We bought The Social Network on DVD, because, at $13, it was cheaper even than two senior movie tickets. And, after putting it off for quite some time, last night we watched it.
I'm not quite sure what I'd like to say about this film. I was depressed at the end of it, because it was so vacuous. Everyone -- from Zuckerberg through the Napster guy on to the vapid girl friends -- was empty. They were just exactly like every other capitalist cypher. They cared about either writing code or making money or gaining prestige, and that was all there was to them. I've never been a big fan of Harvard, but God help them if these kids are examples of their current student body! I understand about the competitiveness of getting into the "right" club, though I abhor it; but even that is better than the hideous single-minded pursuit of being first with some code, some idea, some invention for the internet.
Ok, it might be nice to be a billionaire -- and the youngest one ever, at that -- but to be a billionaire is not sufficient recompense for losing all friends and living a seemingly monastic, cramped life. Maybe there was something wrong with this kid to begin with (we know nothing about his family or his life before Harvard) that sent him in such directions and left him in the state he seems to be in at the end of the film. It is true that he seemed to care about the girl friend (played by Rooney Mara) he had at the beginning of the film, and that he followed her on Facebook. But really, one hopes that he someday grows up and has a real relationship. One wants to slap him upside the head and say, "Kid, get a life!"
Facebook is, without a doubt, one of the most significant developments on the internet since its inception. It drew in, first our children, then us, and has now become an integral part of our daily life and that of many of our friends. It effects not only the rich and privileged, but millions of people around the world.
It stands to reason we should know about the origins of this social phenomenon. I wish the people who created it had been more interesting, but that's the way it was. Still, one wonders what Tim Berners-Lee thinks!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Snow, Snow and more Snow
This is certainly the snowiest winter in my 36-year experience of living in New York City, so I don't know what it would be like if I were still working. To get up, gear up and struggle up 11 city blocks would be getting QUITE old by now, I expect, and we still have a couple of cold months yet to go. With my bad knees, it's a worse commute than it sounds.
Lucky as I am to live in Manhattan and in a large coop with many employees who run the bobcats and shovel to clear our walkways, I have nothing to complain about! And it is amazing to sit in my warm living room and watch the huge, beautiful snow flakes whiz past. I don't even wish to be in the balmy Caribbean. I don't want to be anywhere but where I am!
Lucky as I am to live in Manhattan and in a large coop with many employees who run the bobcats and shovel to clear our walkways, I have nothing to complain about! And it is amazing to sit in my warm living room and watch the huge, beautiful snow flakes whiz past. I don't even wish to be in the balmy Caribbean. I don't want to be anywhere but where I am!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration
We celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr., Day with about 100 others at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Featured was Cyrus Chestnut, pianist, backed up by the Julliard Jazz Ensemble. It was my first time hearing both Chestnut and the Julliard Jazz Ensemble. We were invited by Barbara Barnes, who knows how much I loved the work of Billy Taylor. As a younger person, I used to go around to jazz clubs to hear the Billy Taylor Trio. Barbara thinks Chestnut's playing is reminiscent of Taylor's, so she was anxious for me to hear him. This evening, though it was less pure Chestnut than I would have liked, was an exhilarating event. The young people were, in general, terrific. I was very impressed by the trombonist and pretty impressed by the saxophone player. I am, usually, very partial to the bass, and the young man in this ensemble shows a lot of promise.
I was quite taken aback by the fact that the three "front men," the saxophonist, trumpeter and trombonist, were all white, and the bassist and drummer, who were behind them, were black. I'm sure it just happened that way, but the visual was not what I thought should have been conveyed, especially on Martin Luther King Day. Even if that is the traditional set-up for a jazz ensemble, surely they could change it up somewhat.
Cyrus Chestnut played alone on only one piece, Precious Lord. It had me in tears. My mother and I spent many an hour at the piano, with her playing and singing soprano and me singing alto on all those old hymn tunes. Chestnut brought out themes and nuances of that old song that I didn't know were there. It was lovely and poignant. I look forward to hearing more from Chestnut.
I was quite taken aback by the fact that the three "front men," the saxophonist, trumpeter and trombonist, were all white, and the bassist and drummer, who were behind them, were black. I'm sure it just happened that way, but the visual was not what I thought should have been conveyed, especially on Martin Luther King Day. Even if that is the traditional set-up for a jazz ensemble, surely they could change it up somewhat.
Cyrus Chestnut played alone on only one piece, Precious Lord. It had me in tears. My mother and I spent many an hour at the piano, with her playing and singing soprano and me singing alto on all those old hymn tunes. Chestnut brought out themes and nuances of that old song that I didn't know were there. It was lovely and poignant. I look forward to hearing more from Chestnut.
Bookkeeping
Another of the really good things about retirement is being able to volunteer at favorite nonprofit organizations. In this, I'm following in the footsteps of my brother Vern, forced to retire by the University of Nebraska at 65, still hale and hearty. He volunteered at several Lincoln nonprofits, including PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and Nebraskans for Peace.
Of course one of my own favorites is the New York City Labor Chorus, in which I have sung alto for almost 20 years. Upon my retirement, I volunteered to keep the books and have started to do so. However, as we say in the Grants Managers Network, "if you've seen one foundation, you've seen one foundation." And I can now vouch for its collary: "if you've seen one nonprofit, you've seen one nonprofit." I am learning the ins and outs of the Labor Chorus bookkeeping needs, and am not too proud to ask for instruction or help. I hope to get the system shipshape in a couple more weeks (or months, if need be). Although bookkeeping is not my favorite occupation, I'm very glad to be able to contribute what skills I have. It's a good feeling, and a good thing.
Of course one of my own favorites is the New York City Labor Chorus, in which I have sung alto for almost 20 years. Upon my retirement, I volunteered to keep the books and have started to do so. However, as we say in the Grants Managers Network, "if you've seen one foundation, you've seen one foundation." And I can now vouch for its collary: "if you've seen one nonprofit, you've seen one nonprofit." I am learning the ins and outs of the Labor Chorus bookkeeping needs, and am not too proud to ask for instruction or help. I hope to get the system shipshape in a couple more weeks (or months, if need be). Although bookkeeping is not my favorite occupation, I'm very glad to be able to contribute what skills I have. It's a good feeling, and a good thing.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Black Swan review
Initially reluctant to see Black Swan, I finally succumbed. The trailers had made it seem something like a horror film (I don't like horror films) and ultimately I concluded that it WAS something of a horror film.
It's a movie depicting the disintegration of a personality. But the audience is not given time to develop sympathy with that personality before it begins to come apart; in fact the disintegration began prior to the start of the film. It feels a little like coming into the middle of a film that has been running for thirty or forty-five minutes. Additionally, some shots were too painful for me to watch, such as her picking at skin she had already scratched into wounds. Thus, I missed a crucial point in the film because I just couldn't watch.
There were bright spots: the costumes, especially that of the black swan, were great, and Natalie Portman's performance is superb. I'm glad that seeing the film is in my past and hope Portman wins an Oscar.
It's a movie depicting the disintegration of a personality. But the audience is not given time to develop sympathy with that personality before it begins to come apart; in fact the disintegration began prior to the start of the film. It feels a little like coming into the middle of a film that has been running for thirty or forty-five minutes. Additionally, some shots were too painful for me to watch, such as her picking at skin she had already scratched into wounds. Thus, I missed a crucial point in the film because I just couldn't watch.
There were bright spots: the costumes, especially that of the black swan, were great, and Natalie Portman's performance is superb. I'm glad that seeing the film is in my past and hope Portman wins an Oscar.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
"Buddha" by Deepak Chopra - review
Another good thing about retirement is being able to read all the books you want. I'm using my bad knees as a really good excuse for sitting in a chair and reading! Latest interesting book -- the fictionalized life of Buddha by Deepak Chopra. It was so interesting, in fact, that I did quite a bit of internet research on Buddha's life (insofar as it is known) and Buddhism. It is tremendously interesting -- not that I'm becoming a Buddhist, but it has some things to offer. However, as it turns out, Buddhism has suffered several of the depredations other religions have suffered -- disputes among disciples. different constructions and misconstructions among adherents through the ensuing millennia. So what is Buddhism? Apparently, it is what any adherent makes of it, taking the teaching of Buddha and trying as honestly as possible to apply them. That's really fine, since Buddha preached that people should help those less fortunate than themselves, but it leaves a lot of latitude.
Karma (from Sanskrit: "action, work") in Buddhism is the force that drives saṃsāra—the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Good, skillful deeds and bad, unskillful actions produce "seeds" in the mind which come to fruition either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth. The avoidance of unwholesome actions and the cultivation of positive actions is called śīla (from Sanskrit: "ethical conduct").
The Four Noble Truths were the first teaching of Gautama Buddha after attaining Nirvana. They are sometimes considered to contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings:
1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
2. Suffering is caused by craving. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness. Craving also has its negative aspect, i.e. one craves that a certain state of affairs not exist.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends. This is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.
The Noble Eightfold Path—the fourth of the Buddha's Noble Truths—is the way to the cessation of suffering (dukkha). It has eight sections, each starting with the word "samyak" (Sanskrit, meaning "correctly", "properly", or "well", frequently translated into English as "right"), and presented in three groups known as the three higher trainings:
Prajñā is the wisdom that purifies the mind, allowing it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. It includes:
1. dṛṣṭi (ditthi): viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
saṃkalpa (sankappa): intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness.
2. Śīla is the ethics or morality, or abstention from unwholesome deeds.
It includes:
3. vāc (vāca): speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way
4. karman (kammanta): acting in a non-harmful way
5. ājīvana (ājīva): a non-harmful livelihood
Samādhi is the mental discipline required to develop mastery over one's own mind. This is done through the practice of various contemplative and meditative practices, and includes:
6. vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve
7. smṛti (sati): awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion
8. samādhi (samādhi): correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas
An important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way (or Middle Path), which is said to have been discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment. The Middle Way has several definitions:
The practice of non-extremism: a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification
The middle ground between certain metaphysical views (for example, that things ultimately either do or do not exist)
An explanation of Nirvana (perfect enlightenment), a state wherein it becomes clear that all dualities apparent in the world are delusory
Another term for emptiness, the ultimate nature of all phenomena, a lack of inherent existence, which avoids the extremes of permanence and nihilism or inherent existence and nothingness
According to the (fictionalized) biography of Gautama Buddha, he fasted and meditated himself to the point of death, whereupon he came to the realization that (as well as I could understand it) all flesh is dross, all enlightenment illusion, all fleshly things unimportant. He still thought people should be very nice to each other and those with more than enough should help those with not enough, but without getting too caught up in the giving (not patting ourselves on the back for doing good, etc.). He also didn't think personal relationships (wives/husbands; parents/children, etc.) were important, although he honored his own father, wife and child. I expect that if you go off into the forest and meditate to the point of starvation, a great many of the minutiae of life would seem unimportant, but then, again, he DID preach the Middle Way -- not extremist suffering or extremist anything.
Clearly this philosophy (or religion, or way of life) has much to recommend it. However, when any philsophy, religion or way of life is codified, develops rules and has gurus, there are problems. Jesus was a wonderful person, but the ensuing two millennia -- full of writings and people interpreting Jesus' words and deeds and telling us what to do -- have proved disastrous for countless people and nations. It seems the same with them all and Buddhism is not exempt, though it's been less harmful than most of the others.
Karma (from Sanskrit: "action, work") in Buddhism is the force that drives saṃsāra—the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Good, skillful deeds and bad, unskillful actions produce "seeds" in the mind which come to fruition either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth. The avoidance of unwholesome actions and the cultivation of positive actions is called śīla (from Sanskrit: "ethical conduct").
The Four Noble Truths were the first teaching of Gautama Buddha after attaining Nirvana. They are sometimes considered to contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings:
1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
2. Suffering is caused by craving. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness. Craving also has its negative aspect, i.e. one craves that a certain state of affairs not exist.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends. This is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.
The Noble Eightfold Path—the fourth of the Buddha's Noble Truths—is the way to the cessation of suffering (dukkha). It has eight sections, each starting with the word "samyak" (Sanskrit, meaning "correctly", "properly", or "well", frequently translated into English as "right"), and presented in three groups known as the three higher trainings:
Prajñā is the wisdom that purifies the mind, allowing it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. It includes:
1. dṛṣṭi (ditthi): viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
saṃkalpa (sankappa): intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness.
2. Śīla is the ethics or morality, or abstention from unwholesome deeds.
It includes:
3. vāc (vāca): speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way
4. karman (kammanta): acting in a non-harmful way
5. ājīvana (ājīva): a non-harmful livelihood
Samādhi is the mental discipline required to develop mastery over one's own mind. This is done through the practice of various contemplative and meditative practices, and includes:
6. vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve
7. smṛti (sati): awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion
8. samādhi (samādhi): correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas
An important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way (or Middle Path), which is said to have been discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment. The Middle Way has several definitions:
The practice of non-extremism: a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification
The middle ground between certain metaphysical views (for example, that things ultimately either do or do not exist)
An explanation of Nirvana (perfect enlightenment), a state wherein it becomes clear that all dualities apparent in the world are delusory
Another term for emptiness, the ultimate nature of all phenomena, a lack of inherent existence, which avoids the extremes of permanence and nihilism or inherent existence and nothingness
According to the (fictionalized) biography of Gautama Buddha, he fasted and meditated himself to the point of death, whereupon he came to the realization that (as well as I could understand it) all flesh is dross, all enlightenment illusion, all fleshly things unimportant. He still thought people should be very nice to each other and those with more than enough should help those with not enough, but without getting too caught up in the giving (not patting ourselves on the back for doing good, etc.). He also didn't think personal relationships (wives/husbands; parents/children, etc.) were important, although he honored his own father, wife and child. I expect that if you go off into the forest and meditate to the point of starvation, a great many of the minutiae of life would seem unimportant, but then, again, he DID preach the Middle Way -- not extremist suffering or extremist anything.
Clearly this philosophy (or religion, or way of life) has much to recommend it. However, when any philsophy, religion or way of life is codified, develops rules and has gurus, there are problems. Jesus was a wonderful person, but the ensuing two millennia -- full of writings and people interpreting Jesus' words and deeds and telling us what to do -- have proved disastrous for countless people and nations. It seems the same with them all and Buddhism is not exempt, though it's been less harmful than most of the others.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Another Good Thing
Another good thing about retirement is being able to take water aerobics. I didn't realize it, but an hour of water aerobics is quite a workout. After the first time I went, I thought to myself "well, that wasn't much; perhaps I'd better go to the gym," then I sat down to eat lunch. When I got up from lunch, I could hardly stand up, I was so exhausted! Of course, as time has gone on, I have gotten better at it and stronger, but it's still quite a workout, if done correctly. It feels good to my knees especially, which need a lot of kindness. The NYC Chelsea Recreation Center offers these classes in sets of ten, with breaks in between the sets. During the breaks, they hold the time open for water aerobics class members, and this is truly beneficial, as one can design one's own workout.
There is a side benefit of these classes that I didn't expect: making friends with the other class members. On the face of it, doing water aerobics isn't conducive to holding conversations. However, some class members go up and down the pool together talking (though the instructor frowns). The real opportunity for conversation came after the end of the fall session, when a dinner was organized at a nearby restaurant. About twelve or fourteen class members attended, some with spouses, and a very good time was had by all. Quite a few class members live nearby, two others in Penn South itself.
I have become friendly with one classmate who lives about three blocks from me, and yesterday she invited me over after water aerobics to tea. To tea! I'm not much of a tea drinker, but I couldn't resist such a charming invitation. I had met her husband, who actually made and served the tea, at the dinner. He has quite a good sense of humor, and both members of this couple are lively, interesting people, so I had a very good time. I'm looking forward to more "after water aerobics" get-togethers!
There is a side benefit of these classes that I didn't expect: making friends with the other class members. On the face of it, doing water aerobics isn't conducive to holding conversations. However, some class members go up and down the pool together talking (though the instructor frowns). The real opportunity for conversation came after the end of the fall session, when a dinner was organized at a nearby restaurant. About twelve or fourteen class members attended, some with spouses, and a very good time was had by all. Quite a few class members live nearby, two others in Penn South itself.
I have become friendly with one classmate who lives about three blocks from me, and yesterday she invited me over after water aerobics to tea. To tea! I'm not much of a tea drinker, but I couldn't resist such a charming invitation. I had met her husband, who actually made and served the tea, at the dinner. He has quite a good sense of humor, and both members of this couple are lively, interesting people, so I had a very good time. I'm looking forward to more "after water aerobics" get-togethers!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Phil Ochs, There But for Fortune
Last night Dan and I went to the Independent Film Center to see a documentary on Phil Ochs. The last time we were at IFC was to see the Pete Seeger documentary. This one contrasted in many ways to Pete's. For one thing, Phil was a total creature of the New Left: he believed that the Kennedys were going to fix everything that was wrong with the country, and/or that the New Left would create a revolution. These two delusions, apparently, were common to the New Left (not me). Phil wrote some very popular songs of the anti-war movement (I Ain't a-Marching Anymore, etc.) and became very big-name in anti-war circles. He was competitive and very jealous of Bob Dylan, who put him down for writing lyrics that were "too political." Manic depression ran in Phil's family, and he apparently suffered from it, although he seems to have refused to be treated for it. He moved to Hollywood and tried to hit the big time but didn't really make it. Then, when the revolution didn't take place during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968, he went off the rails. By the time the war was over, he was practically over. He organized a huge celebration for the end of the war in Central Park in Jay 1975 (which I attended) but could never regain his mental footing. He hung himself in 1976. He had a beautiful voice and was a good songwriter. It was just too bad.
Pete Seeger, on the other hand, has a much more comprehensive understanding of the world and of the ways movements act in history; although Phil was a star singer-songwriter, Pete still has been able to inspire countless people in a wide variety of movements, from civil rights through worker's movements to anti-war. And, in spite of the terrible state of the world, Pete was able to celebrate his 90th birthday with his sister and brother, his wife and three children and his grandchildren, plus thousands and thousands of people he has moved. Pete's documentary was an up; we all left the theater smiling and singing. After Phil's, we left with long faces (some with tears in their eyes). Poor Phil; poor us.
Pete Seeger, on the other hand, has a much more comprehensive understanding of the world and of the ways movements act in history; although Phil was a star singer-songwriter, Pete still has been able to inspire countless people in a wide variety of movements, from civil rights through worker's movements to anti-war. And, in spite of the terrible state of the world, Pete was able to celebrate his 90th birthday with his sister and brother, his wife and three children and his grandchildren, plus thousands and thousands of people he has moved. Pete's documentary was an up; we all left the theater smiling and singing. After Phil's, we left with long faces (some with tears in their eyes). Poor Phil; poor us.
The best thing about retirement
The best thing, the VERY best thing, about retirement: being able to sleep as late as I want. Don't know what will happen if I decide to take a retirement job, but right now, it's great.
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