March, 2008
You are looking at posts that were written in the month of March in the year 2008.
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Immediate thoughts plus a film
Posted on March 31st, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Thoughts.
I sit down to blog almost every other day. It seems that my computer has a constant “write” window up; yet my blogs seem few and far between.
Right now I have four different drafts, full of unfinished thoughts or random ideas for possible blogs.
I relate blogging to writing in a journal which makes a lot of sense, however, I am notoriously bad about keeping a journal. When I do sit down to write the first things that come to my mind are always the immediate. “I am cold” or “Today seemed like Saturday” or “I think I slept wrong because my neck hurts”. These immediate thoughts seem to keep me from being able to move on and write about something of more importance.
Now, I could write about these immediate thoughts, I could spend a whole blog talking about being cold but not wanting to turn on the heat because of the obvious financial and environmental consequences that would result but I don’t feel this would be a very enlightening blog for anyone else who might read it. I also don’t particularly care to spend any energy or time writing about my struggle with the cold in my apartment. I should just put on some more layers and move on. duh.
It is possible that I need to simply write the stupid immediate thoughts first before I can really write about anything that I actually would like to write about like articles that I’ve read recently or interesting things I have seen.
I recently watched Michael Moore’s “Sicko”. Why are we, the wealthiest country in the world the only country in the western hemisphere to still not have a universal health care system? The movie was presented in a very ”Michael Moore” way. Although, I wish he had included examples of people in France who cannot afford the incredible amount of taxes they have to pay there. The family from France he chose to use as an example were living in a beautiful three story house and seemed to be quite comfortable even with the amount of taxes that they are paying. After living there for a time I came to know many more families who, while able to live, commented about how high the taxes really are and how it is sometimes difficult to pay so much. These people were not living in three story houses.
Regardless, there are inherent flaws in every system but I would much rather be in a system where people can get care that they need and deserve. After all, this “all men were created equal”, I feel this phrase is a major part of our American ideology and right now, the “equality” part seems to be missing.
I might start more blogs with my silly and unimportant immediate thoughts, this way maybe I can write about things that I actually care to talk about.
Here’s to next time.
Workin’ that beatitude
Posted on March 16th, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Just for fun.
While in New York I happened upon a special exhibit at the New York Public Library about Jack Kerouac’s life and specifically the creation of his work “On The Road”. Jack Kerouac viewed life as a spiritual quest which is a fascinating thought, like living to find something. While at this exhibition I participated on a guided tour given by someone who clearly “got Jack”. She peppered the lecture with fun anecdotes from his diaries and a book of grievances which were on display. She said that he wasn’t one to hold a grudge, rather he would simply make a note about whoever had upset him in this book. He even went as far as to blame his alcoholism solely on one individual.
One of these anecdotes that she mentioned was about his good friend and travel companion Neal Cassady. Jack and his “team” traveled across America three times but prior to his group traveling together Neal Cassady made the trek alone in a bus. This bus was a refurbished coach bus, the type that would state the destination above the driver; it always said the same thing, “Destination: Further”.
I liked hearing that story, while it wasn’t part of something Jack did it is easy to see how Jack and Neal got along. Of course I would like the idea of a destination to always be going further. Further than you went yesterday….
I liked the exhibit, the original typed scroll of “On the Road” is there along with many of Jack’s paintings which were very interesting to see since I never thought of him as a visual artist.
Kerouac wrote, “Beat doesn’t mean tired,or bushed, so much as it means beato, the Italian for beatific: to be in a state of beatitude, like Saint Francis, trying to love all life, trying to be utterly sincere with everyone, practicing endurance, kindness, cultivating joy of heart. How can this be done in our mad modern world of multiplicities and millions? By practicing a little solitude, going off by yourself once in a while to store up that most precious of golds: the vibrations of sincerity.”
Going off to find this bliss, this beatitude, and having ”further” as the destination, I think that is a beautiful thought.
Soul Points
Posted on March 13th, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Projects.
March 3
After our meeting with a group of people who have created The Rapscallion Theatre Collective that I thought about was said by the director of their show The Inferno Project, Laura Reinhard “We don’t work for rent money, we work for soul points.”
The idea of soul points is a great one. Soul points. That is what I want to find, something that gives me soul points. I’ve thought a lot lately about being passionate about something that I do.
Finding something that you do just becasue you have this need and desire to do it is intriguing. Right now, I am in school, hopefully getting the education I want, working hard, having a good time, everyday discovering what I do or don’t like and that is fine….but there is nothing that I can, at this second, say that I am explicitly passionate for.
Eventually, I want to find that.
Although, I do have to say that at this time in my life, while I can’t say that I have found that one thing that makes me wake up everyday thinking, “Yes, I could do this forever, this is what gives me soul points”, I am ok without knowing what I am truly passionate about because that means that I get to do everything, and experience everything to find it.
For now I will get to be passionate about the search for my passion…..and maybe for that I can get some brownie soul points or something 
Pockets
Posted on March 13th, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Thoughts.
It is amazing what people keep in their pockets.
March 7
Today I watched a man empty out the contents of his pockets. He was wearing an old army issue green fishing vest that was frayed at the edges and clearly well loved. This man who was older and seemed slightly arthritic started at the top right pocket an pulled out a stack of coffee cup sleeves, he must of had eight or nine of them. He proceeded to pull our chapstick, and three twenty dollar bills. He then moved across to the left side of his vest and pulled out a laminated card, a metal money clip with no money in it, some other cards and pieces of paper and another wad of bills. All of these items ended up in a pile on the table he was sitting at, not placed but tossed down spreading out in front of him.
Back to the right side, he continued pulling out items; a lighter (no cigarettes), two pens, empty gum wrappers, a small wooden figurine, and in each pocket a wad of bills crumpled and disorderly that landed apathetically on the ever growing pile in front of him.
I watched until everything was laid out on the table and then he pushed the pile together seemingly with little interest and then carefully stacked the coffee cup sleeves in a separate place on the table.
It was fascinating to watch such a simple act, the very basic, human, personal organization of this man who I didn’t know.
It was like learning about someone from the items they carry on their person and how they treat those items. He slowly organized the money in no particular order and not even like he cared about it, then picked up the wooden figure. He took a moment to look at it and then seemed to plan which pocket to put it back in. He chose the bottom left pocket and after placing it there he patted it.
I wondered where the figure was from or who had made it, however he came to have it, that item had much more importance than almost anything else from his pockets….except the coffee cup sleeves.
Watching this man was like learning about him. Thinking about what people have in their pockets, whether it is a lot of stuff or just a few things and seeing how those people interact with those items is endlessly fascinating.
In all of my interviews I asked “In your opinion, what is the most important skill a director can have” while the interviews I had were incredibly varied in content, this answer was the same each time. Insight. Insight into everything, but insight into what it is to be human. I think taking a moment to watch someone work with their belongings in such a quiet and contemplative way can give someone an interesting insight into a small part of being human.
Percolation….good to the last drop
Posted on March 7th, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Focus.
It is day 7 of what is most certainly a fantastic trip. This blog serves as a small update about the drafts of blogs that I have in the works. As each day passes I have more to think about and process in regards to what this trip means to me and where I am now compared to day 1.
The best moments I have had have been “happened” upon. The worst moments don’t exist as “the worst”, those few moments are simply a bit less exciting than the other ones.
I have a moment every day where I am walking down the street and think….”I absolutely love it here, what a fascinating place to be”
Top 5 moments thus far:
1. August: Osage County
I cannot accurately express the meaning or emotion behind the phrase, “…that’s why I want to be in the theatre”
2. A Visine Shoot
3. The Guggenheim
4. An impromptu interview at The Drama Bookshop
5. Taxi 117st and 2nd avenue, please.
Now, even though I seem to be blogging very little it is much more that I am absorbing and contemplating eveything that has happened so I can filter out what it is that is making this trip as incredibly provocative as it is.
What is the city but the people?
Posted on March 2nd, 2008 by ksideasnper.
Categories: Just for fun, Thoughts.
The title of this blog is a quote from William Shakespeare from “The Life of Timon of Athens”. New York is one of my favorite cities because of the people that are here, I people watch.
New York has a rhythm to it that is unlike any other city that I’ve ever been to, while San Francisco or L.A. or even international cities like Paris have distinctions that make them all special none are like New York.
No matter how many people are here it seems like there is always room for more.
I have begun documenting and writing about being here, how the city feels, how the city moves. How people are, depending on what side of Manhattan they live or work on, how people are if they live in the outer burroughs.
New York is a fascinating place and I am glad to be here again. I am off now to begin Day 2 and with Day 1 having been such a success I can hardly wait to see what happens today.