All Things But None

The new year is happening all over the world as I speak. Is it too late to give a good thought or two?

I wish everyone a good night, and the best of health and many joyous days ahead... and thank you.

Much luff.

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Currently listening:
Lemongrass - Polar Nights

Yeah... 'til you're spent! hehehaha! I really want to spell out the 4-letter word here, but I can't... My work will prolly pick up on it and ban me from accessing my site! 'em f*ckers!!

Anyway, last night took me just about 3 hours to get home, 5-min shy! There was this accident and I believe a fatality was involved! :-( Awful! I had to stop the engine twice and just sat there and waited. While waiting I rummaged thru the back seat of my car and found this set of postcards that I bought months ago...

A set called F*ck these postcards. Durr! So I started looking at them and was laughing out loud in my car! How inappropriate while others were looking!! Here are a few of my faves: postcard 01, postcard 02, postcard 03 and postcard 04. So yeah, I find them quite offensively entertaining! It's worth a chuckle or a gag. Maybe I should do something similar with all the signage at my work?! hmm...

Not sure if this will be my last post for the year. Maybe. Maybe not. Toodles n' TGI[f*ckin']F.

There goes Christmas and here comes 2008. No New Year's resolutions for me since I can barely keep track on what's going on next week. I hope everyone had a great time this past Christmas. Did you get good presents? Did you make a wish? Or two?

Towards the end of the year, I usually don't have much to say, more so than usual I guess. Sent out my cards late this year with the usual CD enclosed. Someone recently told me about the one that I made 2 years ago... He said after listening to it, he almost wanted to kill himself. Oy, I'm glad that he didn't. :-) He's so dramatic... I'm just a sad sap! haha!

So this year I made 2 versions, and obviously I sent him the 'upbeat' one! I post the track listing here so later I can recall on what I burned when next year comes around. Will I be here? Will you still be writing? I love the song Light On The Other Side... A song with no fancy words, and I tear up every time I listen to it when I'm alone.

Have you heard?

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NOT YOUR CHRISTMAS MUSIC, v1.0
The Gossip : Standing In The Way of Control [Soulwax Remix]
Goldfrapp : Twist [Dimitri Tikovoi Remix]
Klaxons vs. Blondie : Call Me Golden Skans
Gabriel & Dresden feat. Jan Burton : Dangerous Power [Cicada Mixshow Edit]
Kylie Minogue : Can’t Get You Out Of My Head [Soulwax Remix]
Scream Club vs. Ben Adorable feat. Peaches : Fine As F*ck
Justice : Phantom, Part II [Soulwax Remix]
Beatles vs. NIN : Come Closer Together
Goldfrapp : Train [Ewan Pearson 4/4 Instrumental]
Michaela Melián : Brautlied
Michaela Melián : Manifesto
Colourbox : Philip Glass
Mobius Band : The Loving Sounds of Static
Nada Surf : The Way You Wear Your Head
Klaxons : Gravity’s Rainbow [Soulwax Remix]
Cosey Fanni Tutti : Licking The Juice

NOT YOUR CHRISTMAS MUSIC, v2.0
The Rankin Family : Chì Mi Na Mòrbheanna
Christian Steiner : Der Nussbaum
Libera : When A Knight Won His Spurs
Penguin Cafe Orchestra : Perpetuum Mobile
Red House Painter : Mistress
Carly Comando : Everyday
Yann Tiersen feat. Elizabeth Fraser : Kala
Aphex Twin : Avril 14th
Yo-Yo Ma : Prelude [From the Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G-Major]
Explosions In The Sky : Your Hand In Mine [Goodbye]
Captain Sensible : I Love Her
John Barry : Arthusa
Lunz : Lunz
Yoko Ono : Light On The Other Side (Performed by Pat McRoberts)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra : Prelude and Yodel
Darron Flagg : Prelude [From The Well-Tempered Clavier in C-Major]
Yoko Ono feat. Cat Power : Revelations
Jane Siberry : Calling All Angels [Millennium Version]
Thomas Otten : A Quiet Moment

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PS. I goof'd on naming the Libera track. Oops!

The below was from May of last year... I had somewhat forgotten about it and was digging through my old blog[s] for a particular picture... to no avail! But how wonderful it is to rediscover old things as new! Not to simply write down my own thoughts but others' as well, a journal could be made up of a wide variety of treasures. Reading back, coming across other people's writing inspires me, yet reading my own words just makes me laugh. teehee!

THE MYSTERY AND MAGIC OF THE MIND
On clear, starry nights, I go outside and gaze at the sky. I am always amazed at the vastness of the universe: thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, millions upon millions beyond the limits of our vision, and a sky whose extent is unknown. Along with feelings of enthusiasm and excitement, I am filled with wonder and reverence because this fascinating, beautiful universe is, at the same time, a great unfathomable mystery.

When I walk back home and settle down for my last meditation session of the day, I close my eyes and slowly bring my mental chatter under control. As I look deep into my mind I experience another universe, an inner universe extending into eternity. Like the outer universe, it is a mysterious and magical place. It has boundless energy and creativity, manifesting in the unique entity I think of myself.

To observe the outer universe, I step into an open field. To observe the inner universe, I step into a quiet place within myself. From that quiet place, I observe the busy and noisy activities of the mind. At times I am startled by its speed. The memories, imaginations, fantasies, and thoughts all compete among themselves to take center stage.

I think all the time. Even when I am sleeping, my mind is either dreaming or acting as a "security guard," waiting to wake me if necessary. Yet this very mind that I think with all the time remains a great mystery to me.

A teacher of mine used to say that there is a saint and a criminal within each person. For some, the mind is a sanctuary; for others, it is a dark and painful prison. Both are potential states of mind driven by many forces that are hard to understand. Forming our thoughts and molding our personalities, the mind dominates our lives.

Text: Bhante Y. Wimala

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The mind as a whole is something that's truly unimaginable - not the word, because the word is not the thing, and the description is not the described, yet the mind cannot ever think on its own without the soul. Almost every instance, we let our minds set invisible boundaries, limiting our beings. A quiet/still mind is indeed golden, and it makes us see everything extraordinary - ordinary... and I find that so beautiful.

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Currently listening:
Thomas Otten - A Quiet Moment

This is how my brain feels [prolly looks like] lately... a big pulsating mush! hmm...

Have you finished your holiday shopping? I'm still working on mine. Getting stuff for coworkers is such a PITA! Yeah, YOU! ahaha, j/k! Actually for this year, I bought most of the gifts for my coworkers back in late September! woohoo! But I'm just finally finishing my cards today. Why do I always wait 'til the last minute? I don't know. I still have packages to send out and I'm afraid to head out to the post office. I'm a professional procrastinator.

Oh yesterday while I was working on my cards and licking an envelope, I paper-cut'd my tongue. *zoinks* I thought something like this would never happen, but it did. A good slice... yet bleeding that it was, it didn't hurt! Now you know!

Hmm... nothing much else to say... See, a blubbery mush I tell you! *toot toot*

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Currently listening:
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Music For a Found Harmonium

Right before we fell asleep last night, Alec told me about this particular blog: What I Killed Today... It may be a bit morbid, I find it disheartening yet serene at the same time... Knowing that these animals aren't suffering anymore...

It might be hard for some of you to take in... Reading the entries gave me an odd feeling, but sometimes, life's like that.

Some things last only a moment, others last a lifetime. Feeling moved lasts for a moment, but gratitude is for a lifetime. Glory is for a moment, but the inspiration is for a lifetime. Upholding the precepts takes a moment, but upholding them is for a lifetime. Being wronged lasts for a moment, but achievement is for a lifetime.

A moment or a lifetime, which is longer? Most people naturally think that a moment is very short and a lifetime very long. In fact, eons exist in a ksana, a moment of time. Hence, even though it is a mere moment, is it not also a lifetime?

Dharma practitioners are diligent in their efforts with no fear for difficulties or setbacks. Their hard work is for the moment only, but the Dharma joy upon enlightenment is eternal. Many people like to fight and compete, and often, unable to bear a moment of anger or hate, they end up causing immeasurable damage to themselves and others. Likewise, losing control of one's temper for a moment results in endless regret.

Sometimes we may say something unintentionally, but as the saying goes, "A word can make or break a nation." A few words can destroy someone or allow a person to make a comeback from a seemingly desperate situation. A single utterance can determine good or bad, life or death for a person. While it only takes a moment to say a few words, the damage done can last a long time. How can we thus not be cautious with what we say?

Today's young people are often hot-blooded. In a show of bravado, they enjoy racing each other at very high speeds on roads and highways. However, the high they get from speeding lasts only a moment, but they may sustain a lifelong injury. Is it really worth it?

The time students spend in school studying diligently lasts momentarily, while their achievements can last them a lifetime. Those who have a high understanding of cultivation are willing to toil for the moment in exchange for the best in life. The wedding ceremony for a bride and groom may last a moment, but their coexistence is shared over a lifetime. To maintain a lifetime of shared happiness, neither should forget the commitment they made to each other at that moment. In a democratic election, voters can only cast one vote; however, the influence of the elected official is far-reaching and the effect of the policies he or she makes can be immense.

A moment passes very quickly, but a lifetime lasts long into the future. Even in the most difficult of situations, if we can remember it is only momentary, then we can overcome any hardship or setback. On the other hand, even during the greatest moment of enjoyment, we should also remind ourselves that it is only momentary so that we will not become attached and crave for more. For those who are attached to neither suffering or joy, there is nothing they cannot achieve.

We should tell ourselves that in anything we do, benefiting others is for a lifetime, and hard work is only for a moment. With this in mind, we will persevere and persist in our efforts. During the course of our life, the causes we plant in the moment may affect our fortune and well-being in our many lifetimes to come. Therefore, how can we not be cautious with what we say and do at each moment? For the sake of this lifetime and the many lifetimes to come, we must pay careful attention to the effect a moment may have in anything we do.

Text: Venerable Master Hsing Yun

I watched the trailer this weekend and it made me want to see the film... Maybe this next weekend when I have some time.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly is the remarkable true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a successful and charismatic editor-in-chief of French Elle, who believes he is living his life to its absolute fullest when a sudden stroke leaves him in a life-altered state. While the physical challenges of Bauby's fate leave him with little hope for the future, he begins to discover how his life's passions, his rich memories and his newfound imagination can help him achieve a life without boundaries.

Here's the U.S. trailer, a short review from NPR and the official site from the movie. I want to see it cuz I like how the film was shot, and the colors and the music...

What movie do you want to see? Oright, better turn off the radio before you play the trailer. heh. Hope you all had a grrreat weekend.
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Currently listening:
Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle - Don't Kiss Me Goodbye