credit to Los Angeles South Bay artist crew Belen Hernandez, Dave Vernon, & Shaun Singer.
Photographer credit to Irvin Rivera
Location: Hollywood
ME-1st Slideshow and MY ARTWORKS-2cd/bottom Slideshow
Monday, November 15, 2010
Canvas
I had an art showing of some of my artwork about a week ago, and spontaneously decided to be the canvas for a group of talented artists.....
credit to Los Angeles South Bay artist crew Belen Hernandez, Dave Vernon, & Shaun Singer.
Photographer credit to Irvin Rivera
Location: Hollywood
credit to Los Angeles South Bay artist crew Belen Hernandez, Dave Vernon, & Shaun Singer.
Photographer credit to Irvin Rivera
Location: Hollywood
THE MISANTHROPE
a segment from Moliere's "The Misanthrope"
on the battle of digging deeper past the surface, vs. taking all "as is".....
ALCESTE:
In this regard there's none I'd choose to spare
All are corrupt; there's nothing to be seen
In court or town but aggravates my spleen.
I fall into deep gloom and melancholy
When I survey th scene of human folly
Finding on every hand base flattery,
Injustice, fraud, self-interest, treachery...
Ah, it's too much; mankind has grown so base,
I mean to break with the whole human race.
PHILINTE:
This philosophic rage is a bit extreme;
You've no idea how comical you seem;
Indeed, we're like those brothers in the play
Called School for Husbands, one of whom was prey...
ALCESTE:
Enough, now! None of your stupid similies.
PHILINTE:
Then let's have no more tirades, if you please
The world won't change, whatever you say or do;
And since plain speaking means so much to you,
I'll tell you plainly that by being frank
You've earned the reputation of a crank,
And that you're thought ridiculous when you rage
And rant agains the manners of the age.
ALCESTE:
So much the better; just what I wish to hear.
No news could be more pleasant to my ear.
All men are so despicable in my eyes,
I should be sorry if they thought me wise.
PHILINTE:
You're hatred's very sweeping, is it not?
ALCESTE:
Quite right; I hate the whole degraded lot.
PHILINTE:
Must all poor human creatures be embraced,
Without distinction, by your vast distaste?
Even in these bad times, there are surely a few...
ALCESTE:
No, I include all men in one dim view;
Some men I hate for being rogues like brothers,
And, lacking a virtuous scorn for what is vile,
Receive the villain with a complaisant smile.
Notice how tolerant people choose to be
Toward the bold rascal who's at law with me.
His social polish can't conceal his nature;
One sees at once that he's a treacherous creature;
No one could possibly be taken in
By those soft speeches and their sugary grin.
The whole world knows tha shady means by which
The low-brow's grown so powerful and rich,
And risen to a rank so bright and high
What virtue can but blush, and merit sigh.
Whenever his name comes up in conversation,
None will defend his wretched reputation;
Call him knave, liar, scoundrel, and all the rest,
Each head will nod, and no one will protest.
And yet his smirk is seen in every house,
He's greeted eerywhere with smiels and bows,
And when there's any honor that can be got
By pulling strings, he'll get it, like as not.
My God! It chills my heart to see the ways
men come to terms with evil nowadays;
Sometimes, I swear, I'm moved to fee and find
Some desert land unfouled by humankind.
PHILINTE:
Come, let's forget the follies of the times
And pardon mankind for its petty crimes;
Let's have an end of rantings and of railings,
And show some leniency toward human failings.
This world requires a pliant rectitude;
Too stern a virtue makes one stiff and rude;
Good sense views all extremes with detestation;
And bids us to be noble in moderation.
The rigid virtues of the ancient days
Are not for us; they jar with all our ways
And ask of us too lofty a perfection.
Wise men accept their times without objection,
And there's no greater folly, if you ask me,
Than trying to reform society.
Like you, I see each day a hundred and one
Unhandsome deeds that might be better done,
But still, for all the faults that meet my view,
I'm never known to storm and rave like you
I take men as they are, or let them be,
And teach my soul to bear their frailty;
And whether in court or town, whatever the scene,
My phlegm's as philosophic as your spleen.
ALCESTE:
The phlegm which you so eloquently commend,
Does nothing ever rile it up, my friend?
Suppose some man you trust should treacherously
Conspire to rob you of your property,
And do his best to wreck your reputation?
Wouldn't you feel a certain indignation?
PHILINTE:
Why, no. These faults of which you so complain
Are part of human nature, I maintain,
And it's no more a matter for disgust
That men are knavish, selfish and unjust,
Than that the vulture dines upon the dead,
And wolves are furious, and apes ill-bred.
ALCESTE:
Shall I see myself betrayed, robbed, torn to bits,
And not...Oh, let's be still and rest our wits.
Enough of reasoning, now. I've had my fill.
------------------------------------------------
On jealousy, love, affection, being admired, and the catch-22 of the entire situation...from both perspectives:
ALCESTE:
Shall I speak plainly, Madam? I confess
Your conduct gives me infinite distress,
And my resentment's grown too hot to smother.
Soon, I forsee, we'll break with one another.
If I said otherwise, I should deceive you;
Sooner or later, I shall be forced to leave you.
And if I swore that we shall never part,
I should misread the omens of my heart.
CELIMENE:
You kindly saw me home, it would appear,
So as to pour invectives in my ear.
ALCESTE:
I've no desire to quarrel. But I deplore
Your inability to shut the door
On all these suitors who beset you so.
There's what annoys me, if you care to know.
CELIMENE:
Is it my fault that all these men pursue me?
And I to blame if they're attracted to me?
And when they gently beg an audience,
Ought I to take a stick and drive them hence?
ALCESTE:
Madam, there's no necessity for a stick;
A less responsive heart would do the trick.
Of your attractiveness I don't complain;
But those your charms attract, you then detain
By a most melting and receptive manner,
And so enlist their hearts beneath your banner.
It's the agreeable hopes which you excite
That keep these lovers round you day and night;
Were they less liberally smiled upon,
That sighing troop would very soon be gone.
But tell me, Madam, why is it that lately
This man Clitandre interests you so greatly?
Because of what high merits do you deem
Him worthy of the honor of your esteem?
Is it that your admiring glances linger
On the splendidly long nail of his little finger?
Or do I take a stick and drive them hence?
ALCESTE:
Madam, there's no necessity for a stick;
A less responsive heart would do the trick.
Of your attractiveness I don't complain;
But those your charms attract, you then detain
By a most melting and receptive manner,
And so enlist their hearts beneath your banner,
It's the agreeable hopes which you excite
That keep these lovers round you day and night;
Were they less liberally smiled upon,
That sighing troop would very soon be gone.
But tell me, Madam, why it is that lately
This man Clitandre interests you so greatly?
Because of what high merits do you deem
Him worthy of the honor of your esteem?
Is it that your admiring glances linger
On the splendidly long nail of his little finger?
Or do you share the general deep respect
For the blond wig he chooses to affect?
Are you in love with his embroidered hose?
Do you adore his ribbons and his bows?
Or is it that this paragon bewitches
Your tasteful eye with his vast German breeches?
Perhaps his giggle, or his falsetto voice,
Makes him the latest gallant of your choice?
CELIMENE:
You're much mistaken to resent him so.
Why I put up with him you surely know:
My lawsuit's very shortly to be tried,
And I must have his influence on my side.
ALCESTE:
Then lose your lawsuit, Madam, or let it drop;
Don't torture me by humoring such a fop.
CELIMENE:
You're jealous of the whole world, Sir.
ALCESTE:
That's true,
Since the whole world is well-received by you.
CELIMENE:
That my good nature is so unconfined
Should serve to pacify your jealous mind;
Were I to smile on one, and scorn the rest,
Then you might have some cause to be distressed.
ALCESTE:
Well, if I mustn't be jealous, tell me, then,
Just how I'm better treated than other men.
CELIMENE:
You know you have my love. Will that not do?
ALCESTE:
What proof have I that what you say is true?
CELIMENE:
I would expect, Sir, that my having said it
Might give the statement a sufficient credit.
ALCESTE:
But how can I be sure that you don't tell
The selfsame thing to other men as well?
CELIMENE:
What a gallant speech! How flattering to me!
What a sweet creature you make me out to be!
Well then, to save you from the pangs of doubt,
All that I've said I hereby cancel out;
Now, none but yourself shall make a monkey of you;
Are you content?
ALCESTE:
Why, why am I doomed to love you?
I swear that I shall bless the blissful hour
When this poor heart's no longer in your power!
I make no secret of it; I've done my best
To exorcise this passion from my breast;
But thus far all in vain; it will not go;
It's for my sins that I must love you so.
CELIMENE:
Your love for me is matchless, Sir; that's clear.
ALCESTE:
Indeed, in all the world it has no peer;
Words can't describe the nature of my passion,
And no man ever loved in such a fashion.
CELIMENE:
Yes, it's a brand new fashion, I agree:
You show your love by castigating me;
And all your speeches are enraged and rude,
I've never been so furiously wooed.
ALCESTE:
Yet you could calm that fury, if you chose.
Come, shall we bring our quarrels to a close?
Let's speak with open hearts, then, and begin...
on the battle of digging deeper past the surface, vs. taking all "as is".....
ALCESTE:
In this regard there's none I'd choose to spare
All are corrupt; there's nothing to be seen
In court or town but aggravates my spleen.
I fall into deep gloom and melancholy
When I survey th scene of human folly
Finding on every hand base flattery,
Injustice, fraud, self-interest, treachery...
Ah, it's too much; mankind has grown so base,
I mean to break with the whole human race.
PHILINTE:
This philosophic rage is a bit extreme;
You've no idea how comical you seem;
Indeed, we're like those brothers in the play
Called School for Husbands, one of whom was prey...
ALCESTE:
Enough, now! None of your stupid similies.
PHILINTE:
Then let's have no more tirades, if you please
The world won't change, whatever you say or do;
And since plain speaking means so much to you,
I'll tell you plainly that by being frank
You've earned the reputation of a crank,
And that you're thought ridiculous when you rage
And rant agains the manners of the age.
ALCESTE:
So much the better; just what I wish to hear.
No news could be more pleasant to my ear.
All men are so despicable in my eyes,
I should be sorry if they thought me wise.
PHILINTE:
You're hatred's very sweeping, is it not?
ALCESTE:
Quite right; I hate the whole degraded lot.
PHILINTE:
Must all poor human creatures be embraced,
Without distinction, by your vast distaste?
Even in these bad times, there are surely a few...
ALCESTE:
No, I include all men in one dim view;
Some men I hate for being rogues like brothers,
And, lacking a virtuous scorn for what is vile,
Receive the villain with a complaisant smile.
Notice how tolerant people choose to be
Toward the bold rascal who's at law with me.
His social polish can't conceal his nature;
One sees at once that he's a treacherous creature;
No one could possibly be taken in
By those soft speeches and their sugary grin.
The whole world knows tha shady means by which
The low-brow's grown so powerful and rich,
And risen to a rank so bright and high
What virtue can but blush, and merit sigh.
Whenever his name comes up in conversation,
None will defend his wretched reputation;
Call him knave, liar, scoundrel, and all the rest,
Each head will nod, and no one will protest.
And yet his smirk is seen in every house,
He's greeted eerywhere with smiels and bows,
And when there's any honor that can be got
By pulling strings, he'll get it, like as not.
My God! It chills my heart to see the ways
men come to terms with evil nowadays;
Sometimes, I swear, I'm moved to fee and find
Some desert land unfouled by humankind.
PHILINTE:
Come, let's forget the follies of the times
And pardon mankind for its petty crimes;
Let's have an end of rantings and of railings,
And show some leniency toward human failings.
This world requires a pliant rectitude;
Too stern a virtue makes one stiff and rude;
Good sense views all extremes with detestation;
And bids us to be noble in moderation.
The rigid virtues of the ancient days
Are not for us; they jar with all our ways
And ask of us too lofty a perfection.
Wise men accept their times without objection,
And there's no greater folly, if you ask me,
Than trying to reform society.
Like you, I see each day a hundred and one
Unhandsome deeds that might be better done,
But still, for all the faults that meet my view,
I'm never known to storm and rave like you
I take men as they are, or let them be,
And teach my soul to bear their frailty;
And whether in court or town, whatever the scene,
My phlegm's as philosophic as your spleen.
ALCESTE:
The phlegm which you so eloquently commend,
Does nothing ever rile it up, my friend?
Suppose some man you trust should treacherously
Conspire to rob you of your property,
And do his best to wreck your reputation?
Wouldn't you feel a certain indignation?
PHILINTE:
Why, no. These faults of which you so complain
Are part of human nature, I maintain,
And it's no more a matter for disgust
That men are knavish, selfish and unjust,
Than that the vulture dines upon the dead,
And wolves are furious, and apes ill-bred.
ALCESTE:
Shall I see myself betrayed, robbed, torn to bits,
And not...Oh, let's be still and rest our wits.
Enough of reasoning, now. I've had my fill.
------------------------------------------------
On jealousy, love, affection, being admired, and the catch-22 of the entire situation...from both perspectives:
ALCESTE:
Shall I speak plainly, Madam? I confess
Your conduct gives me infinite distress,
And my resentment's grown too hot to smother.
Soon, I forsee, we'll break with one another.
If I said otherwise, I should deceive you;
Sooner or later, I shall be forced to leave you.
And if I swore that we shall never part,
I should misread the omens of my heart.
CELIMENE:
You kindly saw me home, it would appear,
So as to pour invectives in my ear.
ALCESTE:
I've no desire to quarrel. But I deplore
Your inability to shut the door
On all these suitors who beset you so.
There's what annoys me, if you care to know.
CELIMENE:
Is it my fault that all these men pursue me?
And I to blame if they're attracted to me?
And when they gently beg an audience,
Ought I to take a stick and drive them hence?
ALCESTE:
Madam, there's no necessity for a stick;
A less responsive heart would do the trick.
Of your attractiveness I don't complain;
But those your charms attract, you then detain
By a most melting and receptive manner,
And so enlist their hearts beneath your banner.
It's the agreeable hopes which you excite
That keep these lovers round you day and night;
Were they less liberally smiled upon,
That sighing troop would very soon be gone.
But tell me, Madam, why is it that lately
This man Clitandre interests you so greatly?
Because of what high merits do you deem
Him worthy of the honor of your esteem?
Is it that your admiring glances linger
On the splendidly long nail of his little finger?
Or do I take a stick and drive them hence?
ALCESTE:
Madam, there's no necessity for a stick;
A less responsive heart would do the trick.
Of your attractiveness I don't complain;
But those your charms attract, you then detain
By a most melting and receptive manner,
And so enlist their hearts beneath your banner,
It's the agreeable hopes which you excite
That keep these lovers round you day and night;
Were they less liberally smiled upon,
That sighing troop would very soon be gone.
But tell me, Madam, why it is that lately
This man Clitandre interests you so greatly?
Because of what high merits do you deem
Him worthy of the honor of your esteem?
Is it that your admiring glances linger
On the splendidly long nail of his little finger?
Or do you share the general deep respect
For the blond wig he chooses to affect?
Are you in love with his embroidered hose?
Do you adore his ribbons and his bows?
Or is it that this paragon bewitches
Your tasteful eye with his vast German breeches?
Perhaps his giggle, or his falsetto voice,
Makes him the latest gallant of your choice?
CELIMENE:
You're much mistaken to resent him so.
Why I put up with him you surely know:
My lawsuit's very shortly to be tried,
And I must have his influence on my side.
ALCESTE:
Then lose your lawsuit, Madam, or let it drop;
Don't torture me by humoring such a fop.
CELIMENE:
You're jealous of the whole world, Sir.
ALCESTE:
That's true,
Since the whole world is well-received by you.
CELIMENE:
That my good nature is so unconfined
Should serve to pacify your jealous mind;
Were I to smile on one, and scorn the rest,
Then you might have some cause to be distressed.
ALCESTE:
Well, if I mustn't be jealous, tell me, then,
Just how I'm better treated than other men.
CELIMENE:
You know you have my love. Will that not do?
ALCESTE:
What proof have I that what you say is true?
CELIMENE:
I would expect, Sir, that my having said it
Might give the statement a sufficient credit.
ALCESTE:
But how can I be sure that you don't tell
The selfsame thing to other men as well?
CELIMENE:
What a gallant speech! How flattering to me!
What a sweet creature you make me out to be!
Well then, to save you from the pangs of doubt,
All that I've said I hereby cancel out;
Now, none but yourself shall make a monkey of you;
Are you content?
ALCESTE:
Why, why am I doomed to love you?
I swear that I shall bless the blissful hour
When this poor heart's no longer in your power!
I make no secret of it; I've done my best
To exorcise this passion from my breast;
But thus far all in vain; it will not go;
It's for my sins that I must love you so.
CELIMENE:
Your love for me is matchless, Sir; that's clear.
ALCESTE:
Indeed, in all the world it has no peer;
Words can't describe the nature of my passion,
And no man ever loved in such a fashion.
CELIMENE:
Yes, it's a brand new fashion, I agree:
You show your love by castigating me;
And all your speeches are enraged and rude,
I've never been so furiously wooed.
ALCESTE:
Yet you could calm that fury, if you chose.
Come, shall we bring our quarrels to a close?
Let's speak with open hearts, then, and begin...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Strings
Only when you have understood the weaknesses of a particular system can you claim you have understood it. Define that which if absent, would make the entire structure collapse and you have mastered the pattern.
People operate the same way.
In martial arts, determining your opponent's weakness (es) is what will win you the battle. Strength, speed, training, all of these are not nearly as important as this one key point.
People are machines. They are organic constructs, they are flawed, they have chinks.
Uproot and discover a person's Achilles' heel and you can get them to do anything you want, get anything you want from them. As the world system is comprised of people, decision-makers, gate-keepers, those in ultimate power, find them, target them, decipher them, push every button to keep them aware you know their darkest truth, and play the world as your theatre.
Puppetmasters are only able to control puppets because between each separation of wood, there is a break.
Why share this information with you? Is it not counter-intuitive to strategical planning?
No, you are mistaken.
Whilst you have just read this tiny blurb of a thought, I've just demonstrated an example of puppeteering-something in here grabbed you and you succumbed to it.
Don't worry, don't think about it too much. It's just bullshit, right?
;0
People operate the same way.
In martial arts, determining your opponent's weakness (es) is what will win you the battle. Strength, speed, training, all of these are not nearly as important as this one key point.
People are machines. They are organic constructs, they are flawed, they have chinks.
Uproot and discover a person's Achilles' heel and you can get them to do anything you want, get anything you want from them. As the world system is comprised of people, decision-makers, gate-keepers, those in ultimate power, find them, target them, decipher them, push every button to keep them aware you know their darkest truth, and play the world as your theatre.
Puppetmasters are only able to control puppets because between each separation of wood, there is a break.
Why share this information with you? Is it not counter-intuitive to strategical planning?
No, you are mistaken.
Whilst you have just read this tiny blurb of a thought, I've just demonstrated an example of puppeteering-something in here grabbed you and you succumbed to it.
Don't worry, don't think about it too much. It's just bullshit, right?
;0
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