January 2011
43 posts
“The first cup moistens my lips & throat; the second cup breaks my loneliness; the third cup searches my innermost being…. The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration - all the wrong of life passes away through my pores. At the fifth cup I am purified; the sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals. The seventh cup - ah, but I could take no more! I only feel the breath of cool wind that rises in my sleeves.”
—
Lo Tung, T’ang dynasty poet (via thirstea)
Finished enjoying a few mugs of a custom tea blend consisting of silver needle white tea and rooibos (red bush) tea leaves, all lovingly steeped in my cast iron dragon teapot (aka my brewing baby). And this eloquently extensive quote really captures the calming essence and meditative nature of tea drinking; it’s like EPMD’s Chill in hot drink form.
“The over-information age, as I lovingly call it. We think so much, we truly know and understand so very little. We don’t even know how little we know. Even Socrates, the father of Western philosophy, people said he was the wisest of people in Athens. He said, “If I am, if that’s true, it’s because I know how little I know.”
—Lama Surya Das, from Buddhist Geeks podcast #190: Living In Buddha Standard Time
“Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.”
—Dalai Lama
Silencio... the sequel!
A little update:
My first attempt at a Buddhist vow of silence lasted approximately 4.5 days. I accidentally slipped up a handful of times during that time period (mostly in the form of 1-2 word reactionary replies, temporarily forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to say anything at all). But being quiet every second of the day (including whispering/thinking out loud) is no easy task, I found.
And as was expected, it was quite difficult to hold back from talking during the holidays. But that was part of the challenge (if it was going to be easy, then what’s the point?). Whenever I needed to express a more complex thought/question/answer to my family and friends (if the body language/mouthing-of-words approach failed), I just used the notes application on my mobile. And when required to speak in public, you usually just point to your throat as a sign that you’ve lost your voice (which is much easier than trying to use hand gestures to explain to a stranger the reasoning behind a vow of silence). I also learned a bit of sign language which was cool (and I’ll try to learn a bit more).
But what’s most important is that absolutely nothing should discourage you from seeing your commitment all the way through, just like with any mental/physical challenge that you’re serious about completing. “Finish and finish STRONG”, a mantra I often repeat to myself when nearing the end of a workout (“Don’t be a p*ssy”, although not as eloquent, also works to push me that extra mile or so). Because if you can’t motivate yourself, then no one else can either.
In light of all that, I am starting off this 3 week-old new year by making another attempt at a week-long vow of silence (same conditions apply). And exactly one month to the day that I began my previous and first silent vow (coincidence? More like premeditated). It began at about 5AM early this morning and will end (hopefully successfully) at 5AM Friday morning, January 28th. Once again, I’d ask everyone to wish me luck, but as one John “Legend” Stephens recited on the hook to The Fire by The Roots: “You don’t say good luck, you say don’t give up”. No doubt.
“The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others. Rather, we must criticize ourselves. How much am I doing about my anger? About my attachment, about my hatred, about my pride, my jealousy? These are the things which we must check in daily life.”
—Dalai Lama
“It’s not that money is the root of all evil, it’s not that sex or the others, women are the root of all evil. Ignorance, and not knowing what reality, that’s the root of all evil.”
—Lama Surya Das, from Buddhist Geeks podcast #189: The Tao of Twitter
“It’s not that money is the root of all evil, it’s not that sex or the others, women are the root of all evil. Ignorance, and not knowing what reality, that’s the root of all evil.”
—Lama Surya Das, from Buddhist Geeks podcast #189: The Tao of Twitter
“And thank you to God…for making me an atheist.”
—The comedy god that is Ricky Gervais with his final closing remark at the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards. Amazing hosting job this year at an entertaining show where everyone was fair game. Hopefully Ricky returns again for next year’s awards. Or better yet, let this brilliant man host the Oscars (unfortunately, the Academy doesn’t have the brass globes to be so edgy). Congrats to (most of) the well-deserved winners. In particular, Boardwalk Empire (Buscemi, best drama series), The Social Network (nearly every award they were nominated for, most notably Fincher and Trent Reznor) and Black Swan (Portman). Edit: And the great Christian Bale, who was looking like Jesus tonight (a true acting saviour), for The Fighter, which I’ve never seen but I don’t doubt Bale’s greatness in the film one bit. Pretty good for a 3 hour show.
“And thank you to God…for making me an atheist.”
—The comedy god that is Ricky Gervais with his final closing remark at the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards. Amazing hosting job this year at an entertaining show where everyone was fair game. Hopefully Ricky returns again for next year’s awards. Or better yet, let this brilliant man host the Oscars (unfortunately, the Academy doesn’t have the brass globes to be so edgy). Congrats to (most of) the well-deserved winners. In particular, Boardwalk Empire (Buscemi, best drama series), The Social Network (nearly every award they were nominated for, most notably Fincher and Trent Reznor) and Black Swan (Portman). Pretty good for a 3 hour show.
Theme From Blow Out
Pino Donaggio
Pino Donaggio - Theme From “Blow Out”
Having created memorable dreamy scores for films directed by the likes of Nicolas Roeg, Joe Dante, Dario Argento and Brian De Palma (with whom a creative partnership was formed over the course of numerous films), Italian maestro Pino Donaggio has without a doubt proven to be one of the greatest film composers ever.
And in light of the recent tremendous news that the fine folks of discerning cinematic taste at The Criterion Collection are all set to release De Palma’s 1981 masterpiece Blow Out on Blu-ray and DVD, thereby finally giving this overlooked (by the masses) gem of a film its first ever special edition treatment (and by Criterion, no less). I thought this would be a great opportunity to post what I feel is Pino’s crown jewel composition and one of the most beautiful and emotionally haunting themes I’ve ever heard. And if you’ve seen the film, you are well aware of the central role (both majestic and heart-breaking) that this goosebump-inducing (for me) symphony plays in the narrative. And the impact hits full force by the dark humoured, mind-blowing ending (especially if you happen to endear yourself to Nancy Allen’s adorable portrayal of Sally). I may have indirectly given a bit of the plot away, but the film turns 30 years old this year, so you’ve had your chances ;)
Blow Out holds a very firm spot in my TOP 20 films of all-time. And many film connoisseurs tend to feel that Brian De Palma has never made a better film, a sentiment that I wholeheartedly echo (in my book, Carrie ranks in a somewhat distant second, followed by Body Double). But despite the widespread admiration (mostly among cinephiles, it seems) for this dark love letter to the painstaking filmmaking process (not to mention the crucial role of the sound man), it’s still considered a hidden gem of late 70’s/early 80’s American cinema. And I would go out on a (short) limb and say that the majority of Travolta fans, who most likely admire the man for his iconic roles in Grease and Saturday Night Fever, have probably never even heard of Blow Out before (or at least have never seen it).
This film was the main reason why Tarantino cast Travolta in what would prove to be his comeback role 13 years later in another seminal film, Pulp Fiction (Q also uses a small excerpt of the Blow Out theme as homage in Death Proof, his superior half of 2007’s vastly underappreciated and misunderstood Grindhouse). On top of everything, Blow Out is representative of a triple crown of excellence: De Palma’s greatest film, Travolta’s greatest performance (dramatic or otherwise), and Donaggio’s greatest musical composition (all in my opinion, of course). With Blow Out, lightning struck across the board and landed directly in the bottle.
So if you’ve never peeped Blow Out before (lucky you), Criterion is set to give all interested parties (old and new) the best possible viewing experience via a long overdue proper home release that the film has always deserved but never received until now (or rather, this April). I, for one, cannot wait to see how the Blu-ray transfer is going to display/showcase De Palma’s sublime shot compositions and numerous visual tricks (I’m also looking forward to finally retiring my well-traveled bare-bones MGM copy of the film).
Yet another perfect Criterion cover choice that effectively captures the film’s (and cinema’s) brilliant complexity. Happy 30th, Blow Out!
Bonus: From the Criterion Twitter
This is the first release made from the original negative and the transfer was supervised by de Palma… It looks great.
Is it April yet?
Theme From Blow Out
Pino Donaggio
Pino Donaggio - Theme From “Blow Out”
Having created memorable dreamy scores for films directed by the likes of Nicolas Roeg, Joe Dante, Dario Argento and Brian De Palma (with whom a creative partnership was formed over the course of numerous films), Italian maestro Pino Donaggio has without a doubt proven to be one of the greatest film composers ever.
And in light of the recent tremendous news that the fine folks of discerning cinematic taste at The Criterion Collection are all set to release De Palma’s 1981 masterpiece Blow Out on Blu-ray and DVD, thereby finally giving this overlooked (by the masses) gem of a film its first ever special edition treatment (and by Criterion, no less). I thought this would be a great opportunity to post what I feel is Pino’s crown jewel composition and one of the most beautiful and emotionally haunting themes I’ve ever heard. And if you’ve seen the film, you are well aware of the central role (both majestic and heart-breaking) that this goosebump-inducing theme plays in the narrative. And the impact hits full force by the dark humoured, mind-blowing ending (especially if you happen to endear yourself to Nancy Allen’s adorable portrayal of Sally). I may have indirectly given a bit of the plot away, but the film turns 30 years old this year, so you’ve had your chances ;)
Blow Out holds a very firm spot in my TOP 20 films of all-time. And many film connoisseurs tend to feel that Brian De Palma has never made a better film, a sentiment that I wholeheartedly echo (in my book, Carrie ranks in a somewhat distant second, followed by Body Double). But despite the widespread admiration (mostly among cinephiles, it seems) for this dark love letter to the painstaking filmmaking process (not to mention the crucial role of the sound man), it’s still considered a hidden gem of late 70’s/early 80’s American cinema. And I would go out on a (short) limb and say that the majority of Travolta fans, who most likely admire the man for his iconic roles in Grease and Saturday Night Fever, have probably never even heard of Blow Out before (or at least have never seen it).
This film was the main reason why Tarantino cast Travolta in what would prove to be his comeback role 13 years later in another seminal film, Pulp Fiction (Q also uses a small excerpt of the Blow Out theme as homage in Death Proof, his superior half of 2007’s vastly underappreciated and misunderstood Grindhouse). On top of everything, Blow Out is representative of a triple crown of excellence: De Palma’s greatest film, Travolta’s greatest performance (dramatic or otherwise), and Donaggio’s greatest musical composition (all in my opinion, of course). With Blow Out, lightning struck across the board and landed directly into the bottle.
So if you’ve never peeped Blow Out before (lucky you), Criterion is set to give all interested parties (old and new) the best possible viewing experience via a long overdue proper home release that the film has always deserved but never received until now (or rather, this April). I, for one, cannot wait to see how the Blu-ray transfer is going to display De Palma’s sublime shot compositions and numerous visual tricks (and in the process, I’m also looking forward to finally retiring my well-traveled bare-bones MGM copy of the film).
Yet another perfect Criterion cover choice that effectively captures the film’s (and cinema’s) brilliant complexity. Happy 30th, Blow Out!
The Ricky Gervais Show: Se2 Ep1 - Clive Warren (featuring the glorious return of Karl's Diary!)
- Stephen (reading an excerpt): Didn't do much this morning. Just sat by the pool, saving insects that flew into it.
- Ricky: *laughing uncontrollably* I'm gonna die! Like fucking Noah! That's crazy! Nothing...
- Stephen: How were you saving them? Did you wait for them to hit the water? Then fish them out or you grabbed them in the air?
- Karl: I stuck my finger on the top. They grabbed on, lifted it off.
- Ricky: And what, like some sort of insect lifeguard, you'd see some that landed and then go "Right, that's me" *humming A-Team theme song* and you'd go in there?
- Karl: But it's hard to turn sort of a blind eye to stuff like that. 'Cause you know that's something, you know...you're witnessing death. And if you can save something, you do don't you? You do your bit. And at night, I'd sort of think "Have they learned their lesson or will they be back and will they be dead in there tomorrow?" But if they can get an extra day, I've done my bit. I can't do more than that. I am on holiday; do your bit. I'm lucky enough to see the world; do your bit.
- Ricky: I love it...
- Karl: I did my bit.
- Ricky: I love it. I love it. I love the fact that he was running around saving flies and things.
- Stephen: It's just something...there's something so sort of...
- Ricky: Meanwhile, an old lady drowned...
- Stephen: *laughing* Yeah.
- Ricky: ...while he was saving a beetle.
The Ricky Gervais Show: Se2 Ep1 - Clive Warren (featuring the glorious return of Karl's Diary!)
- Stephen (reading an excerpt): Didn't do much this morning. Just sat by the pool, saving insects that flew into it.
- Ricky: *laughing uncontrollably* I'm gonna die! Like fucking Noah! That's crazy! Nothing...
- Stephen: How were you saving them? Did you wait for them to hit the water? Then fish them out or you grabbed them in the air?
- Karl: I stuck my finger on the top. They grabbed on, lifted it off.
- Ricky: And what, like some sort of insect lifeguard, you'd see some that landed and then go "Right, that's me" *humming A-Team theme song* and you'd go in there?
- Karl: But it's hard to turn sort of a blind eye to stuff like that. 'Cause you know that's something, you know...you're witnessing death. And if you can save something, you do don't you? You do your bit. And at night, I'd sort of think "Have they learned their lesson or will they be back and will they be dead in there tomorrow?" But if they can get an extra day, I've done my bit. I can't do more than that. I am on holiday; do your bit. I'm lucky enough to see the world; do your bit.
- Ricky: I love it...
- Karl: I did my bit.
- Ricky: I love it. I love it. I love the fact that he was running around saving flies and things.
- Stephen: It's just something...there's something so sort of...
- Ricky: Meanwhile, an old lady drowned...
- Stephen: *laughing* Yeah.
- Ricky: ...while he was saving a beetle.
Buddhist Geeks | Discover the Emerging Face of Buddhism →
buddhistgeeks.com
Coming from both a Buddhist and a geek, this site is a terrific look at a culture that can be considered as post modern Buddhism (a move from tradition towards the future, all in the ways of the Buddha). If you are so inclined, check out any of their 203 (and counting) excellent podcasts to see what being a Buddhist geek is all about (just finished peeping #200 myself).
Buddhist Geeks | Discover the Emerging Face of Buddhism →
buddhistgeeks.com
Coming from both a Buddhist and a geek, this site is a terrific look at a culture that can be considered as post modern Buddhism (a move from tradition towards the future, all in the ways of the Buddha). If you are so inclined, check out any of their 203 excellent podcasts to see what being a Buddhist geek is all about (just finished peeping #200 myself).
“In Buddhism we have relative truth and absolute truth.”
—Dalai Lama. Two Truths of Buddhism Beliefs
