Good ole' Dave and his granny.

I urge one and all to report the abuse to TPM all weekend.  Either that, or let's just get rid of the "recommend" system altogether.

As a friend of mine today said, we have to have boundaries.

I think we should draw the line here.

all well and good, to put god and country first

but what country does god own,

exactly?

and would he condone,

exactly,

what you're doing to keep it in his name?

maybe he just wants a dirt plot on mars.

ever ask him?

maybe he came and went years ago,

leaving us with instructions we'll never need.

maybe many folks have been gifted with signs and knowledge

that you'll never allow yourself to be gifted enough

to understand, or even try to read.

maybe when you piece them all together, you'll find that

no one has the answers

and that questioning everything

is more christian an act

than closing every answer out that you don't agree with.

maybe I'm wrong

and maybe you're right

and maybe we should just meet in the middle

and null each other out.

cuz maybe that's what god did already.

ever think of that?

Today at work I took yet another forbidden smoke break half way through the long afternoon.  I went out the back entrance of the building and wandered down the sidewalk towards the smoking area, and as I did I noticed a big beetle was lying on its back in the middle of the path.  I figured it was dead, and I walked carefully around it.

As I stood there, smoking my ciggie, I saw a woman that I've seen before many a time -- she doesn't talk much with me, just says hello, but it's obvious she's of German or Austrian descent, given her accent, and she always smiles and nods when we pass in the hallways -- well, I saw her look down at the beetle, and instead of giving up on it like I had, she tried to turn it over with her shoe.  Carefully, gently.  But every time she did, it would roll over again, onto its back.  I figured she'd probably give up after the 10th try, but no. 

What she did was, she moved it over and over and over again towards the edge of the sidewalk towards the dirt where our office complex has laid a small garden out.  And then, when the beetle still lay on his back near the edge of the sidewalk, this lady grasped a long leaf from one of the plants and scooped up the beetle and laid it gently down in the dirt, right side up, finally.

And then, satisfied, she went back inside the building. 

I was nearing the end of my cigarette and so I moved closer to where the beetle now stood, in the dirt, and I watched as he collected his wits -- really, he did!  It took him a half a minute to realize he had his legs back.  And then he took two tentative steps, crawling through the dirt.  And I stood over him, watching as he took a few more, moving faster and faster, and more self-assured.

And then I went back up to my cubicle, knowing that I had just seen something really cool happen, but not knowing how to express it.

Tonight in the chat room, I told two friends about this, and one of them gave me this to ponder upon:

    Lightning flashes,
    Sparks shower,
    In one blink of your eyes,
    You have missed seeing.

If you've wandered here wanting to know what Zen is, then more than likely you will come away disappointed. This is a question that is easily asked but not easily answered. A Hindu story tells of a fish who asked of another fish: "I have always heard about the sea, but what is it? Where is it?" The other fish replied: "You live, move and have your being in the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea, and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being." The only true answer is the one that you find for yourself.

Sometimes, things are so simple, they can't be noticed.  Sometimes, things make so much sense, they can't be figured out.   Sometimes, we can't see the forest for the trees.

Sometimes, what some see as God's work, others see as nature at its best.  Sometimes, we just need to stop trying to figure out what to attribute miracles to, and take them for what they are.

Okay, growing up, I always thought West Side Story was the most important musical film out there. Not only was it a good take on Shakespeare, but it told a story of social prejudice and injustice.

Then came Julie Taymor's film Across the Universe.

Julie Taymor came up with the idea to build a film around the Beatles songs and tell a story about the whole decade of the 1960's at the same time. She used 33 Beatles songs in her film, and made them all fit the context of her vision. Not an easy feat. She had a helluva time picking which songs to portray.

But her goal in mind was to show the 60's from beginning to end, and the Beatles were there all along. So she used her own recollections of the era and the Beatles songs to create a film that everyone should see.

Some mistake this film for a simple romance. I'm sorry, but I think it's much more than that. I think it's a political commentary.

Take this scene, of the heroine's brother getting inducted.

Take this scene, of a protest against Nam gone wrong.

Imagery, and imagination, at its best. John Lennon would've liked this film, I suspect.

One of my favorites, this scene. Radical at it's best.  The kudos to James Bond notwithstanding, the message of the song remains intact somehow.

Oh, and don't forget Mr. Kite as portrayed by Eddie Izzard, one of Dickday's fave new people.

For a fun time, there's also this scene.

For a painful but learning moment, there's this.

I especially enjoy Joe Anderson in this film.  He plays Lucy's brother Max.  If anyone was born to play Kurt Cobain in a film, Joe is it.  I also adore T.V. Carpio, as Prudence.  She came in through the bathroom window, folks.

Great film, all around. Even if, like me, you are not a Paul fan.

It has humor, great visual effects, a storyline, loveable and interesting characters.....and it reminds us of so much that we need to be reminded of. Especially now....

Peace, love, and understanding.