"Those who never risk themselves, never fully become themselves."
-- Alexandra Saperstein
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Thursday, November 09, 2006
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend
If you haven't heard about these ladies, you're missing out.
In the isolated enclave of Gee's Bend, Alabama, over a period of 150 years, women have been turning out some of the most incredible artwork -- in the form of quilts -- I've ever seen.
With their use of bold colors, linear forms, and largely asymmetrical designs, they have married form and function in a stunningly beautiful way. Words can't do them justice.
To see some of these quilts, click here, here, here, and here.
To read and learn more, click here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Items for purchase: a PBS DVD and books.
In the isolated enclave of Gee's Bend, Alabama, over a period of 150 years, women have been turning out some of the most incredible artwork -- in the form of quilts -- I've ever seen.
With their use of bold colors, linear forms, and largely asymmetrical designs, they have married form and function in a stunningly beautiful way. Words can't do them justice.
To see some of these quilts, click here, here, here, and here.
To read and learn more, click here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Items for purchase: a PBS DVD and books.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Marcus Aurelius on Tranquility
"Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, seashores, and mountains... But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.
[T]ranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself."
-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Part IV, paragraph 3
[T]ranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself."
-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Part IV, paragraph 3
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Gandhi's wisdom
"Action expresses priorities."
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
"Find purpose, the means will follow."
"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."
“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”
"A man is but the product of his thoughts -- what he thinks, he becomes."
"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."
"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."
“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”
"Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
"We cannot be speakers who do not listen. But neither can we be listeners who do not speak."
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
“Whenever you have truth it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.”
“We must always seek to ally ourselves with that part of the enemy that knows what is right.”
“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”
"An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so."
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
"Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed."
"The Rich must live more simply so that the Poor may simply live."
"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."
"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -- that is the myth of the atomic age -- as in being able to remake ourselves."
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
"Find purpose, the means will follow."
"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."
“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”
"A man is but the product of his thoughts -- what he thinks, he becomes."
"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."
"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."
“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”
"Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
"We cannot be speakers who do not listen. But neither can we be listeners who do not speak."
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
“Whenever you have truth it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.”
“We must always seek to ally ourselves with that part of the enemy that knows what is right.”
“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”
"An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so."
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
"Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed."
"The Rich must live more simply so that the Poor may simply live."
"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."
"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -- that is the myth of the atomic age -- as in being able to remake ourselves."
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Keynes on avoiding a type of fossilization
"When confronted with new information, I reassess and modify my position. What, sir, do you do when confronted with new information?"
-- John Maynard Keynes, economist
-- John Maynard Keynes, economist
Purpose
To those who seek to use the term "do-gooder" as an insult or epithet, I would pose this question: What, exactly, would you do with your life?
Monday, August 28, 2006
Marcus Aurelius
"[A] limit of time is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return... [D]o what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice... [D]oest every act of thy life as if it were the last."
-- excerpted from Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" at Part II
-- excerpted from Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" at Part II
Bass Man
A great documentary about the power of singular purpose and achieving transcendence through pro bass fishing.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Video Jukebox: Jazz Clips on YouTube
Ella Fitzgerald
Summertime
Lush Life
I Won't Dance
Body and Soul
Scatting with Roy Eldridge
Misty
Too Marvelous For Words
That Old Black Magic
Louis Armstrong
Medley
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (with Billie)
Duke Ellington
Thelonious Sphere Monk
Art Tatum
Yesterdays
Humouresque
Oscar Peterson
The Theme
Cakewalk
Charlie Parker
John Coltrane
Charles Mingus
Miles Davis
Billie Holliday
Carmen McRae
Roland Kirk
Art Blakey
Jimmy Smith
Wes Montgomery
Kenny Burrell
All Blues
Dave Brubeck
Take Five
Summertime
Lush Life
I Won't Dance
Body and Soul
Scatting with Roy Eldridge
Misty
Too Marvelous For Words
That Old Black Magic
Louis Armstrong
Medley
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (with Billie)
Duke Ellington
Thelonious Sphere Monk
Art Tatum
Yesterdays
Humouresque
Oscar Peterson
The Theme
Cakewalk
Charlie Parker
John Coltrane
Charles Mingus
Miles Davis
Billie Holliday
Carmen McRae
Roland Kirk
Art Blakey
Jimmy Smith
Wes Montgomery
Kenny Burrell
All Blues
Dave Brubeck
Take Five
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Our children and their children
What kind of world will we leave to our children and their children? Will we be good stewards of this planet, our only home?
As every good mother has taught their children: Actions have consequences. Mother Earth is about to teach us this lesson as well if we continue our unsustainable and misguided ways.
If you haven't done so already, I'd strongly recommend seeing Al Gore's movie on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth." It's a gripping, well-reasoned, and thought-provoking look at where we're headed if we do not correct our course.
You can learn how to take action to reduce your environmental impact at www.climatecrisis.net.
Do whatever you can: car pool, take the bus, or ride your bike to work -- even if it's only for one day a week; buy a hybrid or fuel efficient car if possible; purchase energy efficient light bulbs for the most commonly used rooms in your home; lobby your elected officials for light rail and bike lanes; or bump up your thermostat by two degrees in the summertime.
The stakes are too high for us to bury our heads any longer.
As every good mother has taught their children: Actions have consequences. Mother Earth is about to teach us this lesson as well if we continue our unsustainable and misguided ways.
If you haven't done so already, I'd strongly recommend seeing Al Gore's movie on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth." It's a gripping, well-reasoned, and thought-provoking look at where we're headed if we do not correct our course.
You can learn how to take action to reduce your environmental impact at www.climatecrisis.net.
Do whatever you can: car pool, take the bus, or ride your bike to work -- even if it's only for one day a week; buy a hybrid or fuel efficient car if possible; purchase energy efficient light bulbs for the most commonly used rooms in your home; lobby your elected officials for light rail and bike lanes; or bump up your thermostat by two degrees in the summertime.
The stakes are too high for us to bury our heads any longer.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Video Jukebox: Soul Clips on YouTube
Wilson Pickett
I'm In Love
Everybody Needs Somebody
99 and 1/2
Mustang Sally
Land of 1000 Dances
Funky Broadway
Stagger Lee
Soulfinger (Hey, give some up for the band!)
Otis Redding
Shake / I've Been Loving You Too Long
Try A Little Tenderness
Sam and Dave
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
Hold On, I'm Coming
Sam Cooke
You Send Me
Hey, Hey The Gang's All Here (with Muhammad Ali)
The Four Tops
Reach Out I'll Be There
The Temptations
The Way You Do The Things You Do
The Impressions
Woman's Got Soul
Curtis Mayfield
Keep On Keeping On
Superfly
I'm Your Pusherman
Future Shock
Gladys Knight and the Pips
The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
If I Were Your Woman
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Donny Hathaway
Put Your Hands In The Hands
The Ghetto
Marvin Gaye
What's Going On
Let's Get It On
Sexual Healing
Stevie Wonder
Superstition
I'm In Love
Everybody Needs Somebody
99 and 1/2
Mustang Sally
Land of 1000 Dances
Funky Broadway
Stagger Lee
Soulfinger (Hey, give some up for the band!)
Otis Redding
Shake / I've Been Loving You Too Long
Try A Little Tenderness
Sam and Dave
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
Hold On, I'm Coming
Sam Cooke
You Send Me
Hey, Hey The Gang's All Here (with Muhammad Ali)
The Four Tops
Reach Out I'll Be There
The Temptations
The Way You Do The Things You Do
The Impressions
Woman's Got Soul
Curtis Mayfield
Keep On Keeping On
Superfly
I'm Your Pusherman
Future Shock
Gladys Knight and the Pips
The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
If I Were Your Woman
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Donny Hathaway
Put Your Hands In The Hands
The Ghetto
Marvin Gaye
What's Going On
Let's Get It On
Sexual Healing
Stevie Wonder
Superstition
Video Jukebox: Louisiana Music Clips on YouTube
Professor Longhair
Tipitina
Branford Marsalis and Friends
Bringing the Music Back to New Orleans
The Meters
Look-Ka Py Py / Jungle Man
The Neville Brothers and The Meters
Fire on the Bayou
The Neville Brothers
Tell It Like It Is
Amazing Grace / One Love / People Get Ready
The Dixie Cups and the Neville Brothers
Brother John / Iko Iko
Louisiana Red
Ain't Got No Future
Buckwheat Zydeco and the Neville Brothers
Ya Ya
T. Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers
Tell Me Why?
Dikki Du and the Zydeco Crewe
Hey Pocky Zydeco Way
Tipitina
Branford Marsalis and Friends
Bringing the Music Back to New Orleans
The Meters
Look-Ka Py Py / Jungle Man
The Neville Brothers and The Meters
Fire on the Bayou
The Neville Brothers
Tell It Like It Is
Amazing Grace / One Love / People Get Ready
The Dixie Cups and the Neville Brothers
Brother John / Iko Iko
Louisiana Red
Ain't Got No Future
Buckwheat Zydeco and the Neville Brothers
Ya Ya
T. Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers
Tell Me Why?
Dikki Du and the Zydeco Crewe
Hey Pocky Zydeco Way
Video Jukebox: Blues Clips on YouTube
Muddy Waters
Hoochie Coochie Man
Got My Mojo Working
Honey Bee
Long Distance Call
Howlin Wolf
Shake For Me
Sonny Boy Williamson
Your Funeral and My Trial
Bye Bye Bird
Big Walter Horton
That Ain't It & Down Yonder
Walter's Shuffle
Junior Wells
Stop Breaking Down
Messin' With The Kid
Buddy Guy
First Time I Met The Blues
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Money
Can't Be Satisfied (acoustic)
B.B. King
Sweet Sixteen
I Got Some Outside Help I Don't Need
Why I Sing The Blues
To Know You Is To Love You
Freddie King
San Ho Zay
Hide Away
Boogie Funk
Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
I'm Tore Down
Albert King
Live at the Fillmore East
Kansas City
Albert Collins
A Good Fool is Hard to Find
Mastercharge
Magic Sam
All Of Your Love
Carey Bell
Mellow Down Easy
Skip James
Crow Jane
Mississippi John Hurt
You're Going To Walk That Lonesome Valley Blues
Son House
Death Letter Blues
Johnny Shines
Ramblin'
Mance Lipscomb
Jack of Spades
Bukka White
Aberdeen Mississippi Blues
Poor Boy Long Way From Home
Mississippi Fred McDowell
John Henry
Alvin Youngblood Hart
playing solo
Kelly Joe Phelps
Piece by Piece
Goodnight Irene
Hoochie Coochie Man
Got My Mojo Working
Honey Bee
Long Distance Call
Howlin Wolf
Shake For Me
Sonny Boy Williamson
Your Funeral and My Trial
Bye Bye Bird
Big Walter Horton
That Ain't It & Down Yonder
Walter's Shuffle
Junior Wells
Stop Breaking Down
Messin' With The Kid
Buddy Guy
First Time I Met The Blues
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Money
Can't Be Satisfied (acoustic)
B.B. King
Sweet Sixteen
I Got Some Outside Help I Don't Need
Why I Sing The Blues
To Know You Is To Love You
Freddie King
San Ho Zay
Hide Away
Boogie Funk
Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
I'm Tore Down
Albert King
Live at the Fillmore East
Kansas City
Albert Collins
A Good Fool is Hard to Find
Mastercharge
Magic Sam
All Of Your Love
Carey Bell
Mellow Down Easy
Skip James
Crow Jane
Mississippi John Hurt
You're Going To Walk That Lonesome Valley Blues
Son House
Death Letter Blues
Johnny Shines
Ramblin'
Mance Lipscomb
Jack of Spades
Bukka White
Aberdeen Mississippi Blues
Poor Boy Long Way From Home
Mississippi Fred McDowell
John Henry
Alvin Youngblood Hart
playing solo
Kelly Joe Phelps
Piece by Piece
Goodnight Irene
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