Among all the tributes being posted for George Carlin everywhere, I picked out the following, on a topic many of us love - the use and abuse of language. Here he is then; cerebral, irreverent, profane, and very funny. Thanks for the laughs, George!
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“You know it might be just this one anonymous glory of all things, this rich stone forest, this epic chant, this gaiety, this grand choiring shout of affirmation, which we choose when all our cities are dust; to stand intact, to mark where we have been, to testify to what we had it in us to accomplish.”
The quote is Orson Welles talking about the cathedral at Chartres, and it’s from the movie “F for Fake” but it could just as easily have been about the topic of this post. Borobudur - a tapestry of stone, a rich stone forest, an epic chant. I’d read about Borobudur in history textbooks, as the lesser known sibling of Angkor Wat, and I’d long had a desire to visit the temple and see for myself if it matched up to its formidable reputation. Earlier this year, an anthropologist friend researching urban planning in the nearby Javan city of Jogjakarta urged me to visit, and I did not need to be asked twice.
Borobudur is located about an hour away from the city of Jogjakarta in East Java, brooding over the surrounding paddy fields. It is rather too close for comfort to the active volcano Gunung Merapi, and the latter has over the years been a constant concern for the safety of the temple. However, Borobudur has survived not only the vagaries of Merapi’s explosions and numerous earthquakes, but even human attempts to destroy it. It still stands largely intact, a testament to the endurance of faith.
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Found this website today where you can improve your vocabulary and feel good doing it. Click on the link below to find out why.
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
It’s not time-wasting if it’s helping feed people.
People on the far right or far left may not like this (embedded below too; thanks, Anup!). I was cracking up!
Hat tip to my neighbor Tom for the link.
I like this blogger’s/photographer’s sense of humor. My favorite is “Ending a Dysfunctional Relationship” (Nov. 1, 2007).
Hat tip to my cousin Tarit for the link.
A little late for the holidays, I know; I only just saw this (apologies for not being able to embed the video - my HTML is weak) yesterday, but I’ve been cracking up ever since! :) Boymongoose, who appears to be the brainchild of a group of Australia-based Indians, has an entire album of re-worked Christmas carols, but as yet no further “videos”. I’m looking forward to more!
Hat tip to my friend Joe for the link.
After slightly more than two decades, I have finally attained the state of nirvana when it comes to shaving. Call me a shaving snob, if you will. With a fast growth (what 5 o’clock shadow — more like 1 o’clock) and a thickness that rivals the Black Forest, nicking has been a weekly occurrence for most of my post pubescent life. Not anymore. I have discovered shaving oil and perfected the art of shaving.
First a hot water shower that allows my facial pores to open up. Then comes a liberal splash of more hot water on the face at the sink (I am not an in-the-shower shaver primarily due to the fact that my vision without glasses is far from 20/20). Then I pour a few drops of shaving oil onto my palms and spread it evenly across the stubble. I allow it to settle in for a few seconds and then lather up my face with shaving cream, using a badger brush to spread it evenly (and in the process, saving on the cream). I use a decent blade (currently the favorite is Fusion from Gillette) in smooth motions to wipe the face clean of hair. Just one stroke per area is sufficient. I start with the cheeks and work my way inwards. The chin is last. The rinsing is done with cold water and to finish up, I spread only a small amount of after shave. I don’t believe in being masochistic and having an alcohol based after shave applied. I currently am using a sandalwood based balm that finishes off a very satisfying shave.
Gone are the days when I used to think that shaving was as bad as flossing. I now look forward to my shaving ritual daily. Try it, maybe you will too.
A singing sensation not quite in the footsteps of Sanjaya from a British talent show.
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