I heard this first on a "Grey's Anatomy" episode several months ago but as it happens I didn't really realize its brilliance until tonight as I went jogging in the evening with my Ipod Nano, as I put it on one of my numerous random playlists. This song came on and I just felt a surge of adrenaline and euphoria. I keep replaying it over and over on my run back home and now I'm completely hooked. It just taps a nerve somewhere for me.
She's even great live, which is so rare for artists these days:
Edited, album version:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
James 4.1 - 5.6
James 4.1 - 4.6:
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you don't ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to swell in us?" But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
[...]
James 4.13 - 4.17:
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
James 5.1 - 5.6:
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
(Excerpt from The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd Edition, 2001.)
***
These passages are acrimonious and not representative of most of the texts in the New Testament, but in a way I think it serves as a wake-up call for those who are fallible but still with integrity, and especially for the wealthy, to reexamine their manner of living and attitude towards the downtrodden and impoverished.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you don't ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to swell in us?" But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
[...]
James 4.13 - 4.17:
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
James 5.1 - 5.6:
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
(Excerpt from The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd Edition, 2001.)
***
These passages are acrimonious and not representative of most of the texts in the New Testament, but in a way I think it serves as a wake-up call for those who are fallible but still with integrity, and especially for the wealthy, to reexamine their manner of living and attitude towards the downtrodden and impoverished.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
New Blog — The Health Guru!
You may have noticed that recently, I've been posting more mundane topics of interest on this blog. This is because we are Triune beings composed of mind, body, and spirit. Each component is equally as important though operating at different levels. I've decided, due partly to my burgeoning interest in health, to start a new blog devoted to matters of the body primarily as well as some topics concerning the mind, such as cognitive health, etc.
Those interested can click on the hyperlink here to be directed.
Those interested can click on the hyperlink here to be directed.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Amazing Treehoppers of the Rainforest
I just watched an episode from one of my favorite CBC shows, "The Nature of Things with David Suzuki," specifically the episode titled Mini Monsters of Amazonia.
I never even knew the existence of these fascinating albeit minute creatures of the rainforests of South America prior to watching The Nature of Things. Observing them in their native habitat was truly mesmerizing.
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| One of the most famous and widely studied treehoppers, Bocydium tintinnabuliferum. |
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| Copyright belongs to Harshal Desai. Please visit his blog. |
If you would like to view more images of treehoppers. Wonderful photos can be seen on Patrick Landmann's website. He was also featured in the Mini Monsters episode. There is also a fine collection of treehopper images found at this Flickr website.
Monday, September 13, 2010
S. Darko's Soundtrack
I debated whether to post this on this blog, since this blog is ostensibly for chronicling my spiritual journey post-India. While I think it might be a stretch, I think music can expand our consciousness and even conventional or mainstream music can accomplish this.
I just finished watching a mediocre film (definitely doesn't live up to its predecessor) but it had a phenomenal score by Ed Harcourt and some good songs from some popular and obscure '90s artists. The movie I'm referring to is S. Darko, with the protagonist being the eponymous sister to Donnie Darko — Sam.
These are three of my favorite songs from the film:
Cocteau Twins — Heaven or Las Vegas
Catherine Wheel — Black Metallic
Dead Can Dance — The Carnival is Over
I just finished watching a mediocre film (definitely doesn't live up to its predecessor) but it had a phenomenal score by Ed Harcourt and some good songs from some popular and obscure '90s artists. The movie I'm referring to is S. Darko, with the protagonist being the eponymous sister to Donnie Darko — Sam.
These are three of my favorite songs from the film:
Cocteau Twins — Heaven or Las Vegas
Catherine Wheel — Black Metallic
Dead Can Dance — The Carnival is Over
The Importance of Humility (Luke 14)
I had missed two weeks of Mass, so when I went yesterday I flipped through the Epistle book and perused the readings I had missed. I found this particular passage from Luke, especially enlightening. It also served as a crucial reminder for me to remain humble and remember not to misplace my values on mundane achievements in a transitory world.
Luke 14:7-14
[7] When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: [8] "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. [9] If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. [10] But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
[12] Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. [13] But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, [14] and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14:7-14
[7] When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: [8] "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. [9] If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. [10] But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
[12] Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. [13] But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, [14] and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Happy Rosh Hashana! ראש השנה
Here's a message from our illustrious president:
L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem! שנה טובה
And to the females: L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi!
(May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.)
L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem! שנה טובה
And to the females: L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi!
(May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Unassuming but Heroic Young Man from Beijing
I actually saw this video on the Dr. Mercola website. I was so moved by it that I felt I had to share it with others. I fear sometimes that I've become rather cynical and jaded due to my experiences and from what I've learned about the world but it's in these rare moments — inspired by sheer human beauty and fortitude — that I know we are all still innocent no matter what; that despite all the excrement that covers the masses and in spite of the depth of depravity that humankind can stoop to, we can still surface for air sometimes and occasionally even soar about the filth, unsoiled.
I think this reminds us all really to reevaluate our lives — to realize fully how fortunate we truly are just to have all four of our limbs! You don't think twice about how fortunate you are that you can eat using fingers and not toes. (Today, when I was tying my shoelaces in the garage and walking to my car I smiled inwardly and felt a wave of gratitude knowing the fact that I could perform those simple actions with ease and that I could drive to the gym). These very basic, fundamental things that we never think twice about. I'm so glad that I came across this video (and at a perfect time in my life) because it reminds me to be in a state of perpetual gratitude for being alive and for having robust health; most of all, to know that the only thing holding me back is my own limiting notions of self, rather than some fanciful external impediment that is not actually there.
我覺得在我人生當中只有兩條路：要麼趕緊死，要麼精彩活著。沒有人規定鋼琴一定要用手的。
-Liu Wei
I think this reminds us all really to reevaluate our lives — to realize fully how fortunate we truly are just to have all four of our limbs! You don't think twice about how fortunate you are that you can eat using fingers and not toes. (Today, when I was tying my shoelaces in the garage and walking to my car I smiled inwardly and felt a wave of gratitude knowing the fact that I could perform those simple actions with ease and that I could drive to the gym). These very basic, fundamental things that we never think twice about. I'm so glad that I came across this video (and at a perfect time in my life) because it reminds me to be in a state of perpetual gratitude for being alive and for having robust health; most of all, to know that the only thing holding me back is my own limiting notions of self, rather than some fanciful external impediment that is not actually there.
我覺得在我人生當中只有兩條路：要麼趕緊死，要麼精彩活著。沒有人規定鋼琴一定要用手的。
-Liu Wei
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Remarkable Interviews with Inspiring Figures
Both of these videos are excerpts from the DVD Special Features from the documentary "Sicko" (2007) by Michael Moore.
Tony Benn (ex-Labour Party MP):
Aleida Guevara (Che's daughter):
Continued...
For those interested, I wrote a review for "Sicko" on an a shared blog called "Shida Book Club." It's the September 1st entry.
("Shida" is the Mandarin moniker for the university, where the three of us met. The English name of the university is National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and the language institute is called the Mandarin Training Center (MTC). Yes, the rampant abuse of acronyms is a universal disease in the academic world.)
Tony Benn (ex-Labour Party MP):
Aleida Guevara (Che's daughter):
Continued...
For those interested, I wrote a review for "Sicko" on an a shared blog called "Shida Book Club." It's the September 1st entry.
("Shida" is the Mandarin moniker for the university, where the three of us met. The English name of the university is National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and the language institute is called the Mandarin Training Center (MTC). Yes, the rampant abuse of acronyms is a universal disease in the academic world.)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A Progressive Example from Norway
While I think Michael Moore might paint Norway in a much rosier light than reality (speaking from a cynical, American — conditioned by Fox News and conservative pundits — perspective of course), I still think this bit from the special features on the DVD for "Sicko" should give Americans food for thought. I like the quote by the interviewed Norwegian: "What we call a conservative in Norway, I suppose most people in the United States would call liberal." I also think it's remarkably enlightened that they are utilizing biomass for generating electricity. (It's not a myth; here's an article about using biomethane to power buses in Norway.)
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