A Bowl of Stupid

Just last week, I was lamenting the general decline in American education with respect to the most recent embracement of Sarah Palin-esque ideals by many Americans. In all honesty, however, that kind of stuff is made in jest (for the most part).

Where the rubber really meets the road is the fact that, while Americans have been busy invading other countries, arguing over which is the true nonexistent God, and debating whether or not Lady Gaga is a man or not, other peoples around the globe have been making some truly INCREDIBLE technological advances.

The following is one of the most inspired, and inspiring, demonstrations of technological prowess that I’ve seen in a long time. Watch Pranav Mistry talk about the thrilling potential of SixthSense technology. It’s absolute genius.

Yesterdays rant about the movie Singles, the truly amazing music produced for that movie and continuing in through the early 1990′s, and the comparative state of the music industry today, such as it is, got me thinking. And then it got me listening. And I noticed that the majority of my ‘favorites’ from my iPod selection were put out between the years of 1989 and 1995.

This, of course, inevitably got me thinking again — cuz that’s what I do (well, sorta). Anyway, that secondary line of thinking, such as we’ll now call it, led me to the decision to put up some of my other favorite videos from that time (which for me, would probably be of all time).

So I’m gonna do that. Over the course of the next several days. So you’ll have something to look forward to.

C’mon, stop yer bitching, it’s a long holiday for you jokers back in the States. And it’ll help with digestion. Well, that and some roughage. So maybe you should eat a salad while watching. Or don’t, what the hell do I care?

Umm … anyway, here’s the video for Pearl Jam’s Evenflow (probably one of the best semi-live remixes I heard).

Bitches.

“These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of rock stars, and they will ruin rock ‘n’ roll and strangle everything we love about it. And then it just becomes an industry of cool.”
– Almost Famous (2000)

I happened to stumble into the gym this evening just as HBO Asia had started Singles, the 1992 film written and directed by Cameron Crowe that’s come to epitomize the entire Seattle grunge movement.

After watching it, I thought back to my own experience during that heady time in the early 1990′s, which itself could have been a blueprint for another tangent of that whole scene — how I left Arizona to work out of Seattle on the fishing and crabbing boats in Alaska for a couple years between college and law school.

At the time, however, nobody really understood just how radical the movement would be, it was just an alternative to the bullshit that Vanilla Ice and Metallica were churning out. There wasn’t yet the inkling of how it would eventually gain a life and momentum and foothold in the mainstream population that would ultimately claim the sanity (and lives) of several of what the music industry would call the movements “founders.”

At first, it was just music — arguably even when Singles was released in ’92. And this, given Crowe’s repeatedly voiced disdain for the music industry, could be the ultimate irony in that his film itself contributed to the ultimate despoliation of the source (In his semi-autobiographical film, Almost Famous, Crowe describes how corporate interests ‘killed’ Rock & Roll in the early 1970′s, turning it into an “industry of cool” for most of the following two decades).

Indeed, only a couple years later, the whole grunge movement imploded under the extreme pressures of the recording industry, leaving us with the Goo-Goo Dolls, The Verve, Matchbox 20, and the other bullshit “Made For MTV” “grungy-like” musical composites that were far more palatable (and profitable) to mainstream consumption.

Perhaps this is why I take so much pride in being around, and being a direct part of that ‘pre-grunge’ scene at its outset. It was, most likely, the last pure musical renaissance in modern music.

Shit, even when the corporate MTV shills got their grubby claws on the “grunge scene”, at least they and the artists respected (or at least saw how they could capitalize on) the purity of the music itself — which led to the whole ‘acoustic-grunge’ period, itself a musical triumph (just listen to ANY of the tracks from Unplugged In New York if you doubt me).

Hopefully, the music scene is cyclical, and a new pure musical revolution will spring up again some time soon to wipe away the disgrace of the Britney Spears’, and the Adam Lambert’s, and Justin Bieber’s, and all the other beautiful, synthesized, auto-tuned pseudo-rock stars. Given how much money is at stake, however … I doubt it (while there is something to be said for the indie-rock scene of the past several years, it hasn’t produced ANYTHING even remotely matching what was produced in the early 90′s).

So, with all that whinging about the current state of music out of the way, I’m posting one of my favorite songs, from one of my favorite bands, from one of the purest eras of modern rock, performing in quite possibly the purist way possible — acoustically, on the street, in front of a group of fans.

Smashing Pumpkins — Mayonnaise (acoustic version)

If you strike them down, they shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

(c/o Andrew Sullivan, again)

Good updates on the situation in Iran continue here:

• Andrew Sullivan
• Neo-resistance
• The Lede (NY Times Blog)
• The Belgravia Dispatch

(photo c/o Andrew Sullivan)

Like CNN, I too have conspicuously avoided writing about the Iranian election debacle and resulting demonstrations. However, I’d like to think that my reasons for doing so are far nobler than the simple neglect shown by CNN’s and the remainder of the mainstream media.

And once coverage actually began in the mainstream media, instead of covering the actual events on the ground, ironically, much has instead been made about how the Obama administration should continue to handle the situation. Many pundits (on all sides of the political spectrum) are claiming the President should lend more vocal support to the protesters.

Personally, I disagree.

Although the cause may indeed be just, it’s not America’s role to engage in internal Iranian politics at this stage. Indeed, in this case, discretion is the better part of valor. The New Republic, of all places, has an unusually coherent editorial in this regard:

the Obama administration has to be very careful about backing, or even placing great hopes on, someone like Iran’s Moussavi and even on his impassioned followers. If we are seeing the beginning of another revolution–or structural transformation–in Iran, it is worth remembering that before the dust clears on this events, Kerensky can become Lenin and Bani Sadr can become Khomeini.

Personally, I hope the violence ends soon. And I also hope, like many Iranians do, for change. The Iranian people deserve it.

However, regardless of the underlying causes behind what is now happening on the ground in Iran, regardless of whatever personal attachments or feelings I or anyone else outside Iran may have to same, and regardless of how the international community chooses to react, what is now happening is the province of the Iranian people. Moreover, it is one of the most important things taking place in the world right now. And it should not – cannot - be dismissed.

I would suggest everyone keep up with Andrew Sullivan and other non-traditional media sources for updates.

As one would imagine, when I head out to the islands (with no electricity and no running water and such), I don’t keep up on the news as much as I might otherwise. Indeed, over the past couple years, I’ve realized that I can gather most of the news I need from the surf report.

Notwithstanding, I HAVE heard about this whole ‘global economic meltdown’ thingy that’s going on. And I heard from several sources — online, televised, written and otherwise — that there may be the stirrings of a genuine economic recovery starting back in the States.

But then I read this uplifting op-ed piece in today’s New York Times, from where the above picture was pilfered. The authors claim:

We are sympathetic to the extraordinary challenge the president faces, but if we’ve learned anything at all two years into the worst financial crisis of our lifetimes, it is that a capital-markets system this dependent on public confidence is a shockingly inadequate foundation upon which to rest our economy.

On the bright side, although one of the authors, Mr. Sandy Lewis, was convicted on federal charges of stock manipulation in 1989, he was pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 2001 and had his lifetime trading ban overturned by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2006. As such, he can obviously lend his talents towards fixing the current situation.

Umm … perhaps ‘fixing’ wasn’t the bast choice of wording.

Regardless, I’m sure Prez Obama will think ‘outside the box’ to sort this whole mess out. Oh yeah, although he promised to change the whole paradigm in Washington, he IS still just a politician — and a Democrat, at that. Which explains why he ‘handed over his economic policy to worn-out Wall Street gorgons like Larry Summers and Bob Rubin.’

Oh, okay. Well then, there must still be a whole bunch of other people who can still straighten this mess out from the outside-in, right?

I mean, consider Goldman Sachs’ new adviser, Arthur Levitt Jr., the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He’s gonna be helpful.

Oh wait, what’s that you say? Levitt helped convince Bill Clinton to make two of the most important bad decisions that led to this financial crisis. So now he’s still around helping to liaise between Goldman Sachs and the government.

Oh … okay. Yeah, I see your point — we’re all still pretty fucked. Okay then, I’m going back to the islands and stick to reading the surf reports.

Anyone who knows me or who reads this blog (especially recently) knows that music plays an incredibly important role in my everyday life. I listen to my iPod on my motorbike, while shopping, or just walking around — pretty much any time I’m not in the water surfing, really.

In addition to forming the soundtrack to my life, that same music also reminds of places I’ve been and people I’ve known over the years. And depending on the situation, any particular song can simply jog an insignificant memory or, in some cases, remind me of something so radical as to momentarily turn my world upside down.

Today at the coffee shop, I heard ‘Jesus, Etc.’, from Wilco’s 2002 masterpiece, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The CD came out soon after I first moved to Miami. It was just after the September 11th attacks, I was working as a lawyer for someone who later turned out to be one of my better friends for the next 4-5 years, my sister and brother-in-law just had their first child, and I living with my beautiful and brilliant (now ex) girlfriend in a small one bedroom apartment in South Beach.

Looking back, it was one of those glorious transitional periods we don’t often recognize while we’re in the midst of them. I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to what I think I want, then I was at that particular time in my life. I suppose I’m lucky to even have had that. But it sometimes hurts to be reminded of what I had, and eventually lost.

In case you’re curious, I was the one who ruined things in the end — I left almost immediately after my ex suggested we buy a condo together. The typical commitment issues, I suppose.

Regardless, until the end, our relationship was fairly solid. Of course, like all couples we fought on occasion — people just tend to grind on each other, especially when they live together. But, also until the end, we always seemed to resolve things — mainly because, although she was younger than I, she was also far more mature (and intelligent). She usually did something to appease my ego while still getting me to see her side of things — effectively diffusing the conflict with little skin off of her nose.

After one of those fights, she bought me a copy of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — one of her favorite new releases at the time. Although I had heard it playing in the apartment, I hadn’t really paid it much attention. But she handed me the CD, together with a piece of paper upon which she had hand-written:

OUR LOVE IS ALL OF GOD’S MONEY

She took the CD and played the song from where the lyric came — Jesus, Etc.. Then she sat down with me and put her head on my shoulder while we listened together.

To this day, I can’t remember what we had fought about, or (besides the obvious) why that particular act of kindness immediately resolved the conflict. All I remember is how loved and comfortable and just … good I felt at the time.

But now, with the passage of time and additional experience, things are different. Now, and particularly today, when I heard that song, and that particular lyric, it was like getting the rug pulled out from under me. Because now, in comparison, I just feel lost.

Sure, it may just be that’s the loss of blissful ignorance talking. But it stings just the same — and then the melancholy comes over me like a warm blanket.

• Dow and S&P 500 at ’97 lows — The Dow and S&P 500 tumbled to levels not seen in nearly 12 years Monday, as investors continue to worry that the government’s efforts to slow the recession won’t be sufficient. (CNNMoney.com)
• Asian Stocks Drop to Five-Year Low; Nomura Slumps on Share Sale — Asian stocks fell, dragging the regional benchmark to the lowest in more than five years, as the global recession hurts company earnings and forces share sales to bolster balance sheets. (Bloomberg)
• North Korea ‘plans rocket launch’ — North Korea has announced it is preparing to launch a rocket purportedly carrying a ‘communications satellite’, but without giving an indication of a date. (BBC World)
• FBI recovers 48 juveniles in prostitution raid — Law enforcement officials arrested more than 500 people, and took custody of 48 juveniles in a coordinated 29-city weekend sweep aimed at combating child prostitution, the FBI announced Monday. (CNN)
• Australian Firefighters Battles to Contain Blazes — Australian firefighters are battling to contain blazes in the southeast before temperatures rise and winds strengthen, two weeks after the nation’s worst-ever bushfires. (Bloomberg)
• Oscars 2009: the biggest victory ever for British films On Sunday night in Los Angeles, Slumdog Millionaire lifted eight out of a possible nine Oscars [it was nominated for ten - twice for Original Song]. (Times Online)*

*C’mon people, the movie wasn’t that good, for Christ’s sake! Danny Boyle? Roland Joffe? Satyajit Ray? They all made the same movie! Doesn’t anybody notice this? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!

I went back to my apartment in Bali last week. However, for a variety of factors, this time it felt less like ‘home’ to me than ever. So I decided to leave again.

I’m heading to Borneo right now, with designs on climbing Mount Kinabalu later this week with some long lost friends whose schedules I’m really glad coincided with mine. It should be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.

Lately, I haven’t felt quite myself. There have been a great many thoughts going through my head that haven’t been there in a while — among them, a growing desire to visit home. Indeed, it’s been about 1.5 years now since I’ve been back to the States to see my friends and family. And it may be time for a visit.

So, with a 3 year, 20 country change of perspective, here’s a replay of the video from the very first post I ever put on this site (and a ‘re-link’ to the incredible story written by my friend Chez, which inspired much of this blog). Enjoy.

Zero 7 — Home

Apparently it’s “Existentialism Week” here at The Bowl. For the second time in almost as many days, I’m posting about some personal crap affecting my world rather than events affecting the world around me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had a bunch of garbage rattling around in the attic for a number of weeks that I can finally put into words. Perhaps a couple days in the water is starting to clear my head a bit. Perhaps I’m just trying to pass the time. Regardless, this week, we are a true ‘web-log’ again.

Several years ago, my aunt and I got to discussing how my cousins, my sister and I have changed since we were kids. I told her how, in my mind, I saw us all completely altered from the people we were when we were younger. My aunt disagreed. Having witnessed all of us growing up from her adult perspective, she thought that, but for such growth that life throws upon us, we’re all essentially the same personalities as when we were kids.

After thinking on that comment for a couple years now, I’m beginning to think she was right in some respect, but wrong in another.

With respect to my sister and I, our personalities have always been radically different — she the pragmatic, studious, responsible older sister … and I, the eccentric, searching, risk-taking younger brother.

Our life paths — especially right now — tend to reflect that underlying truth. My sister is happily married, has two (2) gorgeous little girls, a good job, and a nice house in an upper-middle class neighborhood. I obviously have none of those things at the moment, as I wander randomly throughout the bowels of Southeast Asia.

And while we almost always enjoy each others company, the conversations admittedly tend to drag whenever one of us tries talking to the other about what constitutes a meaningful event in our respective lives. She obviously (and rightly so) loves talking about her family, while I obviously love talking about myself the places, people and philosophies I’ve encountered.

But this is where my aunt is wrong, I think. Because every so often, my sister and I expose a depth to our personalities that often goes undetected, even by others in our immediate family.

Yesterday was one of those times.

Yesterday my sister blindsided me with a piece of eccentric profundity I never saw coming from her. And while it was fairly simplistic (sorry Sis), it struck a chord with me because it was perfectly suited to my current state of mind, and it served as proof that she knows me far better than I give her credit for.

I don’t see her enough. And I don’t talk to her enough. But she may very well know me (if not fully understand me) better than anyone. She is the strongest link to my past (even including my parents with respect to some things). And I miss her.

For anyone with a bit of a fond nostalgic streak, or for those who would pity (the admittedly pitiable) departing President G.W. Bush, or even if, like me, you simply want to forget the past and move on — I would ask that you do one thing first:

Read the piece that just came out in the February 2009 edition of Vanity Fair — distilled from scores of interviews — which offers fresh insight into the roles of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and other key players, entitled: An Oral History of the Bush White House.

It’s not so much a news article as it is a cautionary tale to those who may try to forget or otherwise whitewash the raping of the United States, Iraq, the environment, the global financial markets, and the world itself, in its entirety, by the Bush Administration over the past 8 years.

The threat of 9/11 ignored. The threat of Iraq hyped and manipulated. Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib. Hurricane Katrina. The shredding of civil liberties. The rise of Iran. Global warming. Economic disaster.

I’ve no pithy remarks. No smartass commentary. No words of pseudo-wisdom to impart. I just hope as many people as possible read and remember this, and other relatively undiluted accounts of what REALLY took place over the past 8 years — before the Neocon spin masters get to it and turn George W. Bush into another Ronald Reagan.

(Yours truly — sporting the latest)

สักยันต์ – Sak Yant; Sak – meaning “to tap” or, “to tattoo”, and Yant, meaning “Yantra”. Originally derived from the Sanskrit word “YANTRA”.

Through some sort of Google ‘search engine magic’, this site — and, in particular, the posts HERE, HERE and HERE — has become some sort of pseudo-authority on the sacred Bhuddist art of ‘Sak Yant’ tattooing.

The bad news is that, as I stated in the comment section of one post:

Just to set the record straight, I pretty much know jack-shit about EVERYTHING.

My admitted stupidity notwithstanding, people STILL continue to be directed here by the search-engine gods in their quest for knowledge about Sak Yant. My apologies, everyone.

The good news, however, is that I too know know how to use Google to find ACTUAL authorities on the subject of Sak Yant tattoos and have posted links in my above-referenced posts to ACTUAL sak yant authories. Moreover, one of my best friends in Bangkok actually did a video piece for the Bangkok Post (see below) about Arjan Noo, one of the best know Say Yant artists in the — having given Angelina Jolie her well-publicized sak yant tattoos.

The other good news is that there has also been some faily interesting information posted by visitors in the commentary of my posts, including this latest comment by ujalakali:

I have a sak yant tattoo and I am a woman. I made a kind of pilgrimage to bkk to get it done. actually, i would have gone to anyone, but ended up at arjan noo’s to get it done in the belief that women cannot be touched by monks–which arjan noo is not.

later a westerner with plentiful sak yant told me that some bkk temples will put sak yant on women.

here is my experience:
I only have one and was not allowed to choose it. this is important! i think you often dont really get to choose. you tell them what is going on with you (i was on my way to afghanistan so i recieved the protection yant) and they give you the one that is best. also, i felt that they strongly encouraged putting the yants in the classic places. AJ’s is in the normal place for a protection tattoo. they put mine in a slightly different place. they were very clear that they were not going to do anything on my lower back, even though i didn’t ask for such a thing. this was a clear rule.

one final thing–this is for real. everything changed for me after recieving the tattoo. come correct.

This is all I really know, that which is my experience–i dont know about the other yants and dont know what the experience is for men.

i have a question if anyone knows– are there rules explicit for women? as far as i can see the rules are mostly for men, so i just try to stay on the right path as i see it. but if there are ladies rules, i would love to know them! thanks!

As I mentioned in those comments:

… it’s my understanding that the ‘rules’ on Sak Yant (in general) is that you cannot have an actual image of the holy Buddha anywhere on your body, and that the yants themselves are not to be placed anywhere beneath the waistline (which, for obvious reasons, is considered unclean — that’s also the reason monks are not allowed to touch women, as they are alleged to be unclean … sorry girls, I’m just the messenger.

That being said, I can also advise all of you fellow tattoo enthusiasts (read: freaks) that obviously Arjan Noo himself does sak yants for women (although when I went for one, he charges foreigners — ‘falangs’ — about US$2,000.00 per, and presumably more if you’re a celebrity).

Further, there was also a Malaysian woman behind me to get inked at Wat Bang Phra when I got my first sak yant. I assume she eventually got one there, although I didn’t stick around to confirm it, and it’s my understanding that women there are only allowed to get ‘invisible tattoos’ made with vegetable oil instead of ink.

Again, what the hell do I know, right?

So for those of you still interested in more info, you can go to the appropriately named Sak-Yant.com — it has just about everything you may want to know on the subject.

And who can (or want to learn to) read Thai, here’s a link to Arjan Noo’s website — actually, there are a bunch of links there written in English also.

Last, but not least, there’s this: the VERY BEST news story you’ll ever see about the subject — where my buddy, Desho Bernard of the Bangkok Post (a.k.a. Guru Bangkok), went to do a story on Arjan Noo and got tattooed instead:

That is all … freaks.

For anyone interested in watching one of the most inspiring victory speeches ever made, I suggest you watch the following. Not only is P.E. Obama one of the best orators around today, but he and his speech writers are some of the most talented writers out there as well. Watch this and tell me this speech doesn’t make you proud to be an American.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
– President Elect Barack Obama

It’s over. Finally. Thank FUCKING god!

After a seemingly endless election cycle, the race for the next President of the United States has finally been decided. And regardless which of the candidates had won, there now exists a light at the end of the tunnel that has been the George W. Bush presidency. The nightmare — for Americans, Iraqis, and countless others worldwide — will soon be over.

Even better, and more overwhelming news is that the American public — whether due to huge voter turnout, shifting demographics, or the presence of sheer logic — managed to overcome whatever fear, bigotry or hatred they may have to elect the right person for the job at this particular point in history:

President-Elect Barack Obama.

Personally, I didn’t think they had it in them. I never actually thought it would happen. And I had resigned myself to be a reluctant ex-pat “American” for years to come.

Unless you’re an American living abroad during the past 8 years, you probably don’t understand the magnitude of the decision made today back in the States. Even despite the 2004 election debacle, most people worldwide (at least those I’ve met and heard about) continued to believe that Americans — while unbelievably DUMB — were, by in large, still good people that somehow fell under the thumb of an evil, dictatorial ruler, and were simply awaiting someone (or something) to lead them to better days.

Had McCain (his own qualifications, or lack thereof, notwithstanding) been elected, or even had Obama not been elected by the wide margin of victory it now appears he will win by, I’m not sure how much more other citizens of the world could have taken. I honestly feared the rest of the global community may have turned on regular American citizens, in general.

Thankfully, that is a concern I now don’t need to confront.

Instead, a majority of Americans have proved worthy of the trust freely bestowed upon them by the rest of the world. A world which now has the ability — rightly so, in my opinion — to justify their decision in that regard. And for the first time in a very, VERY long time, I’m proud to call myself an American while traveling and living abroad.

Today, I am a true American patriot.

Again, those of you who have never been in my position may judge, heckle or otherwise condemn my feelings as simply riding the “Obama Bandwagon”. However, those of you who do so don’t know how it felt to be traveling around Indonesia and having to deal with the looks of utter contempt on the faces of previously friendly locals upon hearing where I’m from. Nor did you have to constantly distance yourself from the country you love simply because it has been so utterly PERVERTED by the evil whims of one man (or one party). Or to do so simply so you won’t get ‘taken for a ride’ by the local authorities because you’re an American (one time in Costa Rica, the only way I got out of a ‘ticket’ was by saying although I was American, I still hated George Bush — they loved that).

Regardless, I feel like a huge weight has been removed from my shoulders, and from the world’s collective conciousness. I can lift my head high again — something new to me during my only recent tenure living abroad — when saying where I’m from, who is my President, and acknowledging that my fellow Countrymen (and women) voted as they did:

For change. For peace. For logic. For balance. For everything good and right that the United States of America is supposed to embody — proving that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth.

Granted, this comes with a huge amount of responsability to place on the shoulders of any one man. But President-Elect Obama asked for our trust, we gave him our trust, and now I can only sit back and hope he continues to earn our trust — and the trust of the rest of the world.

UPDATE: I just saw this article over at the Huffington Post written by William Kole — an American living abroad in Europe — echoing the sentiments voiced above, and by seemingly every other expat American I know.