Unbelievable / "3"

I'm not sure how it happened this fast, by my little girl started school this week. Yes, it is preschool, but it's still school.

On a related note, she turns a big "3" this weekend. Happy Birthday, Kalliopi!

The Meatman Cometh ("Delicatessen")

One of the great things about Netflix is my ability to see films that I normally wouldn't go into a store and rent. Though this French Film (from the director of Amelie) is over 15 years old, I had never heard of it. Check this vid for the trailer to DELICATESSEN:



What a fun, delightful, atmospheric dark comedy. If you like Terry Gilliam movies such as Brazil, this is right up that same alley. The characters are outrageous, the sequences are fun and the comedy is creepy and fantastic. Though the entire movie is not this choreographed and goofy, here's one clip to give you a taste (pun intended):

Peaceful Warrior

My Netflix queue finally sent me a copy of Peaceful Warrior over the weekend. While admittedly I can see how casual viewers might dismiss some of it as cheesy fluff, if you remain open to it, there's some really good stuff in here. As Jon puts it "there is no movie I am aware of that more honestly and movingly shows what learning with an authentic spiritual teacher is like, capturing the traps, lessons, pains, and joys experienced upon the way." Though not perfect, Peaceful Warrior is a definite "see" for anyone interested in stories of spiritual awakening.

Dan Millman: Life has just three rules?
Socrates: And you already know them...
Dan Millman: Paradox, humor, and change.
Socrates: Paradox...
Dan Millman: Life is a mystery. Don't waste time trying to figure it out.
Socrates: Humor...
Dan Millman: Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure.
Socrates: Change...
Dan Millman: Know that nothing stays the same.

Arena Rock

Last night the Waltz for Venus boys and I had one of the highlights of our musical careers. We played Boiler Gold Rush (one of the Welcome Events at Purdue University) and had the privilege of performing at the Elliott Hall of Music - a stage that has been rocked by the nation's biggest acts from Kelly Clarkson to Dave Matthews to...

Anyway, the crowd was incredibly responsive - jumping, singing, fully engaged - and it was either the biggest thing we'll ever do - or just the beginning: the start of WFV ver 2.0 (lets hope it's the latter).

Enjoy SET ONE of the pics. I've got more to post when I get them from the other camera-woman. Mad props to Brandy Brooks for this fantastic photography...


























...one more more from the Green Room for good measure...

Giving. Now.

"Most men make the error of thinking that one day it will be done. They think, 'If I can work enough, then one day I could rest.' Or, 'One day my woman will understand something and then she will stop complaining.' Or, 'I'm only doing this now so that one day I can do what I really want with my life.' The masculine error is to think that eventually things will be different in some fundamental way. They won't. It never ends. As long as life continues, the creative challenge is to tussle, play and make love with the present moment while giving your unique gift."
[David Deida, in "The Way of the Superior Man"]

This reminds me of the cliché (yet deeply true) phrase, "If not now, when?" When does sleeping ever get us to tomorrow? If today - even right in this moment - I'm not living as the fullest expression of what I am or what I want to be, then I never will. Situations and atmospheres will change, but that everlasting, constant hum of dissatisfaction and wanting will never change (as long as I'm waiting for it to). The only thing one can do - as Deida points out in this book - is to artfully transmute your wanting into giving: to give your gift - your life - fully now and not assume that you'll do it later when ____ happens.

Home Brewing: Part III

After several weeks of waiting for my first home brewed beer to age properly, here we go:



Scotch Ale ("Wee Heavy") in a "thistle" tulip glass

Appearance: Pours a 2 finger-width head which reduces down to a very thin lacing. The color is deep brown with a copper tint.

Aroma: Spicy sweet molasses, cherry, chocolate, plumbs, and alcohol.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Bold flavors of bitter coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco and caramel with the cherry returning in the finish. Mouthfeel is soapy and slick, with a slight buzzy carbonation. There's a good blend here of the bitterness from the hops and and that overarching "scotch ale" sweetness.

Notes: There was an initial "sourness" that decreased as the beer aged. The first bottle I opened made me think the lot was ruined, but as the weeks rolled by each bottle got smoother and sweeter. The drinkability is high as it is not so heavy that it can only be enjoyed by the fireplace in the winter, but it still is also not a casual summer beer. A very successful first try - and it's a good thing I like it because I've got about 40 more waiting in the closet.

Some Lightness For Your Weekend: "Speaking Of Music..."

Speaking of music...

Once again, I'm catching the tailwind of internet fads/memes, but for those of you not blessed to experience this, here we go.

It's called "Chocolate Rain" - but I think you'll pick up on that after hearing him say it 4,000 times. Watching this creates the strangest internal dialog that is some combination of the following:

-"this is funny"
-"this is sad"
-"what the eff is this?"
-"whoa, this is kinda catchy"
-"how is that voice coming from that head"
-"is that James Earl Jones?"
-"is that Janet Jackson?"
-"what the hell is chocolate rain?"
-"i think he's singing about something serious"
-"isn't that the MegaMan theme song on the keyboard?"
-"why can't I stop watching this?"
-"why can't I sleep at night without this song invading my brain"
-"please, God, make it stop"

Watch it. I dare you to go the whole 5 minutes.



And then, to make things more funny, endless people have done parodies: