Prickly shark, long-nosed chimaera pup, gunard, blob.....man, I suddenly want to go back and read Starfish again, but be triply creeped out this time. I will say that I think I understand the phrase 'elegantly grotesque' a little better in some way, though I'll also say that I think I get the whole Cthulu mythos idea better as well. (+more educational source - even some of Lenie's starfish, as it were, from the book, and the word 'wonky' used seriously)

words

anguine - snakelike

dianoia - thought, process of thinking

Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music is a big compilation of samples of every kind of electronica one could think of. I thought it was particularly interesting how well you can tell the difference between even slight variants of different styles with the samples he has, and his way of graphing it also illuminates a great deal (my favorites were Tribal and Darkcore, and I finally found the long sought Ayumi Hayasaki song I forgot I was looking for to boot).

I think the idea of language as our interface with reality is intriguing. To skim, each language is almost like a different view of reality. When one learns a new language, like really learns a new language fluently (they can think in it), then one gets a new perspective on reality. If I look up and see the sun, I of course know the denotation and connotation of such, but I also have a deeper understanding of everything that went into making the meaning of that word what it is and what it can signify; likewise sol in Spanish and soleil in French and sola in Italian have their own meanings, that aren't truly understood until the source-language is known fluently. Beyond that, each language's way of helping us to interface with what we percieve with reality isn't understood until we understand the language - ie, speakers of each language might each see the sun in a different way. Of course, this idea is just a part of what makes up perception of reality, but according to many analytical philosophers it is a very - if not the most - significant part. (re: Quine, meme theory)

unrelated fun with words: "unlockable" can be its own opposite; "Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana."

Yet another interesting movie, City of God is about a gang war amidst the slum culture of Brazil - ie, the idea that there are two cultures in Brazil, the seemingly ubiquitous middle class, and this other culture. Interestingly the director didn't particularly use actors, but real people from the streets.

"All beings are the owners of their karma. Their happiness depends on their actions, not on my wishes for them."

Body as star analogy: a star needs the fusion at its heart to radiate outward; if the core of the body (abs, back, pelvic base) is burnt out or not strong enough to contract and support the rest of the body....

Sigh. People who don't understand Japanese: moi. But the trailer for Casshern still looks interesting nonetheless.

So (to paraphrase Hume) if we are to be considered conscious because we are aware of our own awareness, what if a literary character is aware of their own awareness? Would they be conscious in a weird sort of way?

ahh, irony: "I do not trust any Russian. As soon as a Russian worms his way into anything, all hell breaks loose." - Marx writing to Engels

more headlines from Wyatt:
"Exploding beer bottles were the biggest health risk to Chinese consumers last year"

"College athletic trainer use to jam ice pick into his (unknown to them) wooden leg to motivate players. One day he picked the wrong leg"

"Today's 92-year-old woman backing across a busy street and crashing into a playground brought to you by Provo, Utah. Shpadoinkle."

"Ralph Nader emerges from hole in the ground, sees his shadow, announces intent to run for president again."

The funny thing about sitting next to someone and waiting for him to die was that it made me more conscious of not synching up my breath with him, which is the natural tendency I think; don't know why, but there it is.

The other tendency that came to mind today was that of looking at the mountains as if they were a painting. There was a cloud above them with a very distinct shadow, though, that was offset. All of a sudden once I connected the shadow to the cloud it also clicked that the sun was at a certain angle to do that, which led to one giant click of the sun, atmosphere, mountains, and cloud all being perceived at once. In other words, I should have probably gotten more sleep and stopped making myself dizzy and staring at clouds.

And also of note, with M. Night Shyamalan and Joaquin Phoenix in on it The Village looks quite interesting.

For some reason this has been coming up lately, so: The moon on the water idea.
If the moon is being reflected onto running water, it is at the same time moving and not moving. It is not moving, because as a reflection it doesn't inherently move. But at the same time, it is moving because the water that it has its odd sort of existence on is flowing, rippling, &c. So this operates as a kind of zen koan in its paradoxical nature, similar to the more conspicous 'something is nothing, nothing is something' idea, and as such in its zen quality can be applied to nigh anything else - yay for somewhat subtle memes, much more pleasant than say, organized religion.

i still haven't quite formed an opinion on this whole thing yet, but interesting:
"We heard from Bill B. on his concerns about the current gay marriage crisis: "I am a Conservative and could care less if gays and lesbian couples win the right to marry. I believe that it is an idea that is coming to the fore in the nation's social conciseness, much like women's suffrage and anti-slavery did in their times. What troubles me, however, is the attempt to jump start the process with judicial activism. Better to let the people of a state bring pressure on their elected representatives to change the law, or for that matter to bring an amendment to the federal constitution for gay marriage. I know that activists want things changed now but if it is truly worth fighting for, get out and change hearts and minds, instead of building judicial sandcastles.""

"Judicial activism is one of those things you hate if it's not for your cause, and you love if it is. Bottom line: it's the judicial branch being proactive, instead of reactive, regarding the law."

-->but should the judicial branch really be proactive? isn't that the job of the legislators? ah, convolution

If they can actually pull this off, an Ender's Game movie should be interesting. I'd have more doubts if the writers of X-Men 2 weren't in on it.

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather is a fine example of Southwest Literature. Cather is of a very high calibre in her depiction of the culture and landscape of the local region, and her writing epitomizes a clarity and simplicity that does justice to the true figures her characters are based upon. Any who are interested in the cultural history of New Mexico and Arizona should give this book a read; while it's not exactly a fast-paced read, its digressive style is perfect for slow afternoons.

"One might almost say that an apparition is a human vision corrected by divine love. I do not see you as you really are, Joseph; I see you through my affection for you. The Miracles of the Church seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always."

ah, Alias. This is one of those few shows that are worth making an effort to see when they are on. Unfortunately, the plot is often so convoluted that it would necessitate watching nigh every episode just to figure out what is going on. Beyond that, Alias is full of intrigues and plots, and characters of depth to populate them. Not to mention the odd bits of romance-under-pressure, of course, plus rockin' music. And we must not forget the spectacular fight scenes - not only done with finesse, but original and creative to boot. Just one of those shows where you want to cheer the main characters on.

"There are seven million homeless children in the streets of Brazil. Are vanishing trees being reborn as unwanted children?" - Gary Snyder, The Practice of the Wild

“Look at the stars.”
“What about them?”
“Did you ever think about how many of them are ghosts?”
“I don’t get it.”
“We’re not seeing the stars as they are right now. We’re seeing them as they were thousands of years ago, maybe millions of years ago – however long it took their light to reach us. Some of them don’t exist anymore. What we see when we look at them now aren’t the stars themselves, but the light that they gave off – images of themselves, of what they once were.”
“So…?”
“So maybe that’s what ghosts are.”
-Charles de Lint, "The Wishing Well"

50 First Dates - ok, I usually have trouble with any sort of romantic comedy (and oft Adam Sandler movies), but hey, extenuating circumstances. Anyhoo, it seemed actually pretty grown up. The word for it, I believe, would be bittersweet - more sweet than bitter, but still. In any case, I thought it was pretty damn good. Asidedly, kinda want a poster of Drew Barrymore now, and suddenly feel like saying 'aloha' and 'mahalo' a lot.

So have we heard at all about Sen. Kerry? Heard an interesting thought about it though - maybe the Dems want this kind of hindrance, in a way, because if a Democrat wins over Bush in this election, then Hillary wouldn't get to run in 2008. A Democrat would be incumbent, and that just wouldn't do. Hmm........

Kind of interesting to see an example of French pop; the translation is kind of funny, and of course it being pop automatically makes it silly, but I think she gets points for actually having a lower voice. Not that other internat singers like Ayumi Hayasaki and Faye Wong don't have candy-brittle voices sometimes, but hey.
*actually, Faye Wong's voice isn't that high...oops

I think the body is just as important to develop as the mind. So, my reasoning. In the interest of balance, we can look at the extremes - the effete scholar, and the jock with a lump of muscle for a brain - for example, it's not the strongest atheletes that are the MVPs, but the smartest and most skillful. Operating from the oft neglected perspective of the mind and body being a single unit, developing one without the other would be like doing bicep curls with only one arm. While the effect of having well developed body is often not immediately apparent on one's intelligence, as one's life progresses a strong body maintains the mind beyond what any weak body could. Further in that vein, one can certainly tell the difference in how well they are able to concentrate when they are stiff and sore - with flexibility and conscious relaxation, the mind can focus. And from a historical perspective, the Samurai were not revered simply as warriors, but were also known as the greatest poets, artists, and even dancers of their day, and followed complex philisophical codes.

paraphrasing of more serious version of LitTheory prof's metaphor for English major:
You see the English major standing in front of a mountain of almost-chaotic information, like a giant technicolor fractal. After studying it, she promptly sets to work, scanning for nodes of information, dissecting rough-hewn gems from the the semi-fluid meaning and beginning to manipulate them with subtle waves and gestures of her hands, a conductor and sculptor of intangible tangibles. She cuts and polishes each, fitting them together in a crystal lattice of transition and explanation, and turns to present the finished piece upon the palm of her hand, bowing with a small smile on her face.

Interesting, heard today:
"Often parents don't feel that their children already are who they are—they feel that it is their job to make them who they should be.” - still of two minds on that one, honestly

Apparently when you eat dried cuttlefish the burning isn't from spices, but from a toxin. Really not sure what to make of that, though I suppose it's prob a lesser version of pufferfish-morphineish affect, huh?

+not today:
-a star contracts and yet simultaneously radiates to create its brilliance

"Ivan Rybkin, a Russian presidential candidate who recently took out a full-page newspaper ad accusing President Vladimir Putin of being "the biggest oligarch in Russia," disappeared; a murder investigation was announced, and then it was cancelled."

Fight scenes in movies featuring the Rock are interesting to me. See, kung fu movies often have lots of barely discernible but pretty-looking filler with the more interesting moves providing the 'moments.' Movies with the Rock seem to have less going on in their fight scenes in terms of sheer amount of techniques, but the techniques that are there have more of an air of being 'moments' to each of them.

headlines courtesy of our frontline reporter, Wyatt:

On Bush being a "deserter"

Men's Journal names 25 toughest guys in America. No. 1: Brett Farve, No. 25: Hillary Clinton (gods above, i wouldn't doubt it, the scary hag)

Truck driver flips bird. Bicyclist flips shots. Truck driver: "Ramming speed"

Five-foot tall grandmother chases six-foot, knife-wielding asshat after he steals her truck; cuts him off, drags thief out of driver's seat onto ground at intersection.

So with all the doin's a-transpiring down in Haiti (and nigh every third 'third world' nation), I'm wondering when the internat community is going to to try to do anything, or even if they will. Will it turn out that they'll try to let it burn out, if'n the case that they think it's the proverbial third world brush fire (aka civil war)? Or would they mayhaps try to step in like that one Lemming from the old puzzle game, suicidally smack in the middle with both hands raised - after all, they could take the opportunity to show the US the proper way to intervene in a chaotic downward spiral. I mean, this isn't to lay claim as to whether the US has done anything right or wrong in the past in that regard (he said sardonically), but to provoke interest in what happens next. I'll lay money that the US won't do anything, we've been overstretched for an overstretched amount of time - but will anyone else help the island that can't help itself?

Posit heard on NPR (interview with former CIA top guy working as security consultant): What if Weapons of Mass Destruction is an imprecise wording? Before it became an acronym of the day, WMDs were also Agents of Mass Destruction - i.e. there didn't have to be full fledged nuclear manufactories. A small truckload of anthrax or ricin would easily qualify as able-to-make-lots-of-ppl-dead, and would also be easily destroyed with minimal to no evidence. Hmm......

I suppose I'll be interested to hear what (or if) the Guantanamo critics have to say.

They forgot Scarlett Johannson at the Oscars. Sigh.

Today, up in the canyons near Sonoita, I was thinking about silence. It's so quiet up there; relative to that, just sitting in a room with a computer or air conditioning is practically cacophonous. I mean, how often is it quiet enough while one is living in an urban environment to hear oneself blink? In one sense, it was nice for it to be so quiet; in another, I was slightly annoyed at myself for wanting there to be noise at some points. In light of that, I think it would probably good to spend a good deal more time out where it's actually silent.

This is one of those things I could watch for hours - I could go on at length, but I think it speaks for itself.

So: yoga and the martial arts. There are the obvious benefits, such as breath control, neuromuscular control, balance and strengthening of balance muscles, &c, &c. I just wanted to further my continuous furthering of the disparate arts by pointing some more specific examples:
-the frog-variation of the child's pose is the exact position one needs to be in for a side-mount, a pin common to Eastern grappling arts, which requires just that kind of flexibility and relaxation to be effective.
-when one does spinal twists in yoga, it is the same positioning for the twist necessary for most strikes and even throws; in that regard, the deep breathing done in the yoga twists amplifies the power of the martial arts techniques.
-yoga is one of the few ways i can think of to effectively strengthen the fine (in the small sense) stabilizing muscles throughout the body. For example, the eagle pose and side plank poses of yoga catch stabilizing muscles in the ankles and obliques that make one able to finely control their balance in very awkward positions.
-by controlling one's breath in odd positions (twisted and folded, or upsidedown, or arched), one gains the ability to relax in many odd positions, and (especially in the case of any kind of jujitsu, for example), relaxation and control in tremendously strange positions is very helpful.

In that line of thought, Yoga Journal is very much worth the money it costs. It's articles consist of how-to, advice, world culture, meditation, media reviews, and various columns. Its column on psychology has continuously been interesting and immediately useful in my opinion. Also, their website is a huge resource concerning poses and articles on myriad health related topics.

Finally, an interesting idea I came across in one of those articles: that an emotion is something in between a mental and a physical experience.

Xuemei's winter stew:
(optional) stewed meat, off of a bone for example
soft tofu
hard-pressed tofu
winter melon
mushrooms
star anise
various soy, spices etc

-This stuff is great for cold days; it's a traditional Chinese thing, and can be eaten by pouring over rice or as a soup. Incidentally, winter melon also comes in the form of a block which can be dissolved into a tea vaguely like chai, but sweeter (great for bubbletea, and somewhat addictive).

So I was getting esoteric in discussing techniques with one of the students in my class at the Broadway dojo, as I sometimes do. We were discussing different variants of leg reaps at the time, but somehow I got onto the subject of escalation in terms of different aspects of the same technique. For example, there is the aikido variant which actually doesn't even use legs, but forces the opponant so off balance that they can be easily let down to the ground - for the friend who is being a jerk. Then there is the judo-oriented variant, one of the "bellringer" throws, which sweeps both of their legs up into the air, and drives their head to the ground - for competition KO's, and reacting without thought. Then, the old-school jujitsu: clothesline combined with stomping between their legs or directly onto the back of their leg - life-threatening or anti-terrorist (in this post 9-11 era....i had to say it at least once, sorry).

Of course: neither I nor the other students will probably ever be in any sort of fight, but in being students of the martial art, I think it behooves us to know the insides and outs of our techniques. For example: while there are myriad kinds of hip throws out there, each with their own purposes, in the history of the original jujitsu variant (of our variety of jujitsu, that is) the opponant was thrown over the hips as usual, but their head was held tightly as their body kept going - even with armor, their neck would be broken by their own bodyweight. We'll never use it in all probability, but it's part of our discipline's history. And that qualifies it as something significant to me.

Quick opinion: I think that the "ABB" (Anyone But Bush) path the Democratic candidates and their supporters seem to be taking is juvenile and a logical fallacy. Regardless of which side one is on, it makes very little sense to rely on such a playground-like slogan, especially as they are not just saying it jokingly. To me choosing the lesser of two evils is understandable and necessary in politics, but this tact approaches that idea from a different angle which to me seems half-blind at best, if not smugly self-superior.

*cough, cough* *ahem* Is this thing on?
God that was cliche. Anyway, I guess I might as well get started, right? Right. So let's see...ah, TrekEarth. I am pretty much addicted to this website. Basically it is an enormous gallery of travel photos that amateur photographers submit on a continuous basis. There are so many beautiful things to see around the world, but it's interesting that at the same time it kind of makes you look around your own home - or even just look up, I guess would be a different way of putting it. Leastways, the site's pics did that for me. It's like a novel we read for Southwest Lit - if it's one thing the Southwest is renowned for, it's the big sky. Today I was driving to my family's house and saw some clouds above the Catalinas. Then something clicked: those clouds were probably the same distance away from me as the mountains, and yet were easily three times as big. Then I remembered to close my mouth, having become slackjawed.
Anyway, while the strength of TrekEarth in my opinion are the wonderful landscape photos, here are two that I particularly stared at for a while:
"The Other Side"
"The Wait"