While it’s not clear if the guys in this remembrance of Adam Yauch (aka “MCA”, founder of the Beastie Boys) are actual minks, the mashup of hip hop & his love of the teachings of the Buddha in this video reflects what community organizers in New York have going on: A community arts celebration that hopes to bring together “all lifestyles, sizes, shapes, and forms.”
And with this – a four-people breakdance to “Ch-Check it out” – it appears they have succeeded.
The conventional wisdom: The more money you have, the better your life is.
Wisdom gained by experience suggests otherwise.
In the Ten Things to Teach & Know, one of the bits is that the more you have, the poorer you are. It looks like Alex, in the story below, might agree, as he labels winning $18 million in the lottery in 2000 as not a blessing, but a curse.
Way cooler than anything on the tube – did you see the sunset? Photo by Ian Byington….
I read the news today, oh boy….
Over the past week, I have continued my long-time thing of not having a television. Now, the interesting thing about not having a television is the great number of well-meaning friends who ask me, “Wow! How would you know if something important happens? What if they shot the president? Or war broke out? Or there was a cure for cancer? Or something?”
While I appreciate their concern, I can assure you I was filled in about all the details of what happened when President Reagan was shot in 1981, when the invasion of Iraq began in 1991 ( and the other time), and that when I visit my pals who have cancer, they keep me posted about whether there’s a cure for what they have. They would be the first to let me know.
A cure for what they have…maybe that’s what I hope for, for my brothers & sisters all over the US & Canada who watch lots of tv. What do they have?
Lots of fear about the way the world works.
Lots of opinions about problems, while missing many of the details related to the problems.
A sense that “entertainment” includes an awful lot of people pushing for happiness, usually from “looking good,” buying stuff, and getting into the perfect relationship.
Traffic reports.
A sense that the government has control of things.
A certain certitude that you need power (and guns) and strength to solve problems and protect yourself from all this stuff.
Wow. Well, I don’t believe I’m missing out on much, really.
Start now. 🙂
It feels like it makes tonnes more sense to discuss how to get a few more years out of our car with my son than to buy a new one (I’ve never seen a tv commercial with tips for making your car last longer). Or to sew up the gently used or maybe well-worn clothes you have, instead of buying new clothes; or worse, buying new stuff because it’s the latest “fashion.” And the worst: To watch so-called nature shows, instead of getting outside to walk in the park, hike on the trail, or go along the beach.
And…as for the things I don’t know because I don’t lock in on the CNN/Fox/ABC/CBS/NBC version of the world…what about the things they don’t have a clue of? The things about which they say, “That’s not news!”
About a quarter of the food in the USA is wasted each day, much of it simply thrown away. That, of course, is not news. It’s just leftover pizza & food that’s past its expiration date.
Some 25,000 to 27,000 people die every day from starvation, according to the UN. That’s not news.
That for every car wreck reported by the reporters, there are 150 million car drivers who didn’t hit anybody, and actually made sure they were careful. Not news, hey…
That millions of people are doing millions of little things to make the lives of people in their tribe a little better. There’s more power for change there, than in all the tanks & guns & missiles in the world.
That way more people are getting well, than are getting sick. And helping each other get well.
And…that the air outside needs to be breathed.
So, thanks for your concern about the television thing, but I think I’m doing all right.
And…if you were my kid, I’d give you a hug & see if you would come outside & play with me. Hope so.
Many of us don’t remember this, but a long time ago, we lived inside our mother’s wombs. We were tiny, living human beings. There were two hearts inside your mother’s body: her own heart and your heart. During this time your mother did everything for you; she breathed for you, ate for you, drink for you. You were linked to her through your umbilical cord.
Oxygen and food came to you through the umbilical cord, and you were safe and content inside of your mother. You were never too hot or too cold.
You were very comfortable. You rested on a soft cushion made of water. In China and Vietnam we call the womb the PALACE OF THE CHILD. You spent about nine months in the palace.
The nine months you spent in the womb were some of the most pleasant times of your life.
Then the day of your birth arrived. Everything felt different around you, and you were thrust into a new environment. You felt cold and hunger for the first time. Sounds were too loud; lights were too bright. For the first time, you felt afraid. This is original fear.
Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.
" -- Ambrose Bierce
About Brother Ian
Over the centuries, Brother Ian has been collecting stories & information & discourses for the purpose of elevating the human condition as needed, dissecting it when necessary, and building the case for hope.
In the spirit of noting that organized crime, organized baseball, organized labour, and organized religion tend to engender controversy & occasional discord, I promise to be neither organized or critical of those who are.
While it’s not clear if the guys in this remembrance of Adam Yauch (aka “MCA”, founder of the Beastie Boys) are actual minks, the mashup of hip hop & his love of the teachings of the Buddha in this video reflects what community organizers in New York have going on: A community arts celebration that hopes to bring together “all lifestyles, sizes, shapes, and forms.”
Over the centuries, Brother Ian has been collecting stories & information & discourses for the purpose of elevating the human condition as needed, dissecting it when necessary, and building the case for hope.