same things have happened to me and *I* have reacted very differently.
Take the last few days for me, for example.
I have had some things happen - more than usual and although I know from my beliefs these are just things - in the very least they were extreme in the ups and downs department. The single most personally devastating conversation with a person of long standing importance in my life, meeting and shaking the hand of our prime minister, a hearing test confirming significant hearing loss in my right ear, a stressful situation at work, an astounding opening of a Tibetan photography exhibition, and a beautiful meditation class.
There are no bad things or good things - just things, and our reaction to them.
Some people when presented with things that happen see a pile of nasty sour lemons and screw their faces up and complain, other people, when presented with the same things see the opportuntity to make themselves lemonade and others take that lemonade and give it to their family and friends - others still take the lemonade and share it with everyone.
The things I listed are all just things. In the past I would have crumbled and been resentful of the world and miserable. Now days I am more contemplative. I am selfreflective about the feelings that arise for me. I ponder. Most of all I am grateful. I inwardly say thankyou for all things and the insights they bring me about myself. Just as I allowed myself to feel pride that I had worked hard to be in a position to meet our prime minister and I smiled, I also felt sad and wept for the devastating conversation.
I am grateful for both experiences and the opportunites they give me for personal growth.
There are no bad things or good things that happen - just things that happen.
We live in a world and it is the nature of this dynamic living wonderful world that things happen.
Things happen.
I think that to label them as bad or good sets up an environment where it is possible to fall into the trap of being judgemental and assigning blame. This thinking makes it easy to be unhappy and feel overwhelmed with the fact you cannot control things that happen.
You cannot control things that happen. You can waste a lot of energy and time trying.
You cannot control things that happen. You cannot control how people will react to things that happen and you cannot control how anyone thinks.
You can only control yourself, your thoughts and your reactions.
There are no bad things or good things that happen - just things. You are not responsible for the things that happen. They are not in your control. You are responsible for your actions and reactions. These you can control.
Do we always react, think, do the wise, sensible, responsible action, thought, reaction?
No. Because we are imperfect beings, humans, in this life to experience what the universe has for us to learn. We do the best we know how to do and when we know better, we do better.
Do not be so hard on yourself for your percieved mistakes. Learn from them, don't be ashamed. Give yourself some credit where it's due, be kind and forgiving to yourself. If we were perfect we would be elsewhere.
Life on Earth is about trial and error, experiments, having a go, adventure - adapting to what comes.
Making the most of the things that happen.
Enjoy it.
And say thankyou.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Human Ego vs The White Whale
Found this article today on the BBC news page. At first it’s innocuous enough but then some things are said that just, quite frankly, p*** me off.
New white whale spotted
"A new white humpback has been sighted off Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia.
The newcomer, which was filmed by a television news helicopter, has excited marine scientists who think it may be related to Migaloo - to date, the only known all-white humpback whale.
Migaloo is somewhat of a celebrity down under. Why? "Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University.
It now seems that Migaloo, (whose Aboriginal name means "white fellow") might have competition."
The last line there is the kind of thing that exasperates me about the most journalism and reporting. The competition they are referring to is for the media spotlight. Migaloo has been a ratings boon for various reporters and news sites and tv stations since he was first sighted by people. I can understand it.. I find him as interesting as all get out and I already LOVED humpback whales. But seriously… the whales don’t even have a perception of the media reporting on them other than the annoying fact that almost every time they come up for air in Aussie waters some helicopter or another is buzzing over them or some boat is polluting their sound reception systems with unimaginably annoying frequencies of noise.
The competition they are referring to is of their own creation and if they had a splattering of anything other than creating more money for themselves they would not make such statements.
Although predominantly white, the new whale does have some black markings near its head and tail. So who is the newcomer?
A white calf was spotted with a normal humpback mother in Byron Bay two years ago. Experts say the new whale could be the offspring of Migaloo but further tests need to be carried out.
This last sentence makes me cross at the “scientists”. Further tests NEED to be carried out??? Who are you kidding? Leave the whites whales alone! You are creating a reason to hunt, chase, SAMPLE these creatures for the satisfaction of your own human ego selves. If you need something to do go and create a humane instant kill system and give it to the Japanese. THAT is something that will help the whales in the here and now.
There is a bit more article so click the article title above to check it out if you want.
Sites about migaloo www.migaloowhale.com, wiki and Migaloo's aussie site (note the term MARKETING at the top of the page *sigh*)
New white whale spotted
"A new white humpback has been sighted off Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia.
The newcomer, which was filmed by a television news helicopter, has excited marine scientists who think it may be related to Migaloo - to date, the only known all-white humpback whale.
Migaloo is somewhat of a celebrity down under. Why? "Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University.
It now seems that Migaloo, (whose Aboriginal name means "white fellow") might have competition."
The last line there is the kind of thing that exasperates me about the most journalism and reporting. The competition they are referring to is for the media spotlight. Migaloo has been a ratings boon for various reporters and news sites and tv stations since he was first sighted by people. I can understand it.. I find him as interesting as all get out and I already LOVED humpback whales. But seriously… the whales don’t even have a perception of the media reporting on them other than the annoying fact that almost every time they come up for air in Aussie waters some helicopter or another is buzzing over them or some boat is polluting their sound reception systems with unimaginably annoying frequencies of noise.
The competition they are referring to is of their own creation and if they had a splattering of anything other than creating more money for themselves they would not make such statements.
Although predominantly white, the new whale does have some black markings near its head and tail. So who is the newcomer?
A white calf was spotted with a normal humpback mother in Byron Bay two years ago. Experts say the new whale could be the offspring of Migaloo but further tests need to be carried out.
This last sentence makes me cross at the “scientists”. Further tests NEED to be carried out??? Who are you kidding? Leave the whites whales alone! You are creating a reason to hunt, chase, SAMPLE these creatures for the satisfaction of your own human ego selves. If you need something to do go and create a humane instant kill system and give it to the Japanese. THAT is something that will help the whales in the here and now.
There is a bit more article so click the article title above to check it out if you want.
Sites about migaloo www.migaloowhale.com, wiki and Migaloo's aussie site (note the term MARKETING at the top of the page *sigh*)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
"This is how we love, Buddha-style:
impartial to all, free from excessive attachment or false hope and expectation;
accepting, tolerant, and forgiving."
Lama Surya Das, “A Buddhist Valentine"
some people label this avoidance.
I thought I had more to say on that... turns out I don't.
accepting, tolerant, and forgiving."
Lama Surya Das, “A Buddhist Valentine"
some people label this avoidance.
I thought I had more to say on that... turns out I don't.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Mexican Medium and My Wasted Data Allowance
i missed ep one of season four of medium last week coz i went out to the science lecture in such a rush I forgot to turn on the recorder... so i have been driving myself nuts to get this torrent of it downloaded
Have been on limited browsing for days to try and get the torrent download finished
Stayed up late to wait for it just now (because some one was leeching it off me and i didn't want that to go on all night because it uses up my data allowance for the month)
It has been creeping in soooOOOOooOooOOooOoO slowly (av 1.5kbs)
It just finished
So i open it, straight away to watch and it is a really great quality clip!!!
except it is in mexican...
Have been on limited browsing for days to try and get the torrent download finished
Stayed up late to wait for it just now (because some one was leeching it off me and i didn't want that to go on all night because it uses up my data allowance for the month)
It has been creeping in soooOOOOooOooOOooOoO slowly (av 1.5kbs)
It just finished
So i open it, straight away to watch and it is a really great quality clip!!!
except it is in mexican...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Audio Books - no good for carbon emissions
and possibly a contributor to road rage and I'll tell you why...
I was recently putting into practise the concept of making the most of what one has by utilising the tape deck in the Ravi Shinecar and cycling through some of my 80s album collection.
Well.. one morning not long ago, I came across the new idea of utilising my time in the vechle to overcome my current lack of fiction reading time.
First step in this plan was to trawl an online auction site to see if there was anythgin worth picking up. no immediate joy. So in the meantime I want something to listen to so I went to the library .... the collection there was literally crap. crap. crap. Very disappointing. Only one thing that gained my interest so I got it.
Memoirs of a Geisha - which I never saw the movie for for some weird reason.
Now I just want to drive my car everywhere so I can listen to it (no biking to work or weekend markets this weekend!)
And not only that, but driving slowly, so I get to hear as much as I can.
Other people on the road are not impressed with me.
I was recently putting into practise the concept of making the most of what one has by utilising the tape deck in the Ravi Shinecar and cycling through some of my 80s album collection.
Well.. one morning not long ago, I came across the new idea of utilising my time in the vechle to overcome my current lack of fiction reading time.
First step in this plan was to trawl an online auction site to see if there was anythgin worth picking up. no immediate joy. So in the meantime I want something to listen to so I went to the library .... the collection there was literally crap. crap. crap. Very disappointing. Only one thing that gained my interest so I got it.
Memoirs of a Geisha - which I never saw the movie for for some weird reason.
Now I just want to drive my car everywhere so I can listen to it (no biking to work or weekend markets this weekend!)
And not only that, but driving slowly, so I get to hear as much as I can.
Other people on the road are not impressed with me.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Bruce Wayne, meet John Connor...
You gotta watch it first (it's only a minute) ... I'll wait.
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to hear who I heard in this trailier!!! I am watching thinking.. ahhh that sounds like < doesn't spoil surprise for those who didn't watch>... if only they could have got him, that would so be a great move possible for this film.... "HOLY CRAP!!! No way... no.... way.... WHOA! NO WAY! IT IS HIM!!! OMG! This is gonna rock so hard!"
This makes the Terminator series a most unique creature in the movie industry.
To have a sequel as good and in some ways better than the original film and to be able to come back from, let's be honest, a crappy third film with a one minute trailer that is worth the whole third film put together *giggles* and guarantees this fourth film will kill the others until they die from it!
I am so psyched about this right now I might pee!
The Official Biography of Douglas Adams
arrived for me in the mail today.
I opened the parcel and read the title
"Wish You Were Here"
It made tears well up because I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I do.
I opened the parcel and read the title
"Wish You Were Here"
It made tears well up because I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I do.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
William Smith and the heretic origins of Geology...
Shine spent her evening @ a science lecture about William Smith and the map that changed the world!
William Smith is a man to be admired! A man who spent a large portion of his life thanklessly beavering away at something no one else had ever thought about. He is now recognised as the father of geology but it was certainly a struggle for him to gain recognition for his life's work when he was alive. It was not until late in his life that he was awarded any accolades at all - he was the first person to be awarded the Wollaston medal, with the words below.
If, in the pride of our present strength, we were disposed to forget our origin, our very speech betrays us: for we use the language which he taught us in the infancy of our science. If we, by our united efforts, are chiselling the ornaments and slowly raising up the pinnacles of one of the temples of nature, it was he that gave the plan, and laid the foundations, and erected a portion of the solid walls, by the unassisted labour of his hands.
To even begin to appreciate the achievements of this man it is pertinent to set the scene of the era to which he was born and grew up.
Smith was born in England in 1769. England at this time was still deeply immeshed in a religious domination that had been going on for 1000 years. The church was the boss of everything and ruled with fear and keeping people ignorant. The printed word was not common - although printing was possible, it was controlled by the church and people with money (usually one in the same) and anyway, reading was frowned upon if you were not associated with the church.
Understanding and interpreting the world around you was done through the thick veil of religious dogma. Everything that you might ponder or wonder about the natural world was spun to prove the existence of God ("You found something on the ground in the middle of England that looks like it's from the sea? Well of course! There was the biblical flood and Noah build the ark, see! proof!!")
The words limestone or basalt weren't invented, let alone the term "geology".
Your status in the world was determined by heredity - not by accomplishment or even economic standing.
In cities, legislation designated what dress different urban groups should wear so as to keep them separate.
Slavery was yet to be abolished as was the whipping of females for punishment. Public executions were still "entertainment".
The Napoleonic Wars had not yet occurred. The bank of England had not yet printed the first pound note. Captain Cook had not yet discovered Hawaii. The First Fleet had not set sail.
85% of the population were peasants and small pox was prevalent.
America was fighting for independence.
Mozart was alive and for the upper classes clothes kinda looked like this.
It was into this world, where these things were soon to happen, that William Smith was born. His father died when he was young and his mother gave him up as an orphan for his uncle to raise. He developed a curiousity for stones. He did ok at schol but there was not enough money for him to go to university.
As the Industrial Revolutions started to kick in there began to be a focus on coal and coal production. Canals began to be built to transport coal. These actually turned into a vast network through England - a barge pulled by one horse up a canal could tow as much coal as 400 horses with out a canal.
Smith happened to meet a surveyor when he was quite young and the surveyor took him on, interested in a few of Smith's observations about rocks. Smith became a very good surveyor and began to gather fossils and much observed data about the rocks and land he saw in his travels. He began to develop theories about layers of rock and types of rock and fossils that were very much heresy in the times he lived in. At this time scientific thought was very much in conflict wiht the church and science views not discussed but didn't matter though as he was the ONLY person at this time that had any thoughts remotely like this and he had no one to talk to that was even interested in these concepts and ideas about the land around him.
(Perhaps, like me, you can appreciate the amazing nature of him even having thought to think the thoughts he thought!)
As Smith was a great surveyor he was appointed to survey for coal production and canal production and was ecstatic as this gave him the very opporuntity he desired - to be paid to collect data on layers of rock, types of rock, fossils - all the things to help him with what he knew to be his life's work. Making a map of rock types in Britain.
Remember, this was a time when the printed word was rare... maps could not be printed. They were carved on lithographic plates (his map - which would not be completed into well into the 1800s would eventually be individually coloured by hand - although he had no concept of the idea of using colour then - he did not come across the idea of colour until much later when he saw a rare map, which had colours representing different breeds of pig in England!)
Smith began to earn a great wage and I have to say, the only thing really against him is the fact he made poor financial choices.
He bought a big house and a large property for 1600£ and you can imagine how vast that must have been 200 years ago...
Things went very well for him for a number of years and he travelled and travelled around England gathering data and fossils (7000 individual specimens) until a dispute with the canal company who wanted to put a canal route through his property, prompted him to be fired. Immediate loss of income.
Smith carried on (somehow!) funding his own travel and working on the map.
He had many sets backs. A sick wife with mental health issues, a nephew he adopted (more strain on his finances), a burnt down flat, and expensive rent in London to be close to the printer, a friend taking his map of Bath and printing it with no credit to Smith himself and the sale of his extensive fossil collection to the London Museum to cover some costs (the fossil collection was the backbone and evidence supprting his method of classifying and comparing different kinds of rock - a revolution in it's own right and something he is most famously remembered for developing.)
Probably the worst of all was that when the term Geology was finally invented and a number a rich fellows created the Royal Geology Society in London - they excluded him (the first and only real geologist that existed) from being a member because of his class. And after struggling for a futher 14 years under his own steam to create the map (which was to be 7 feet tall as it was of a scale never made before - 5miles to the inch) the president of said society went to see Smith under the guise of being a sponsor, to look at the work to see if it had any worth, then went back to London with a wad of money and paid the printer to give him every one of the 16 map plates that made up the map and published it and sold it AS HIS OWN (plagerism was also not invented it seems).
So, his life's work, his hardship and struggles worth of beautiful amazing geological map did not sell once published (and publishing it was a very expensive business). Smith was broke. He was bankrupt. He then spent time in debtors prison and was released to find all his worldly goods gone.
He moved to Yorkshire then, and because he was such a great surveyor he was able to make a living.
It was then that one of the gentlemen he did work for, a member, coincidentally, of the Geological society (which in the intervening period had become a bit less about money and a bit more about actual science) recognised him as the man that had really created the map claimed by the president of the society. Finally Smith began to get the recognition he deserved.
And apparently he died a happy man at 70.
Here is his map...
Please remember again the times into which he was born, the hardships he faced as a child, the lack of formal education and his inability to read or write very well. Remember that he had no collegues with which to discuss and refine his ideas and extensively the terms for which we easily label the things he was first to notice now , were not invented then.
Also pay heed to the fact that his methods, his classification strategies for using fossil differences to identify and compare rock and his mapping colour scheme are the precise ones we use today to make an equally detailed map with the benefit of the combined knowledge of about 6000 professionally educated and experienced people, satelite and computer technology and the basic methods William Smith developed literally from scratch on his own at a time when not only had no other person even concieve a notion like it, but it was basically heresy to do so.
I hope you will join me in being pretty darn impressed with this man and value his persistence and ability to stick by his "crazy notions" alone and without support and see them to fruition - not to mention the kind of mind that would come up with the things he came up with when he came up with them!
*giggles* ok.. it's really late here, cut me some slack!!
For comparison.. here's a modern one.
More on Smith
William Smith is a man to be admired! A man who spent a large portion of his life thanklessly beavering away at something no one else had ever thought about. He is now recognised as the father of geology but it was certainly a struggle for him to gain recognition for his life's work when he was alive. It was not until late in his life that he was awarded any accolades at all - he was the first person to be awarded the Wollaston medal, with the words below.
If, in the pride of our present strength, we were disposed to forget our origin, our very speech betrays us: for we use the language which he taught us in the infancy of our science. If we, by our united efforts, are chiselling the ornaments and slowly raising up the pinnacles of one of the temples of nature, it was he that gave the plan, and laid the foundations, and erected a portion of the solid walls, by the unassisted labour of his hands.
To even begin to appreciate the achievements of this man it is pertinent to set the scene of the era to which he was born and grew up.
Smith was born in England in 1769. England at this time was still deeply immeshed in a religious domination that had been going on for 1000 years. The church was the boss of everything and ruled with fear and keeping people ignorant. The printed word was not common - although printing was possible, it was controlled by the church and people with money (usually one in the same) and anyway, reading was frowned upon if you were not associated with the church.
Understanding and interpreting the world around you was done through the thick veil of religious dogma. Everything that you might ponder or wonder about the natural world was spun to prove the existence of God ("You found something on the ground in the middle of England that looks like it's from the sea? Well of course! There was the biblical flood and Noah build the ark, see! proof!!")
The words limestone or basalt weren't invented, let alone the term "geology".
Your status in the world was determined by heredity - not by accomplishment or even economic standing.
In cities, legislation designated what dress different urban groups should wear so as to keep them separate.
Slavery was yet to be abolished as was the whipping of females for punishment. Public executions were still "entertainment".
The Napoleonic Wars had not yet occurred. The bank of England had not yet printed the first pound note. Captain Cook had not yet discovered Hawaii. The First Fleet had not set sail.
85% of the population were peasants and small pox was prevalent.
America was fighting for independence.
Mozart was alive and for the upper classes clothes kinda looked like this.
It was into this world, where these things were soon to happen, that William Smith was born. His father died when he was young and his mother gave him up as an orphan for his uncle to raise. He developed a curiousity for stones. He did ok at schol but there was not enough money for him to go to university.
As the Industrial Revolutions started to kick in there began to be a focus on coal and coal production. Canals began to be built to transport coal. These actually turned into a vast network through England - a barge pulled by one horse up a canal could tow as much coal as 400 horses with out a canal.
Smith happened to meet a surveyor when he was quite young and the surveyor took him on, interested in a few of Smith's observations about rocks. Smith became a very good surveyor and began to gather fossils and much observed data about the rocks and land he saw in his travels. He began to develop theories about layers of rock and types of rock and fossils that were very much heresy in the times he lived in. At this time scientific thought was very much in conflict wiht the church and science views not discussed but didn't matter though as he was the ONLY person at this time that had any thoughts remotely like this and he had no one to talk to that was even interested in these concepts and ideas about the land around him.
(Perhaps, like me, you can appreciate the amazing nature of him even having thought to think the thoughts he thought!)
As Smith was a great surveyor he was appointed to survey for coal production and canal production and was ecstatic as this gave him the very opporuntity he desired - to be paid to collect data on layers of rock, types of rock, fossils - all the things to help him with what he knew to be his life's work. Making a map of rock types in Britain.
Remember, this was a time when the printed word was rare... maps could not be printed. They were carved on lithographic plates (his map - which would not be completed into well into the 1800s would eventually be individually coloured by hand - although he had no concept of the idea of using colour then - he did not come across the idea of colour until much later when he saw a rare map, which had colours representing different breeds of pig in England!)
Smith began to earn a great wage and I have to say, the only thing really against him is the fact he made poor financial choices.
He bought a big house and a large property for 1600£ and you can imagine how vast that must have been 200 years ago...
Things went very well for him for a number of years and he travelled and travelled around England gathering data and fossils (7000 individual specimens) until a dispute with the canal company who wanted to put a canal route through his property, prompted him to be fired. Immediate loss of income.
Smith carried on (somehow!) funding his own travel and working on the map.
He had many sets backs. A sick wife with mental health issues, a nephew he adopted (more strain on his finances), a burnt down flat, and expensive rent in London to be close to the printer, a friend taking his map of Bath and printing it with no credit to Smith himself and the sale of his extensive fossil collection to the London Museum to cover some costs (the fossil collection was the backbone and evidence supprting his method of classifying and comparing different kinds of rock - a revolution in it's own right and something he is most famously remembered for developing.)
Probably the worst of all was that when the term Geology was finally invented and a number a rich fellows created the Royal Geology Society in London - they excluded him (the first and only real geologist that existed) from being a member because of his class. And after struggling for a futher 14 years under his own steam to create the map (which was to be 7 feet tall as it was of a scale never made before - 5miles to the inch) the president of said society went to see Smith under the guise of being a sponsor, to look at the work to see if it had any worth, then went back to London with a wad of money and paid the printer to give him every one of the 16 map plates that made up the map and published it and sold it AS HIS OWN (plagerism was also not invented it seems).
So, his life's work, his hardship and struggles worth of beautiful amazing geological map did not sell once published (and publishing it was a very expensive business). Smith was broke. He was bankrupt. He then spent time in debtors prison and was released to find all his worldly goods gone.
He moved to Yorkshire then, and because he was such a great surveyor he was able to make a living.
It was then that one of the gentlemen he did work for, a member, coincidentally, of the Geological society (which in the intervening period had become a bit less about money and a bit more about actual science) recognised him as the man that had really created the map claimed by the president of the society. Finally Smith began to get the recognition he deserved.
And apparently he died a happy man at 70.
Here is his map...
Please remember again the times into which he was born, the hardships he faced as a child, the lack of formal education and his inability to read or write very well. Remember that he had no collegues with which to discuss and refine his ideas and extensively the terms for which we easily label the things he was first to notice now , were not invented then.
Also pay heed to the fact that his methods, his classification strategies for using fossil differences to identify and compare rock and his mapping colour scheme are the precise ones we use today to make an equally detailed map with the benefit of the combined knowledge of about 6000 professionally educated and experienced people, satelite and computer technology and the basic methods William Smith developed literally from scratch on his own at a time when not only had no other person even concieve a notion like it, but it was basically heresy to do so.
I hope you will join me in being pretty darn impressed with this man and value his persistence and ability to stick by his "crazy notions" alone and without support and see them to fruition - not to mention the kind of mind that would come up with the things he came up with when he came up with them!
*giggles* ok.. it's really late here, cut me some slack!!
For comparison.. here's a modern one.
More on Smith
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
No Direction Home
aka Speaking of Bob (Dylan) Ok, we weren't but I am about to...
I have always loved bob dylan's music but not understood the man
He is one of two people I consider living music legends (the other is Bjork)
My urge to find out more about him has been growing over the last year
Spurred on I think by the fact I knew there were some films coming out about him
Come writers and critics...
Who prophesize with your pen...
I am in the middle of watching no direction home
i watched part one the other night
It's aptly titled as he really did reinvent himself as a kind of circus orphan, even taking on a new name at a young age to put some distance between himself (which I don't think he has ever actually defined for himself) and his home/parents who he says he realy could not believe they were related to him.
And keep your eyes wide...
The chance won't come again...
I have recently seen two other Bob films (Don't Look Back and I'm Not There)
but this one is by far the best I think - or perhaps i can't say that in light of not having known what it would be like to have seen this one alone without the other two...
And don't speak too soon...
For the wheel's still in spin...
And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now..
Will be later to win...
but seriously... he has some issues
serious ones
For the times they are a-changin'.
he is one weird dude.
quite the engima
it is almost liek he is a channel for some wise spirits
the force of one's ideas and inspiration can drive one quite mad...and you begin to get good hints at that in these three films about him.
Though you might hear laughin', spinnin' swingin' madly across the sun
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.
He denies being political and carries an urge to fight off any labels, categories or groups that anyone identifies him with
Is that the curse of feeling pinned down and trapped; constrained and his denial is his struggle to stay above ground in the face of that limitation on his creativity?
I think Bob did a lot of pretending, denial whatever you might call it - in his personal relationships and in his ability to understand himself and accept himself. Some of his songs seem to be written about himself although he denies it. The same songs can be seen to be about false messiahs.
So swiftly the sun sets in the sky,
You rise up and say goodbye to no one.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one.
Shedding off one more layer of skin,
Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
You're a man of the mountains, you can walk on the clouds,
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister.
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah
But what do you care? Ain't nobody there would want to marry your sister.
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame,
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.
He semantically avoids responsibility for things he has done in his life that aren't right (eg: going into someone's house when they were away and taking their rare collection of woody guthrie albums - defending and justifying this as a righteous act from his background as a "musical expeditionary"). He seems to be lazy in the personal growth side of himself - preferring to let himself be distracted by the drama he willing created resisting how people wanted to see him rather than just accepting that's how they wanted to see him. I can understand why, as an artist , you would want to do that.
I think it is that kind of weight from the public that killed Jimi Hendrix who had similar experiences with audiences demanding he stick to his original stuff that they first heard when his heart wanted to explore other styles and forms.
It really flies in the face of all that a true artist is - to be tied, constrained, pinned and held to something. You can't fully be creative if you aren't liberated. You can't be yourself and for most true artists they are extremely sensitive to this kind of pressure.
But perhaps this is how Bob managed to survive. He's still around! It is never really the drugs or the alcohol but just the art or genius itself that kills.
We lost many good artists to suffering far to early; Nick Drake, Jimi Hendrix, River Phoenix, Marilyn Monroe, Heath Ledger, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, Michael Hutchence, Jim Morrison, Elliott Smith, Janis Joplin...
So maybe this is how Dylan secured his future in this life.
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my days
I'll say goodbye to Colorado
Where I was born and partly raised.
He seems to be craving people to listen to him expressing himself and then resenting them for doing it but the audience had a part to play - especially, I think, the british tour.
Dylan got badly treated by fans when he went to Britain. He had picked up an electric guitar and had a band behind him and the britsh fans did not want a bar of it and were so rude to him!
they all wanted to hear him play folk. You turn them on once and thats all they want to hear... until it gets old... and then they want to hear it again, only different, only the same
In those days that is what the audience did. They bought tickets went to the show and booed and abused him. But they don't do that now.
fandom has taken over
robbie williams could lie in the gutter and vomit and his fans would think it was gold.
they would still flock to his concerts
I am talking about crazy creepy idolization and commercialization of pop icons.
music is not about music anymore.
but robbie williams has changed his style a few times.. so has madonna.
peopel accept it and love it and buy it. they don't buy tickets, go the the concert and boo.
they just don't buy the tickets in the first place if they don't liek the new stuff.
in those days they went to the concert, booed and told him to go home.
it's astounding.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before its washed to the sea?
Yes, n how many years can some people exist
Before theyre allowed to be free?
Yes, n how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesnt see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,
The answer is blowin in the wind.
I had not realised the extent to which bob took on woody guthrie. When he was young, before he was known, he really spent a lot of years literally being a bunch of different people (a theme picked up on in I'm Not There)
The wounded man looks up with his one dyin eye...
... said why'd you bring him in here, he ain't the guy.
at one stage I was wondering if every song of his I liked was someone elses.
But no... he kicked in writing his own stuff after a while
but he spent a long time immersing himself in other people's stuff.
no direction home is really a great film about him.
I have always loved and respected Bob Dylan's music but never understood the man.
Through these films I have come to accept that is probably because the man doesn't understand himself.
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody has ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
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