Generic Fragments from a Generic Guy on a Generic Blog

It's been awhile since I've had a generic fragments.

This Friday we watched Benji and on Saturday morning I watched Return of the Jedi (for the first time) with my two oldest. Yeah, I'm parenting the right way.

I have to tell you, if there had been a competent film editor, Benji would be like 45 minutes long. 1/3 of the movie was showing Benji running around (sometimes in slow motion, often in a place the audience has already seen multiple times). 

Both the girls liked Jedi, mainly cause Ewoks.

I'm not a Jedi hater, I like it, it's solid. Obviously, its the weakest of the three but so what? I love the first 30 odd minutes with Jabba. It's cool.

The Lucas additions really stuck out this for me and the young Anakin ghost thing is just so stupid. I have hidden the prequels from my kids. My oldest C really pressed me on why they were so bad but try explaining to a 10 year old how terrible they are. She asked me what the story was about and I told her it was about how Darth Vader grew up. She said, "That sounds awesome!" and I replied, "That's what we thought before we saw it."

In retrospect, it was a bad idea for three complete movies. There are literally no major surprises in the film and I think that really hurts them.  Maybe it could have worked as one movie, but the heck with it, the prequels criticism begins and ends with Plinket, so what else is there to say?

I suppose it's time for me to share this song because it's spot on.




The other day our son was eating cocktail fruit and he wanted to let this sisters know that we had opened a can. He asked me what it was called and then went calling out in the garage, "Hey, girls, we have cotton tail fruit!"  It was great.

 Earlier this week I was driving home and saw a bumper sticker of Calvin for the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes bowing before a cross that said "Real Men Pray".

Okay, but Calvin is neither a man or real. Someone should let him know.

That's all for now. Buckle up when you drive, don't forget to feed the fish and go ahead and take a long, hot shower tonight, you deserve it.

Star Wars Fragments

Had plans for a general fragment post but then it turned into fragments about Star Wars, childhood and random jpegs....

Our oldest is turning six this week and we're having the party tomorrow. I tried to remember any of my childhood birthday parties and could only really remember two - it was normal to not have a birthday party every year when I was a kid. The earliest "party" I can remember is my Mom let me take a few friends to see Return of the Jedi and then eat cake at our house. One of my friends gave me a Return of the Jedi poster that was on the back of my door for ages.

I was born in 1977 but I have a specific memory of watching A New Hope in the theater with my parents...I am guessing this was because theaters would re-release old movies before the take-off of VHS. We were like the last people in the town to get a VCR (1989) so I do remember one Saturday,  I discovered A New Hope or Empire on TV. I was really, really excited. Sure, we have the pleasure of watching anything we want almost instantly - but the surprise and excitement of a movie on TV is a lost thing.

If you wondering my stance on the prequels - I firmly believe they are an abomination to film. Yes, that bad. If you need an explanation -this link will explain it all and it will amaze you.

Great post about watching SW in order. Still don't think it's enough for me to re-watch the new movies-- maybe one day when I'm bored or want to punish myself for some bad deed.

My cousin had tons of Star Wars toys. He had this huge bookcase full of them - he had the Millennium Faclon, X-Wings, Y-Wings, Ewok Village, etc. etc. It was crazy. I loved going over there because I had like two Star Wars figures plus the band from Jabba's Palace and one of the little racers they had on Endor. That's it. I think I stole Boba Fett from him.

When all the Star Wars mania hit back in the late nineties I could enjoy the series all over again but in many ways it was really for the first time. I bought the VHS trilogy and realized there were chunks of the movies I had either forgotten about or never even seen. The re-release of A New Hope was the first movie I saw at midnight on opening night. Fun times.

Well, here is a minor Star Wars pic dump that I've come across the past few weeks....

Frag - Mints

DAH.


I have fallen behind for whatever reason.

Working on a complete re-recording of my old radio show back in college (the awkwardly named, The Paba Free Show). It's quite ambitious actually. I am editing clips and songs to create one massive WAV file that will be as if the listener (that will be me pretty much) is listening to a old tape - in order to move forward you will have to just wait or fast forward. No skipping tracks. I know, I know, kinda weird but sometimes I miss the 20th century.

I'm Free baby - I'm not the chair.

Started getting obsessive about the Spurs again. Re-read newspapers from 1999 and started tracking down old NBA games on YouTube. Cracked up the Dynasty DVD's as well. Cool beans, yo.

Revamping all my classes for the fall except World Civ I. Fun but challenging.

Weezer Concert Review Coming this Week (maybe Thursday or Friday).

Gotta run, I need clean my room, desk and do laundry, etc. It's a good thing Netflix has Star Trek :TNG on streaming. Boy o Boy that made me happy. The other day my wife called it Star Wars. I had the typical reaction. "Uh honey - no - it's MUCH different". Luckily, I like both (keep in mind, I pretend the whole prequels were never made).

Actually watching Darth Vader at the Beach would be better than watching any of the prequels.

Walking into Faith

Why does it always seem to take a crisis to believe?

Why can't we just take the plunge before we find ourselves in a dire situation?

Pride? Stupidity?

Maybe we're just wired that way.

Like Indiana Jones I think you can't see the bridge until you actually walking on it. It's not a freaking Jedi mind trick, it's like asking a blind man to describe a sunset - we're incapable of seeing until we believe. If you think God is dead, then, he's dead.

As I struggle to believe-- I wonder why the things that always bring me back are the things I can't handle.

It's not that pushing the rock up the hill endlessly isn't impossible alone, Sisyphus did it, as did Camus. The point is, it doesn't have to be that way. So while I relax now, comfortable in my air conditioned house to doubt, over analyze and ponder -- I wait knowing that a storm is coming and I don't want to go through it alone.

Like all storms this means preparation is in order and that means I have work to do.

Belief, Knowledge and Yoda

Yoda uses "The Force" to lift the X-Wing out of the swampy bog. The spacecraft floats above the water and Yoda guides it with his hand, gently placing the spacecraft to the ground. Luke utters in disbelief, “I don’t believe it.” “That is why you fail” replies Yoda. - From The Empire Strikes Back

"If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe." - Soren Kierkegaard


Believing is never as easy as it seems in abstract. The whole idea of believing in a God seems easy and most of all, well, neat and tidy. However, in real life you might find yourself awake at night wondering if this is all there is to life. For all I know we might be floating around in space, helpless, small and living meaningless lives.

In my small time here on earth I have learned that it's easier to let go of the answers - to let go of the assumptions and knowledge I have about life, god, belief, etc. I can't figure it all out and I don't need to. When we put God in a box (like Luke Skywalker or a person taking the opposite position of Kierkegaard) we will fail (in part because we are human). It's not about knowing but trusting.


“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." – Jesus (MT 17:20)


Jesus says even the smallest of seeds of faith will do great things. The beginning of every journey begins with one step. I believe that to be true and one day hope to live it to its fullest extent.

Spiritual Masters; or The Dao of Yoda, Jesus and Buddha

The converging and diverging aspects of world religions fascinate me. I imagine when it's all said and done, I'll have quite few posts centered on comparing and contrasting aspects of the many belief systems. With this post I wanted to explore the idea of a spiritual master. The idea of a spiritual master (better known as a guru) is a Hindu, or more broadly, an Eastern concept. While those in the west might not be familiar with the terms, I believe we are more comfortable with the concept than we think. All spiritual masters have much to offer the world and use a familiar pedagogy.

A guru acts as a conduit to the divine for his followers and are thought to literally exude divine energy. Many believers claim they are overcome with feelings of love or peace just in the presence of these spiritual masters. Because of this fact many Hindu guru's are pampered and treated seemingly god-like. From the outside looking in, it might look like a cult of personality. I've witnessed the pedestal treatment personally and it made me feel, well, icky.

The whole washing feet with the hair - kinda "icky" am I right?

Jesus and Buddha were recognized as spiritual masters in their own life times and even after their deaths.  Their followers still seek their wisdom and guidance.

In contrast with the concept of seeking help from a spiritual master is America's emphasis on the individual. We believe humans don't need a "conduit" to the divine. Our belief systems tend to be egalitarian. We like to think, "You're no closer to God than I am". I am intrigued by the idea of spiritual masters because they challenge the idea that we can figure it out intuitively on our own.

Recently when thinking about spiritual masters, my mind instantly thought of one of America's most influential spiritual figures, Yoda.

The iconic image. 

This post will ignore any possible existence of a Yoda after 1985. I will be in denial for the rest of my life.

I don't think it was a simple coincidence that I was baptized after a sermon that used clips from The Empire Strikes Back with scenes that featured Yoda. George Lucas was well versed in Joseph Campbell and Eastern religion traditions...but Yoda transcends his creator's interests.  Yoda (at least pre-prequels) influenced a whole generation with his wisdom.

Using Jesus and Buddha as contrasts; I want to show that Yoda exhibits all the qualities of a successful guru. I don't mean to say that all their messages are the same (because they aren't). I want to show that their teachings share a commonality in their pedagogy and approach.

Spiritual Masters Clarify and Simplify

I think our natural tendency is to complicate things - we build up rules, regulations, rituals, traditions, definitions, etc. We create a theology that helps us "box in" the divine. In a positive sense, these constructs help us understand and think through the idea of "god" but on the other hand they also limit our understanding about what "god" is. Gurus do the opposite - they help illustrate eternal truths.

Buddha: " Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal"

Jesus: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Yoda: "You must unlearn what you have learned...there is no try; do or do not"

This is just the kinda of depiction Buddha would hate; but it's the INTERWEBZ, so the heck with it.... 

Spiritual Masters Believe the Power of the Ultimate is Accessible

Being "spiritual" is difficult for me. I was raised with the idea that God was "up in heaven". While I might have sung a song about God "living" in my heart - I definitely felt separate from the divine. Spiritual Masters reveal that the Ultimate reality is accessible for all - anywhere. Guru's realize the first step in your journey isn't to become educated, initiated or even holy - the first step is to be aware that right here, right now it is possible to recognize and participate in the truth.

Buddha: "Therefore....be lamps unto yourselves. Rely on yourselves, and do not rely on external help".

Jesus: "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

Yoda: "(The Force's) energy surrounds us and binds us....You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes...."

Spiritual Masters Teach Non-Retaliation and Non-Aggression

Alright, so I said I was focused on pedagogy - I changed my mind mid-stream...so sue me. This theme happens to resonate with me. In the last 3-4 years I began to try to approach life with a peaceful, non-violent attitude. I find this supremely ironic because as a child I was the first to respond or  retaliate.I relished my revenge fantasies and even hatched successful revenge plots.  I was known in my circle of friends as a "hot-head" and have a list of stories about my lack of non-aggression. Thankfully, time, study and my spiritual life has helped mellow me.  This was the journey I had to take.  All spiritual teachers worthy of any study must address conflict in this manner. I'm sure I'll have more to post on this subject someday.

Buddha: "All tremble at violence. All fear death. Seeing one's self in others, one should neither strike nor cause to strike."

Jesus: "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles..."

Yoda: "...Beware...Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."

Personally, I gotta go with the North Koreans; they sure have it coming...