Saturday, November 28, 2009

It's Just A Habit I Formed

We are creatures of habit. I form bad habits.

My lack of focus, which is a habit, results in laziness, another bad habit. They both help each other. The thought of a life of focus is exciting but a little daunting at first glance. The work involved seems hard, as if I will have to focus all the time. Yes, I will be focusing certain parts of my mind at every moment, but the focus itself will now be in my nature. I can practice and repeat the art of focus enough that it becomes a habit. I can indent it in my subconscious so that it becomes apart of my nature. Just as I have done with lack of focus.

And I can use this to live my life in the western world, dealing with day to day things and enjoying art and relationships.

- Lee

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Default Sense and How To Go Further


We were talking the other night about dimensions. As we were talking, my mind drifted off (I have no idea why) and I came up with a theory. Well, 'came up with' isn't correct because it's surely been thought countless times before, but anyway, it requires a little audience participation so here it is:

Think of a moment that happened yesterday. Let yourself go back to that moment for ten seconds........

That wasn't ten!! Start again!

Okay, now that you're actually playing along, I have a question. In those ten seconds, did you see the images of yesterday's moment? The answer in almost every case is yes. Did you hear the sounds of the moment? The answer in almost every case is no. Of course, it takes some mental power to remember anything, and we must go one step at a time, so ten seconds will only allow the minds eye to interact with the memory. But the minds ear would most likely come next if we were to spend a minute with yesterday's moment.

But could it go further?

Yes!!

We can, with patience, immerse ourselves in any memory and sense by sense, layer upon layer, I think we can live that moment again. And the beauty is that it's not going to be exactly the same, there will be parts that are NEW!

All of this is part of the imagination. Children live in the moment, but not just the moment presented to them. The greatest minds choose which moment to live in. I think we can all do the same.

Before anything happens, it has to be thought.

Infinity means that whatever we could ever think up will happen, has happened and is happening right now. Therefore we are much more free than we realize, to live in any dimension we choose.

- Lee

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Go with what you know Part II – My Own Experience

"I'm free" - The Who

Previously on GWWYK:

Eden was raised Catholic, and a pretty decent one at that. He learned of morality and gained focus through prayer and stories of Jesus. However, after a need to know more, a natural impulse to rebel and a conflict with the goals and purpose of the religion, Eden became an atheist. But the decision of not believing without proof in God led him to similar conclusions about “no God”. Eden became agnostic and chose to be free in spirituality and let others do the same.

***

I found myself overwhelmed by the apparent level of God-like knowledge it would take to understand the universe (or God for that matter). But then I am not God, I am just a man. But I am a man with the capacity to do many wonderful things and I haven’t done the majority of them. I decided to lessen the scope of my curiosities. Forget the universe. Forget the world. I need to go back to what I truly know – My own experience.

It was simple. I have sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Anyone can tell me an apple tastes like this or that, but I could just taste it myself and suddenly I know. Same with music, books or movies. It’s all good that Lee thought Television made a great album with Marquee Moon, that Hamish took some thought provoking ideas from 1984 or that Russ loves a range of top quality movies, but you know the only way I can truly know is to experience them for myself. If a continent is beautiful - then I should go see it. If a drug opens the fifth dimension - then I might like to try it. If some German dude tells me I can walk around with Pumas - then perhaps I should have a go. You never know it could be a life changing experience.

Even negative things are not for me to judge blindly. Cold showers sounded like a horrible idea to me once, but I have since found a special value to them. I used to view meditation as some weird thing that Indians did, but then grew curious of it. I didn’t actually have any valuable information on it because I had never done it. I always thought Lee and Hamish were wankers but then I became friends with them and…well sometimes it’s best to stick with your intuition.

I found that I agree and disagree with many things and the only way to truly gain knowledge of something is to experience it. I have never been to Russia, and I don’t think I have even met a Russian. The country is beyond my knowledge and although in all likelihood it does exist, it doesn’t actually exist to me in any tangible form.

Life became, and has been since, a journey of discovery to me. The fact is I may never get to Russia, but that is almost the beauty of life: that there is more for us to experience or know than we could ever possibly do in one lifetime (infinity?). Each day is a chance to try something new and different, to better understand myself and the world around me and that is why I have listened to Marquee Moon, read 1984, and plan to watch the movies that I haven’t yet seen from Russ’ list. It’s why I travelled, took Drugs Many Times and write on this blog!

- Eden (while listening to Abbey Road – The Beatles)

Part III

Monday, November 23, 2009

Acceptance

"Of all the means which wisdom acquires to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship." - Epicurus

We only have control over ourselves. If you think you can control others you’re only going to make your life and others lives unpleasant. Some things are easier to accept than other things, if someone has different taste in music to you, that’s easy to accept. A different political opinion, well… lets just not talk about it, we can still be friends. What if someone says they’re going to do something for you but they don’t? How aggravating. They’ve let you down.

Something I’ve read a lot of lately is just accepting that things are the way they are. Stuck in traffic? What are you going to do, be angry or just accept that this is the way things are right now? You’ve got no choice if you want to be happy. Someone doesn’t meet your expectations? Exactly, they haven’t met your expectations. There is no point in being angry, let others be and you can be too. Your view of the world is totally self-imposed. If you want to see the colour green all day long, you probably could if you tried, it’s up to you.

Not being able to accept things can make you angry, or sad, both are just as pointless in the end. Both defeat happiness if you let them.

- Dogman

Friday, November 20, 2009

Lee's Comedy College

By the title it might seem that I will be teaching you the art of being funny. I wouldn't dare do this though, because you either have it or you don't, and as much wisdom as I could dish out, it'll never make you as funny as me. No, what I will be providing you with is a key to the world of the comedy album. Every week, I will be posting a new album from the Sullivan vaults. It's going to be a long, fun journey as all my favourite sets will be posted to expand your feeble minds.

SCHOOL IS NOW IN SESSION!!

We all love music albums here at BOTM, but not enough is ever said about stand-up albums. Just like music, there is the bad and the good. Sometimes a comedian I love will disappoint me with their new material, as if maybe they have lost some of that magic from that last masterpiece of a set. Perhaps they've softened in their new life since the last album or the first album was all the bits they have been doing for 10 years and now the new, less toiled over set doesn't match up. Or perhaps just as I'm starting to think they've lost what they once had, their new album arrives full of passion and wisdom and, well, everything that makes a great stand-up album so satisfying.

There are stand-up DVD's, which are a wonderful way to see the intricacies of the physicality of the act. But I prefer an album, something that leaves just enough to the imagination that you have to work with the performer to get the whole experience. There is just something so intimate about lying down on your couch or driving in your car and sitting back and listening to a set.

But all the analysis must come much later, after you've heard the album a couple of times and have just let it do it's job... to make you laugh. There can be moments in an album where you find yourself laughing at a point where the audience isn't, or you're not really 'getting it' while most of the audience is laughing uproariously, but that's what we're dealing with here. A true personal journey into comedy and it's ability to make us think and make us laugh.



ALBUM NO. 1

Doug Stanhope - Something To Take The Edge Off (2000)

Doug Stanhope is one of the great comedians currently working, along with Louis CK, David Cross, Patton Oswalt and a handful of others who made their own unique mark in the world of stand-up over the decade. Stanhope has emerged in recent years as a fearless social critic and raconteur afraid of nothing and standing as a role model to anyone that is willing to run their own lives without the fear of judgment from other people. I won't talk too much about him just yet, as we'll leave that for the comment section. So anyway sit back, go for a drive or, as I prefer with this album, go for a walk and enjoy the first album in our new series.

CLASS DISMISSED!!

- Lee

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Things I Don't Like

"Once upon a time, in some out of the way corner of that universe which is dispersed into numberless twinkling solar systems, there was a star upon which clever beasts invented knowing." - Friedrich Nietzche

Be aware this is going to be painful and tedious to read, I hope you can enjoy it and join in on the disliking. Let the listing begin:

• Sunday night when I have to work early on Monday, somehow it takes away the weekend feeling.

• The majority of women who work in an office environment. I should be more specific really, not all, not even majority, just women with ‘PA’ or even worse ‘EA’ in their job title.

• People who prefer cats to dogs.

• Sunrise/Today. I can’t believe how quickly those shows destroy time. Has anyone actually stopped to think how shitty they really are? Think about it, over the course of 3 hours they have 6x 10 minute news reports, and then they have mindless banter between hosts for 6x 3mins, 1x 15min cooking segment, followed by Kochie’s joke of the day. At first I thought it must be hard to make a show like this, especially when its 3 hours every day. Then I realised it was so mind numbingly formulaic that any dope could do it. Even Karl Stefanovic did it drunk… actually that was better than all 45 hours (yeah FORTY-FIVE HOURS, ABC2 have their own show too, slightly less crappy) of breakfast show television that week put together.

• Bouncers.

• Any club in the city that has even the slightest air of self-importance. If I have to line up, dress up, pay to get in… consider it part of this list (I’m sure all those places are deeply offended too)

• Working early.

• Working late.

• Working.

• Daylight savings. Changing the time just gives me the shits. Why don’t these dickheads from WA do it to, are they too good? I just think if we’re gonna every state should do it (or not).

• Those who talk shit about McDonald's. You get these fat people who’re all like “oh I wouldn’t eat McDonald's, that stuff’s terrible for you”, or these ex employees who say they won’t eat. Well I’ve been eating it for years and have never gotten sick (actually I got sick once) and I’m trim and healthy as a mule.

• Feminism

• Racism

• Judaism

• Eden *

• First names as surnames that end with an ‘S’. E.g. Matthews, Stevens, Johns, etc. The surname ‘Wagstaff’ gives me the shits too.

• People who don’t shut up about manual cars and are all like, “oh I could never drive an auto”.

• The sound of ringing phones, or the sound of a phone on silent vibrating on a wooden surface.

• People who are always negative.

• Traffic lights. Well ones that make you wait a long time.

• Holding lifts for other people. This is why when I walk into a lift, I try not to turn around. Seriously, who wants to hold the lift for other people? I sure as fuck don’t, and you know what? I don’t want people holding the lift for me, because I don’t like:

• People.

This might be the stupidest blog yet. However, I’ve always thought about writing a list of stuff that irks me. Funny how it’s my longest one yet, I probably should read some of my earlier posts. If you don’t like the this article:

• People who don’t like this article.


- Dogman


* Eden is one of the best people I've ever met.

Album of the Week: Between the Buttons


Between the Buttons
The Rolling Stones

Between the Buttons is the fifth (British) studio album by The Rolling Stones, released on 20 January 1967, in the United Kingdom.


Tracklist:


All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Disc one

#TitleLength
1."Yesterday's Papers" 2:04
2."My Obsession" 3:17
3."Back Street Girl" 3:27
4."Connection" 2:08
5."She Smiled Sweetly" 2:44
6."Cool, Calm & Collected" 4:17


Disc two


#TitleLength
1."All Sold Out" 2:17
2."Please Go Home" 3:17
3."Who's Been Sleeping Here?" 3:55
4."Complicated" 3:15
5."Miss Amanda Jones" 2:47
6."Something Happened to Me Yesterday" 4:55


Length: 38:33

Why I chose this
:

Along with Sticky Fingers, this is my favourite Rolling Stones album. It still has that early 60s pop feel to it, but also displays the radiant talents of the band to produce an artistic masterpiece. Brian Jones is at his musical supreme, with multiple contributions on each song through a variety of instruments, proving why he is a legend of rock n roll. The chemistry between Mick and Keith is displayed not only in their song writing, but in the dynamic that they add to the group and to these songs. I haven't heard this album as much as the Stones later works (namely Beggars Banquet through to Exile on Main St.) but there is nothing quite like laying back and letting Brian Jones and Keith Richards duel their guitars for the prize of my heart.

- Russell

AotW Home

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Go With What You Know Part I – My Agnostic Experience


"thinkin' 'bout the way that I
Don't understand anything at all..." - The Flaming Lips

** You are not at all required to read this!!

So for the first 15-16 years of my life I was a devout Catholic. I went to church most Sundays and listened as best as I could, though being young my attention span couldn’t always hold out. I prayed to God each night. I kept a cross around my neck and believed in God and Jesus as the church would like me to. There was even a time where I said the Rosary once a day without fail for some three years straight, starting around the age of 11. If I forgot one day I would say it twice the next to catch up.

But then the natural urge to rebel, that is common in teenagers, kicked in. I questioned the existence of God, the practices and methods of the church, which would be very odd if I hadn’t been doing them my whole life. There was the relevance of the church and its expectations of seemingly blind faith. With this my faith began to slip and by 17 I had stopped considering myself a Catholic or a Christian or anything. Anything to do with religion became irrelevant. I became an atheist.

Even at that point, though, I still respected what I had taken out of the religion. I felt I had developed a sense of compassion and morality, but I no longer needed everything that religion said to know of these things. Even now I look back and recognise that saying the Rosary is a form of meditation and I must have gained a sharper mind from the focus and discipline it required without knowing or intending to. I wasn’t regretful about what I took from the religion despite how reassured I was and am now that Christianity is not for me.

So time passed in my assumed state of atheism. Science was the only logical process in my field of existentialism (which at the time was not even a word I understood the meaning or significance of). But eventually my belief system was to take another shift. It was as if the momentum of my release from structured religion carried me to almost the opposite extreme. But that simmered and I analysed why I left my religion – it lacked consistency in its purpose and holes in its logic and method. So what do I have now? I have a theory of evolution that traces back to a point of unexplained mystique. The Big Bang!

Wait, wait, wait. So I stopped believing in God because the proofs are just from some book that said he created it all out of nothing. Now I follow a theory that says it was created out of… Oh right, nothing…

And there I was: Quite certain that I had no reason to believe in God as many had described the concept to me. Yet equally certain that, following that logic, I couldn’t not believe in it. I realised that I didn’t know anything about the subject at all. The sheer scope of thought and experience needed to know this ultimate truth was so far beyond my grasp that I would be lying to myself to say yea or nay. I became agnostic.

I positioned myself firmly on the fence. I wasn’t defined by any religion or view of life except to say that I don’t know. My new philosophy was to let others be free to believe or disbelieve in what they wanted. I was free to believe in what I wanted (nothing as yet) and wouldn’t force that opinion on anyone else.**

- Eden (while listening to Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd)

N.B I do, however, love to discuss my ideas openly with someone with similar or differing views.

N.B.B. If, however, we do engage in a discussion you will realise that my truth is, however, the right truth.

N.N.B.B. I, however, am, however, writing a book about it, however, and if, however, you read the book and follow the seven, however, teen simple steps I outline in the book you will be converted into one of us or go to hell. However.

Part II

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Dog Kennel

Dogman's Dogma:

Here is a chronological listing of all my blogs, oldest at the bottom.

2011
To Beard, or not to Beard
Eden and the Shit Cat
Relationship Troubles

2010
Why SMS is Beautiful- Together with Lee
Just a Dream I Had
Dogman, a Historie
Danny & Annie
Enter the Dogman
Punishing Purchasers
Why Pig Destroyer Is Awesome
Yogo Gorilla!
DCC: The Filthy Folds of Flesh, Revealed
Flash
Death
Public Toilets
Dr Hell - Guest appearance from my friend, Hamish
Judgement
My Quest for Minimalism
Music and Memory
A Bad Plan
Censorship
Dogman's Top 10
High School
Piss Fiend
Timeless Mind
Metal - My Old Friend
ET
The Internet Shield
Dogman's Cock College

2009
You Are Your Teacher
We Wonder
Acceptance
Things I Don't Like
TOE: Mobility in the 21st Century and Beyond
TOE: Equality and Effectiveness in the Lavatory
I Am Man
Influence
Earth 1, Humans 0
Why South Park Is Awesome
Start, Don't Regret
Anger V Happiness
What Happened to Moderation?
Solitude
Learning
Interesting
Book Review: Nineteen Eighty Four
Don't Worry, Just Laugh
Expand Your Mind Into the Cosmos

Lee's Blogs



Blog Archive 

2010
Wrestlemania XXVI Review 
Alex Chilton R.I.P.
Wrestlemania
Lee's Top Ten
Space Camp
WTF
My Lonely Quest To Expand The Boundaries
Change
Sack Whacked
Patton's Take
Lee's Comedy College: Dana Gould
Why Fastball Are Awesome


2009
Relativity
Tisk Tisk Tisk...
Ten minutes Ago...
A Habit I Just Formed
The Default Sense and How To Go Further
Lee's Comedy College: Doug Stanhope
A Game of Trust
Inside Your Mind
Seeing Colours
Expansion
Trying To Focus Can Equal Loss of Focus - Let It Be - You Are Not Always In Control
The Hypocrisy of the Full-Time Procrastinator
The Plight of the Wrestling Fan : Part 3
Measly Humans
The Plight of the Wrestling Fan : Part 2
The Plight of the Wrestling Fan
Proactivity
A Poem
Why Curb your Enthusiasm is Awesome
Love Story
The Art of Rebellion

Eden's fun loving Page

Beatles on the Moon rocks my world.


Have you ever wondered if you truly exist? What is this movie reel spinning before my eyes? What is it that makes me me?

Onions, Fools and Entourage

I could listen to this guy talk all day - even if it is about boring shit...In fact that is what I do for a large portion of my life

Retro Album of the Week

Three listens and I was hooked.





 

2010:
2009:Show/Hide

Guest Blogs

Here at BOTM we love to have many different people contributing whenever they feel like contributing. If you ever want to post an article on here just let one of us know and we will have it posted within the next few days.

Just remember when writing your post, there is one important rule to follow:
You can blog about anything!

Guest Bloggers
    Luke
    Jay
    Sarah
    Dean
    George 
    Lorraine

        Wednesday, November 11, 2009

        Meditation

        "Lay down all thought, surrender to the void" - The Beatles

        A friend of mine recently asked me if I could teach him how to meditate. Having completed two ten day courses of Vipasanna meditation, it is fair to assume I should have some idea on the subject. It is true that I personally know how to meditate, but for two clear reasons I don’t feel comfortable in teaching what I have learnt.

        The first is to do with the meditation itself. It is a very personal process, with simple principles. Basically it aims to purify the mind and body by providing a path towards liberation from suffering. In the course I did, they provide an organic vegetarian diet and don’t allow for drugs to ensure that the body is cleansed. They also ask that you abstain from talking to keep the mind focused and avoid the temptation of lying or speaking ill of yourself or others. Meditation is then performed for over 10 hours a day for the duration of the course. The process is revealed bit by bit to the students. Because such an intense environment like this is impossible to achieve in everyday life, I can’t do the technique justice by teaching it to someone.

        Now I know this sounds like a horribly strict and unenjoyable process, but it is like a detox from the clutter of the world and the benefits are amazing. These include:

        • A more settled mind that doesn’t get lost in its own thoughts constantly
        • The ability to prevent yourself from entering negativity
        • The ability to choose to exit self imposed suffering (and the realisation that all suffering is self imposed).
        • An appreciation of what we already have, and the ability to detach yourself from craving, i.e. Letting go of the pointless obsession we have with money and possessions
        • A stronger will power and increased proactivity through the ability to make personal determinations and stick with them.
        • Living in the moment more often
        • Appreciating heightened senses to enjoy music, movies, exercise, food and all the sensations of life, even pain, to much higher levels
        • Increased creativity
        • A new level of spirituality and connectivity with the world
        • A new level of respect for every part of the world
        • A new perspective on the bullshit of mindless activities like artless media and advertising
        • The ability to do fun things like this
        Now the second reason that I can’t teach the technique is simply because I am no good at it myself. Despite my personal resolve to keep up the practice, I have - on a number of occasions – been meditating regularly only to let it slip to the point of no meditation. Even though I am conscious of and have experienced the above benefits to various levels, I haven’t meditated for months.

        But things are gonna change my friends! This blog is a product of the improved proactivity I achieved from meditating, so in return I am going to use this blog to reignite my practice. Starting this week I am making the determination to meditate at least once a week and hope to increase it from there.

        To get started I have to go back to the simplest form of meditation, and this I actually do feel comfortable describing the process to anyone willing to try it. Basically find a quiet place to sit, preferably inside. Close your eyes and without consciously changing the pattern of your breath, try to focus all your attention on it. Just try to observe the manner in which your breath enters and exits your nose. Only focus on the nasal area. Each time your mind drifts away, just accept that as a reality and again focus on your breath. Try this for 10 minutes (or more if you like).

        It’s a tough process to get your mind focused, but stick with it and hopefully I will too. Happy meditating

        - Eden (while listening to SMiLE – Brian Wilson)

        Monday, November 9, 2009

        The Theories of Efficiency: Mobility in the 21st Century, and Beyond

        It's time to examine the way we move, something which has been neglected for too long. Let us begin.

        Walking Backwards

        Walking backwards isn't easier when you're on a level surface, this technique should only be used when going up. You might not be able to see how this is easier, but please let me explain: When you walk forwards up a hill, you lift your entire leg with each step, bending the knee joint and hip joint - a completely unnecessary step if you ask me. If you walk backwards, you only need to bend your knees. Go ahead, next time you're faced with a hill, walk backwards, some may laugh (if they've still got the breath left after all that forwards walking) but you'll be pleasantly surprised by its outstanding efficiency. The only way to improve on this would be to invent a knee joint that bent both ways, that way you could enjoy then benefits of walking backward and still see what’s in front of you.


        All Fours

        Did you ever scamper up the stairs on all fours as a kid? I did, and it was efficient as fuck. I was able to conquer a staircase with ease because my body weight was spread over 4 limbs. Can you imagine how easily you could race up a set of stairs if your legs had to lift only half the weight? If you have stairs at home try it please, if you’re going to attempt this in public you might want to get stair-gloves (more like wrist guards, its funnier):


        If you don’t have these you’ll get dirty and could contract a serious bout of HBP, it’s possible you won’t get over that for weeks.

        And now for my most radical idea, this will revolutionise human travel:


        Skipping

        In the future, all will skip. There is no doubt about it, everyone knows how to do it and everyone likes it. It’s fast and it’s efficient. I can skip really fast (let’s race), next time you see me I will be skipping. I am serious.

        - Dogman


        Post Script: I was chatting with a colleague about efficient means of travel when he suggested a rather curious and arcane method - the Piggy-back. I've been thinking about it and thinking about it, I believe it should be included in this manifesto in some form (if only a "PS"), as on one hand it violates the laws of efficiency (for the piggy-backer) but on the other hand it flourishes as a way to travel with almost no effort at all (for the piggy-backee). One to think about my efficient friends.

        Read Part 1 in this series: Equality and Effectiveness in the Lavatory.

        Saturday, November 7, 2009

        Cinema with Russell Gill

        This film is perfect. Every piece of dialogue floats beautifully on the screen, staying there for just the right amount of time before drifting into the back of the viewer’s eyes and ears. Tarantino made with Pulp Fiction something special. Every actor in this movie does their job with such grace; Ving Rhames' soothing voice, Walken's unforgettable monologue, Travolta's comeback, and Jackson's 'bad motherfucker'. Within each scene lies gripping drama betwixt with pulsating action and hilarious lines.
        This film will carry on as not only one of the most memorable films of the 90s, but of all-time.
        By far my favourite movie.


        Oh what a treat this movie is. Two film-making geniuses come together on one of the most intriguing and warm stories put to screen. Kaufman's script is amazing, blending an inevitable love story with elements of science fiction, and using an unconventional narrative style to do it.
        Gondry's ability as a director transforms my psyche.
        On top of all that, I reckon the acting in this movie is awesome, not to mention Jon Brion's effective use of music. Definitely recommend watching this, and then watching it again.

        I saw this film when I was about 7, and was mesmorised by its appeal. I have seen it many times since and that appeal still sticks with me; and since have noticed that as a film it is a piece of art. Connery plays on Bond's every mannerism to perfection, making you want to be a part of 007's world. James Bond is one of the original film hero's, and the formula works to perfection in Goldfinger.
        I mean c'mon… the Aston Martin, Q's scene, Oddjob, the golf scene, Pussy Galore, the one-liners, Felix, and one suave dude named Bond, James Bond.


        THE best action movie of all time. Both the first Terminator and T2 provide one of the greatest stories I've ever been told. James Cameron creates a powerful film with T2, not only delivering on groundbreaking special effects, but on drama as well.
        I believe that the Terminator story should finish here, with this film. T2 brings everything to the viewer that he/she desires. So please, please watch these movies; they will not disappoint.
        "The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too."
        - Sarah Connor

        Exciting, thrilling, a classic! Well-told story of Hitchcock's wrongfully accused man with a beautiful blonde getting mixed up in the drama. Clever use of 'Northwest' symbols throughout and hidden innuendos. Hitch was one of those directors who was able to make slightly offbeat/ different films, whilst having one foot in the Hollywood door. NbNw is oh so enjoyable.


        Mulholland Drive is a film that explores how ones deepest desires (or the inability to achieve those desires) are contrasted with that of pure fantasy. Diane uses fantasy as a way of escaping the reality of her unattainable love for Camilla, as shown by Lynch in the first half of the movie. The fantasy scenes are presented with a clear narrative structure, using a plot of what Lynch calls the perfect mystery, suggesting that we can only experience or make sense of our desires by following fantasy until it self-concludes.
        David Lynch follows Diane's fantasy until a traumatic silence is achieved, absent of the noise of everyday life - and possibly of the noise surrounding Hollywood itself.

        A chilling return to the story of one of the most exciting and interesting superheroes. An excellent revamp of the batman series that goes back to the roots of where it all started in Gotham City.
        Tim Burton's classic Batman films are great, but should exist within themselves. Christopher Nolan's 'new' Batman however, is something special.
        Jim Gordon: I never said, "Thank you."
        Batman: [looks back to Gordon] And you'll never have to.


        Absolutely fantastic. It is amazing how much turmoil that Francis Ford Coppola and the crew were put through to make this movie, and still put out a great film.
        Martin Sheen is perfect as Willard, a confused man given the task of tracking down an estranged war hero (Brando) that has been consumed by both the jungle and the Vietnam War.
        In many respects, the most real movie depicting war I have seen; possibly not in the historic sense, but in the shocking human reality it displays.

        Such a special insight into one of the most important periods in music history. I like how Scorsese focused on Dylan's early life and 60s beginnings, as this time period is able to show who he was the most clearly. I also enjoyed seeing the current thoughts of Dylan and a host of other people that have shaped his life.
        It was cool how Scorsese made it not only on Dylan's music, but a commentary on his influence and just how important he was as a figure in a new generation that was saying f*#% you, this is who we are, and we are the change America needs.


        Life and death. This is the key theme that I took away from what seems to be a convoluted movie on the surface, but as is the case with all of Kaufman's scripts, there lies something hidden. That hidden thing will have a different meaning for each viewer, but the driving force behind the director’s pen and camera is the same.
        The central truism I speak of is that we will all die, and Caden knows this; Caden knows this, Sammy knows this, and Kaufman knows this. The fact that he can be so honest about it is very refreshing, allowing one to see past any anxiety we have about mortality, and accept our existence. These existentialist themes of human value and worth are explored in a way that I have not seen before.
        The movie does get confusing, however if you look at it hard enough the plot will make sense; it's the ideas that become confusing, but isn't that what life is all about?

        - Russell

        Friday, November 6, 2009

        A Game Of Trust

        When I write a song, I feel a level of satisfaction in many ways. One of them is just the fact that I’m not done…. kaput…. over. When I’m done with a song, it truly is bittersweet. The sweet is that I’ve written another masterpiece of Mozart or Mccartney calibre. The bitter comes a few days later when I would sit down to write another brilliant evocation of the triumphs and turmoils of human existence through pop music. I would sit there and for the first little while, nothing of substance would come to fruition.

        At this point there would be a part of me that thinks, irrationally of course, that this may be the last song I ever write. Maybe my creativity is gone. Could there be any more melodies out there (or in here)? As these thoughts went through my head, I would sit with my guitar in frustration and a fear that my livelihood, my life ahead of me will be different now because of my sudden creative paralysis. Lately, with Vienna Circus back, I haven’t had this problem at all. For all the times where I have no idea where to go next, there is always a parallel universe, whether later that day or next month, in which our hero has written 4 songs in one day.

        I have proven to myself enough times that even if nothing is happening at this moment in time, all I have to do is trust that it will end up the same as it always has, with me standing atop a mountain with the greatest song ever written.

        - Lee

        Wednesday, November 4, 2009

        Thoughts on Evolution: Love in its Infancy


        Another Embryonic related post. This one comes from a line in the song 'If'. The line is “Love is powerful, but not as powerful as evil”. I couldn’t accept that line. Love has meant a lot to me as I journey through space camped on this little planet. Love is a force of unification, a common ground for sharing. It is an inspiration for discovery and creation. It gives hope and purpose and reason to life. It is countless things and cannot be fully described by the words, music, paintings, movies or anything else we have invented.

        How can evil be more powerful than something this wonderful. Surely love conquers all. But then I got to thinking, this time prompted by another song in Embryonic – 'impulses'. When you see a race between two people and one of them comes first, then it is safe to assume that person is faster and more powerful. Now think of the impulses we get in everyday life. It seems like a negative one is almost always first. Take these three scenarios for example:

        Scenario 1: When something bad is said about me. I get the impulse to defend my honour (passively or aggressively). On top of this I feel the urge to accuse and debase the other person's values. Then running a very slow second place is the impulse to take the criticism on board and use it to improve myself, or to simply recognise it as an inconsequential comment that does not define who I am.

        Scenario 2: When nothing overly provocative happens. Maybe I have a day free and all I feel compelled to do is surf the net, watch mindless TV or crack one out for the hell of it. Again crossing the line a little behind the others is the impulse to go for a jog, play some music or do some chores to help myself or others.

        Scenario 3: This one is tough to admit, but this occurs during the times when I am doing something proactive. Something that stems out of love itself, like creating music or writing this blog. But there is the impulse apparent in me that is craving recognition and praise for my efforts (please comment positively and plentifully below and fill my ego with self satisfaction). Or when someone shares with me in an act of love, I enjoy and learn from it. But then part of me is jealous that I didn’t learn that thing myself. I didn’t create it. Why can’t I be better?

        Even when the perennial second place getter - Love itself - is the primary force behind my actions or someone elses, there is an ever present sense of evil behind it.

        I guess my point is that if humans are the highest vessel for love to grow from then it is still a very young and undiscovered force…

        - Eden (while listening to Perfect From Now On – built to Spill)

        Thoughts on Evolution: Intelligence in its infancy

        Thoughts on Evolution: Physical evolution in its infancy?

        Tuesday, November 3, 2009

        The Theories of Efficiency: Equality and Effectiveness in the Lavatory

        I've been trained to leave the toilet seat down, my whole life I've been raised to believe that this is what I should do, this is what I must do... but who really wins? Women. Who raised me? Women. See a trend? Yes, you do.

        You might be thinking that leaving the toilet seat down after taking a piss is reasonable (whether you're a male or female), but please, allow me to enlighten you with a couple of ideas that could change the way you use the toilet, forever.

        The main idea I'd like get across is the act of lifting the seat up and down resting solely on the male. The current school of thought around the globe (in western countries anyway) is that the toilet seat should be down and all times, lifted by the male when he needs to piss, and returned to the down position when he is done. This seems reasonable, but it isn't. In the interest of efficient toilet usage for all humans, the load must be shared. The improved, modern method is simple: You position the seat the way you require it to be.

        For instance: if I need to take a piss, I lift the seat, piss, flush and walk away. If 1 hour later I need to piss again, the seat is already up, I piss again, no need to inflict needless wear-and-tear on those hinges. The way it stands now I'm forever lifting the seat up and down, needlessly abusing the seat. So if Brooke needs to take a piss, she puts the seat down (the seat in this example has only been moved once, see the efficiency?). The seat is already going to be down a lot of the time anyway, men take dumps and sometimes pee sitting down (I know I do).

        This leads me to my second point, the issue of equality. Feminists around the world are going to be applauding my idea, and hopefully, a new age of toilet etiquette will be ushered in swiftly. Putting the toilet seat down is akin to opening a car door, does a woman really need my help to put down a tiny little toilet seat? I think not, women have shown they’re capable, they can clean toilets – proof that they can indeed move the seat.

        Remember my friends, no unnecessary seat movements. We’re all in this together.

        - Dogman