It's funny how you lead yourself around to things.
I am currently reading The Tibetan Book of the Dead or Bardo Thodol which translates as Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate State. Next I will be reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche.
How did I get here? I had recently read John Lennon in His Own Words and I recalled later that John Lennon had read The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, before writing Tomorrow Never Knows (working title: The Void), the last song on The Beatle's 1966 album Revolver.
I was searching my libraries' catalogue for something interesting to read when I recalled all this. So I looked it up.
It is very interesting, if you are interested in re-incarnation and other spiritual topics, as I am. It was written by Tibetan Buddhists so it relates to their beliefs but can be useful to anyone.
The basic idea is that when a person dies there is a 49 day process before re-incarnating and if the Bardo Thodol is read aloud, their spirit will hear it and realize where they are and in doing so, become liberated and not have to be re-incarnated. Apparently this is a rare event, as it takes a person with lifetimes of dedication and good merits to achieve liberation. Although a person in the Bardo may realise where they are they may still have to be re-incarnated but at least they can have some choice in the matter. I think this is the case but I am a complete novice so I may be wrong.
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is a like a preparation guide for the Bardo. Being a Buddhist would also be a preparation for the Bardo by default, as its tenets of compassion, mindfulness and right doing are skills needed in the Bardo.
From what I can gather from reading the Bardo Thodol is; when you are in the Bardo (although there are technically 3 Bardos) your mind manifests everything you encounter there. These can be good and bad experiences; memories, thoughts, karmas etc. But you think they are real and respond to them. That is the trap. By responding, you generate the conditions around you and so like a vicous circle you get carried along by your thoughts and feelings and sink lower and lower until you are attracted to a womb and become re-incarnated. Starting the whole cycle again.
Buddhists want to be liberated eventually so they practice their techniques in preparation for the Bardo or just the next life. By staying calm and mindful and being compassionate, in the Bardo, you will not be swept along by reacting to your manifestations and may become liberated by realising that everything is an illusion created by your mind. This is a very difficult thing to do. Anyone who has tried meditating by letting there thoughts flow by without getting carried along by them will know. It is also difficult not to believe everything in the physical world is an illusion (or Maya) whilst you are totally immersed in it. Just like the people in the film The Matrix (one of my favourites), who are actually in pods generating the power for the Matrix which is a virtual human world in which the inhabitants think is reality.
Personally I do not want to be re-incarnated, so I'm looking at ways to prevent it occurring, but if this is not possible, then at least to have some control over the matter.
I have also studied Krsna conciousness by reading The Science of Self Realisation, Chant and Be Happy, part of the Bhagavad Gita and some other Krsna books, and by talking to some devotees at Crossways Hare Krisna Restaurant in Melbourne. They believe that in this age of Kali Yuga (time of quarrel and contention) the best way to become liberated from re-incarnation (go back to Godhead or Krsna) is to chant the Hare Krisna mantra and when not chanting the mantra, to serve Krsna. They also believe in karma. This is a very basic overview obviously.
I met one guy at Crossways who is a follower of Krsna Consciousness but not a devotee who told me Buddism was created by Krisna for atheists so they can be liberated without believing in Krisna.
I will continue my studies.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Francois Truffaut
Been getting back into good old, Francois Truffaut lately. I love french films. I'm not sure why. I might've been French in another life...
I recently saw Farenheit 451 but didn't think it was very good. It had some interesting parts but didn't really engage me. I watched the extras on the DVD and found out the problems they had making the film. It explained a lot.
Next I saw The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cent Coups), made in 1959, it was Francois Truffaut's first feature film and is the first of an autobiographical series of five films featuring the character Antoine Doinel (played by Jean-Pierre Leaud), as Francois Truffaut.
It was an interesting film, subtle in many ways, using images rather than dialogue to convey meaning. I found it funny and sad in equal measure. It has made me want to see the rest of the series.
Before selecting this movie I knew it was the first in a series so I wanted to respect the order even though I also wanted to watch a later film. I hoping it will be worth the effort.
I did recall seeing a film with Jean-Pierre Leaud many years ago, at first I thought it was Jules et Jim but now I think it might've been one in this series. I just remember Jean-Pierre Leaud having girl trouble...
The next film is Antoine et Collette made in 1962 as part of an anthology collection, L'Amour a vingt ans (Love at Twenty). As luck would have it, it is the only film in the series that my library doesn't have, so I will have to hunt it down.
I recently saw Farenheit 451 but didn't think it was very good. It had some interesting parts but didn't really engage me. I watched the extras on the DVD and found out the problems they had making the film. It explained a lot.
Next I saw The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cent Coups), made in 1959, it was Francois Truffaut's first feature film and is the first of an autobiographical series of five films featuring the character Antoine Doinel (played by Jean-Pierre Leaud), as Francois Truffaut.
It was an interesting film, subtle in many ways, using images rather than dialogue to convey meaning. I found it funny and sad in equal measure. It has made me want to see the rest of the series.
Before selecting this movie I knew it was the first in a series so I wanted to respect the order even though I also wanted to watch a later film. I hoping it will be worth the effort.
I did recall seeing a film with Jean-Pierre Leaud many years ago, at first I thought it was Jules et Jim but now I think it might've been one in this series. I just remember Jean-Pierre Leaud having girl trouble...
The next film is Antoine et Collette made in 1962 as part of an anthology collection, L'Amour a vingt ans (Love at Twenty). As luck would have it, it is the only film in the series that my library doesn't have, so I will have to hunt it down.
Other Blogs
Lately I've been checking out two blogs I like:
Miscellany (http://melbournestories.blogspot.com/) and
Paul Oslo Davis http://pauldavisdrawings.blogspot.com/.
Miscellany is the adventures of a late twenties female school teacher living in inner Melbourne. Sometimes it makes me snort or chortle.
Paul Oslo Davis is a Melbourne illustrator and cartoonist. He also makes me chortle or titter. Paul publishes Raised Eyebrows which is Melbourne's only 1 page A3 zine/comic. If you like his work you may be able to get him to send you a copy.
He also had 2 cartoons published in The Age newspaper over summer which you may have seen.
He draws in a squiggly line style, which I really like. His sense of humour is strange which is up my alley.
Check 'em out.
Miscellany (http://melbournestories.blogspot.com/) and
Paul Oslo Davis http://pauldavisdrawings.blogspot.com/.
Miscellany is the adventures of a late twenties female school teacher living in inner Melbourne. Sometimes it makes me snort or chortle.
Paul Oslo Davis is a Melbourne illustrator and cartoonist. He also makes me chortle or titter. Paul publishes Raised Eyebrows which is Melbourne's only 1 page A3 zine/comic. If you like his work you may be able to get him to send you a copy.
He also had 2 cartoons published in The Age newspaper over summer which you may have seen.
He draws in a squiggly line style, which I really like. His sense of humour is strange which is up my alley.
Check 'em out.
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Gallagher Bros.
© Copyright 2006 Egghead.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Drawing People
© Copyright 2006 Egghead. I don't usually draw the whole person, just the face, but occasionally they pop out.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Chunky
© Copyright Egghead 2006.This image is called Chunky. I took the photo this afternoon so its fresh off the press. I'd not noticed this building before, its interesting what you find when you're looking. Its somewhere around Queen St/La Trobe St in Melbourne's CBD.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Group of Three
© Copyright 2006 Egghead.
This image is called Group of Three. Its one of a series I've created recently. I take specific photos and then manipulate them with software. Often I'll just use one photo in its original state but this one has three photos combined. Some masking has been done also.
Terrorist Tunnel
© Copyright 2006 Davoid.
This photo was taken from platform 3 at Flagstaff train station in Melbourne's City Loop underground train network.
I was waiting for my train, as you do, and I had about 10 minutes to kill. I was standing amongst the 50 or so people around me and I was looking at the tunnel opening and I remembered I had my digital camera with me, so I get it out and start taking a few photos of the tunnel. Over the P.A. there's the usual "train delayed" announcement and then the bloke says "And no photography allowed" and continues on with another announcement. I thought "he's talking to me" and I noticed the big black dome with the security camera to the right of the tunnel. At first I thought "you've got to be kidding, this is a public place". I'd taken the photos I wanted so I put my camera away. Then I thought "oh, its because of terrorists that you can't take photos in the underground", you know, in case I was casing the joint for bomb placement. So I could understand, but on the other hand it bugged me. I fantasised about sticking my finger up at the security camera and then security guards arriving on the platform and me running through the people to get away.
Pipe Face
© Copyright 2006 Egghead.I call this one Pipe Face. It reminded me of a face...in an abstract way of course.
Loop Chute
© Copyright 2006 Egghead. This image is called Loop Chute. I was walking around Melbourne's CBD in January, investigating some alleys. I took a few good photos in this alley.
I like the abstract shapes in this one.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Hooks, Pop and Popular
Sure we all have favourite songs, but what I also have is favourite parts of songs. In some cases I like the whole song, but sometimes the reason I like the song is mostly because of "the part". Maybe these parts are what people call "hooks". For people who don’t know, a "hook" is a part of a song that draws you in and captures your attention. It doesn’t have to be dominant or loud to capture your attention either. It can be a quiet or subtle part that has a distinct quality.
"Hooks" are probably what makes a song a "pop" song or not, but not always, as there are many great and loved songs that are not hugely "pop"(ular). But personally I have always been drawn to "pop" songs not necessarily popular songs. It is confusing, yes. Just because a song is popular doesn’t automatically mean that the song is a "pop" song. The confusion is in the definition. "Pop" was originally short for popular, but over time and mass media communication it has changed to mean a certain sound. If you ask people what is a "pop" song, they might say: it’s a song that is "catchy"; it gets "stuck in your head". These are the "hooks" at work.
Sometimes a "hook" is a beat or rhythm that is repeated in parts of the song. But sometimes it’s a moment, when the song’s "feel" changes. The song was moving along a certain path and then it seems to be transformed by the change of tempo, rhythm, beat etc. Often it is the addition of a distinctive part to the mix of the song that creates these moments. For me they are bliss. But as these moments are rare, I am always on the search for more moments. It is an addiction.
Here’s a few songs off the top of my head, that have these moments:
"Catch the Sun" – Doves (Lost Souls LP)
"Mousetrap" – Ride (Going Blank Again LP)
"Bury Me" – The Smashing Pumpkins (Gish LP)
"My Sharona" – The Knack (Reality Bites soundtrack LP and Get The Knack LP)
"This Is The One" – The Stone Roses (The Stone Rose LP)
"Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" – Travis (The Man Who LP)
See if you can spot them…
"Hooks" are probably what makes a song a "pop" song or not, but not always, as there are many great and loved songs that are not hugely "pop"(ular). But personally I have always been drawn to "pop" songs not necessarily popular songs. It is confusing, yes. Just because a song is popular doesn’t automatically mean that the song is a "pop" song. The confusion is in the definition. "Pop" was originally short for popular, but over time and mass media communication it has changed to mean a certain sound. If you ask people what is a "pop" song, they might say: it’s a song that is "catchy"; it gets "stuck in your head". These are the "hooks" at work.
Sometimes a "hook" is a beat or rhythm that is repeated in parts of the song. But sometimes it’s a moment, when the song’s "feel" changes. The song was moving along a certain path and then it seems to be transformed by the change of tempo, rhythm, beat etc. Often it is the addition of a distinctive part to the mix of the song that creates these moments. For me they are bliss. But as these moments are rare, I am always on the search for more moments. It is an addiction.
Here’s a few songs off the top of my head, that have these moments:
"Catch the Sun" – Doves (Lost Souls LP)
"Mousetrap" – Ride (Going Blank Again LP)
"Bury Me" – The Smashing Pumpkins (Gish LP)
"My Sharona" – The Knack (Reality Bites soundtrack LP and Get The Knack LP)
"This Is The One" – The Stone Roses (The Stone Rose LP)
"Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" – Travis (The Man Who LP)
See if you can spot them…
Raves Circa 1992
When I was 23 and 24 y.o. I went to 2 or 3 raves in Melbourne, Australia. Raves were places where techno music was played and people danced and listened to the music. At this stage raves were still fairly small affairs. A big one might have 300-400 people. Some drugs were taken. People smoked those Indonesian clove cigarettes that smell sweet.
Some raves were held in dance clubs and some in warehouses. The warehouse where I went belonged to a community TV station that went on to become the Channel 31 community TV station. It was a cool old red brick building in a short street that ran down to the Maribyrnong River in Footscray. Between the building and the river was grass and trees for about 20 metres, so it was a nice spot.
I think the two raves I attended in Footscray were called "Every Picture Tells A Story". The first time a friend was to perform on stage and sing 2 songs. His girlfriend was in charge of the "sparklers", those sticks that you light and they throw off sparks. She handed me about 20 and asked me to hand them out. We lit them first, but half way down the stick. These things were sparkling alright. So I’m trying to hand lit sparklers to people in the crowd. People are backing away as the madman tries to shove lit sparklers at them. At this point they are getting hot in my hand as they were lit about 15cm from my hand. So I just threw them on the ground in front of a bunch of people. It was pathetic. I felt bad for my singing friend. Oh well, what are you gunna do?
The second time I took an LSD trip and had what people call a "bad trip". Everything was fine and I was on the dance floor with my 2 friends. The lights changed and I lost where they were. This made me a little anxious and then the music seemed to change. It got all foreboding and scary. Then the lights began to strobe (flash on and off at a fast rate). I could see snapshots of people dancing in strange poses with bizarre facial expressions. As people walked by on the edge of the dancefloor they were lit up for a second, so it was like being in a cloud of darkness with flashes of crazy people.
As I looked at the faces flashing before me I noticed some people look animalistic. One guy seemed to look like a goat crossed with a man and then I was staring at a guy who looked like a lion crossed with a man. As I was looking at him he turned his face right at me and kind of growled or snarled at me. I was thinking: fucking hell! I turned away and was looking at another face and it just melted like it was made of plasticine. Whoh. I was feeling a bit freaked out at this point, so I stumbled off the dancefloor and through the crowd and headed outside. I felt like I needed air. It was late autumn night so it was cool and I had on light clothing. I headed down to the river to clear my head. There was a person walking on the other side of the river which I thought was strange as it was all factories. I couldn’t even tell if they were male or female just a shape walking. I stared at them until I think I realised they were walking their dog. I sat down on a bench and hugged myself from the cold. I sat there for about half an hour.
Some raves were held in dance clubs and some in warehouses. The warehouse where I went belonged to a community TV station that went on to become the Channel 31 community TV station. It was a cool old red brick building in a short street that ran down to the Maribyrnong River in Footscray. Between the building and the river was grass and trees for about 20 metres, so it was a nice spot.
I think the two raves I attended in Footscray were called "Every Picture Tells A Story". The first time a friend was to perform on stage and sing 2 songs. His girlfriend was in charge of the "sparklers", those sticks that you light and they throw off sparks. She handed me about 20 and asked me to hand them out. We lit them first, but half way down the stick. These things were sparkling alright. So I’m trying to hand lit sparklers to people in the crowd. People are backing away as the madman tries to shove lit sparklers at them. At this point they are getting hot in my hand as they were lit about 15cm from my hand. So I just threw them on the ground in front of a bunch of people. It was pathetic. I felt bad for my singing friend. Oh well, what are you gunna do?
The second time I took an LSD trip and had what people call a "bad trip". Everything was fine and I was on the dance floor with my 2 friends. The lights changed and I lost where they were. This made me a little anxious and then the music seemed to change. It got all foreboding and scary. Then the lights began to strobe (flash on and off at a fast rate). I could see snapshots of people dancing in strange poses with bizarre facial expressions. As people walked by on the edge of the dancefloor they were lit up for a second, so it was like being in a cloud of darkness with flashes of crazy people.
As I looked at the faces flashing before me I noticed some people look animalistic. One guy seemed to look like a goat crossed with a man and then I was staring at a guy who looked like a lion crossed with a man. As I was looking at him he turned his face right at me and kind of growled or snarled at me. I was thinking: fucking hell! I turned away and was looking at another face and it just melted like it was made of plasticine. Whoh. I was feeling a bit freaked out at this point, so I stumbled off the dancefloor and through the crowd and headed outside. I felt like I needed air. It was late autumn night so it was cool and I had on light clothing. I headed down to the river to clear my head. There was a person walking on the other side of the river which I thought was strange as it was all factories. I couldn’t even tell if they were male or female just a shape walking. I stared at them until I think I realised they were walking their dog. I sat down on a bench and hugged myself from the cold. I sat there for about half an hour.
Global Dimming and the World Trade Centre Destruction
For fuck’s sake. Global Dimming? I thought global warming was bad enough but global dimming? I heard about global dimming from a TV show on ABC TV Australia called Four Corners. This show has been running on the government funded channel since the 1960’s (I think). They only have one story that goes for 40 minutes, so they take a fairly good look at a subject.
Before we tackle Global Dimming what is Global Warming? Basically when you generate energy from fossil fuels such as mineral oil, natural gas and coal; you are burning it. When you burn something in an oxygen atmosphere it releases CO2 (carbon dioxide), amongst other gases. These gases mix with the atmosphere and change it. The energy (heat) from the sun cannot escape back out into space and is trapped in the atmosphere, which warms. This effects the natural flow of the atmosphere. Weather patterns that have evolved over a long period of time to keep the atmosphere in balance are disturbed.
So what is Global Dimming? Four Corners explained it was all about clouds. Clouds form when dust particles in the air attract water. More and more water clumps together until they become heavy enough to defy gravity and we get rain. Clouds reflect some of the sunlight back into space.
Global Dimming theory says that the very fine particles released when burning fossil fuels also attract water in the air. As there are many tiny particles attracting water, these clouds are denser and reflect more sunlight than normal clouds back into space. How do they know this? Some scientists analysed the results of many years of water evaporation readings taken each day. The results showed less water being evaporated as global temperatures increased. How could this be? If the atmosphere is warmer shouldn’t water being evaporating more? They found sunlight is the biggest factor in water evaporation, more than air temperature. Less sunlight was hitting the water so it evaporated less. At the same time the atmosphere has gotten warmer.
How does the World Trade Centre’s destruction come into this? Airplane vapour trails. When airplanes fly they leave a vapour trail (burnt fuel). This forms long thin clouds which block the sunlight. From September 12th to 14th most airplanes were grounded in the USA. A scientist who was studying vapour trail effects seized the chance to see what happens when there’s no vapour trails to block sunlight. What he found was a big jump in temperature for those 3 days when the airplanes were grounded.
So here’s the scary part. Global Dimming is hiding the true effects of Global Warming. If we stop emission of fine particles but still emit gases that warm the atmosphere the global temperature will increase even more than it has so far.
So basically; we’re fucked. Thanks for coming.
Before we tackle Global Dimming what is Global Warming? Basically when you generate energy from fossil fuels such as mineral oil, natural gas and coal; you are burning it. When you burn something in an oxygen atmosphere it releases CO2 (carbon dioxide), amongst other gases. These gases mix with the atmosphere and change it. The energy (heat) from the sun cannot escape back out into space and is trapped in the atmosphere, which warms. This effects the natural flow of the atmosphere. Weather patterns that have evolved over a long period of time to keep the atmosphere in balance are disturbed.
So what is Global Dimming? Four Corners explained it was all about clouds. Clouds form when dust particles in the air attract water. More and more water clumps together until they become heavy enough to defy gravity and we get rain. Clouds reflect some of the sunlight back into space.
Global Dimming theory says that the very fine particles released when burning fossil fuels also attract water in the air. As there are many tiny particles attracting water, these clouds are denser and reflect more sunlight than normal clouds back into space. How do they know this? Some scientists analysed the results of many years of water evaporation readings taken each day. The results showed less water being evaporated as global temperatures increased. How could this be? If the atmosphere is warmer shouldn’t water being evaporating more? They found sunlight is the biggest factor in water evaporation, more than air temperature. Less sunlight was hitting the water so it evaporated less. At the same time the atmosphere has gotten warmer.
How does the World Trade Centre’s destruction come into this? Airplane vapour trails. When airplanes fly they leave a vapour trail (burnt fuel). This forms long thin clouds which block the sunlight. From September 12th to 14th most airplanes were grounded in the USA. A scientist who was studying vapour trail effects seized the chance to see what happens when there’s no vapour trails to block sunlight. What he found was a big jump in temperature for those 3 days when the airplanes were grounded.
So here’s the scary part. Global Dimming is hiding the true effects of Global Warming. If we stop emission of fine particles but still emit gases that warm the atmosphere the global temperature will increase even more than it has so far.
So basically; we’re fucked. Thanks for coming.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Semblance of Siblance - (Like a Hiss)
Whenever we met she seemed to be somewhere else but all that changed...
"You could shoot through, you know" I said
"Yeah..." She agreed.
The light changed and everything was different. It hits like a bolt of lightning. The idea!
"hey, I saw this guy on TV once, a doco about Paris in the 1920s I think, he was right amongst all the decadence when he was in his early 20s and he was reminiscing about it being the best time of his life....the thing is; there may be times in our lives when things seem effortless and things just seem to flow and there's much joy and pleasure but to try and recreate it is impossible and futile. If it teaches us anything its this: enjoy the moment if you can, it you can't, do something different until you do."
"Sorry I missed that, what were you saying?" She said with eyelids half closed.
"Uh, just um...doesn't matter." He said softly.
"You could shoot through, you know" I said
"Yeah..." She agreed.
The light changed and everything was different. It hits like a bolt of lightning. The idea!
"hey, I saw this guy on TV once, a doco about Paris in the 1920s I think, he was right amongst all the decadence when he was in his early 20s and he was reminiscing about it being the best time of his life....the thing is; there may be times in our lives when things seem effortless and things just seem to flow and there's much joy and pleasure but to try and recreate it is impossible and futile. If it teaches us anything its this: enjoy the moment if you can, it you can't, do something different until you do."
"Sorry I missed that, what were you saying?" She said with eyelids half closed.
"Uh, just um...doesn't matter." He said softly.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Lotte Big Waffle - mmm
I don't know why I went in, just curious I guess. I like to investigate. Maybe there's something I've never seen before. Especially when then there's stuff from other countries. Stuff you won't get in the everyday shops. Plus I like to keep up with what's out there in the confectionary game.
A lot of the time in Australia the new chocolate bars, biscuits and icecreams are what retailers call Extended Lines. E.g. Tim Tam biscuits; for decades there was one type, now there is Dark, Double Choc, Caramel, Tia Maria and others. Nothing new here. Just variations on a theme.
But I always hope. Maybe there'll be something new! So I went into the Korean/Japanese Convenience Store across from the Vic. Market in the city, not downtown, if you get my drift. I wasn't sure what I was looking for as I squeezed 'tween the aisles sniffing like a dog for something new...I grabbed a box of those Pucky sticks, they're like pretzels dipped in creamy icing, mmm. Seen 'em around, had 'em before.
But as I'm heading for the counter I notice the icecreams. For 9 months of the year I don't even look at icecream, the Iceman doesn't need cooling off...but it was a hot day, I'm in shorts and a look won't kill me, right?
Inside the freezer there's the usual suspects; Heaven, Drumstick, etc. but wait what's this? Some shiny brown block I haven't seen before. Big Waffle? huh? There's a picture of it on the wrapper, looks good. It's been bitten and you can see inside. There's a waffle that totally wraps a slab of chocolate ice cream that has a layer of chocolate stuff in the middle. I know what I have to do. I put the Puckys back and buy the Big Waffle. The guy at the counter says "You had one before?" "No, thought I try one, it looks good. They good?" The guy gives me a the look of someone who knows and says: "They're good".
I was hopeful of a top icecream experience before, but now I'm confident. I pop open the wrapper to take a look 'cause I've been burned before. You buy something with a cool picture and when you open it its tiny or has crap chocolate all over it... But it actually looks like the picture. So far so good. I take a small bite to check out the insides, mmm, again it checks out. But I can't risk a frozen treat so I rub it in its wrapper to try and melt it a bit. I realise the ingenious waffle is protecting the ice cream from melting and I decide to put in my pocket for awhile. When I resume its softened a bit and I go at it.
So what are they like? They're good.
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