Three Lions of Reggae Music
Category: Music

Ziggy, Rita, Julian, and Damian

 

 

  

Food Creates Both Comfort and Confusion

Here are some of the other topics that I have written about recently.  Please check them out and tell your friends!!  I am writing a lot about the presidential election, women's rights, legalization of ganjah, and other cool topics.   I also wrote an article in tribute just weeks before my 16 year old calico - "Besha" - passed away (R.I.P. 6-7-8)

Cats Are Creative, Cool and Compassionate

The most popular "hit" my site has been receiving is based on searches for Janis Joplin.  Helps that I have a poster of her and one of the Buddha - next to my bed so it is first site I see when waking up!!

Janis Joplin Leads Women to the Truth

Wise Women Will Rebalance Wounded World

 

Dr. King's Legacy Requires Activism Not Pacifism

Bobby Kennedy Would Be Big Backer of Barack Obama

 

Rednecks Have Run America For Far Too Long!!

Concerned Citizens Must Challenge Clinton Craziness!!

True Conservatives Would Want Marijuana Legalized!!

Clean Your Glass to Enjoy Your Stash!!

Please leave me some comments on that site. 

Will be back in touch soon!!

Dr. Tom – Professor of Sociology and Food Science

Editor, "The HipHappy Times" – Musician – Rastafarian

 

Here is the basic plot and premise:  The Dude is extremely laid back, very possibly a casualty of the California counterculture of the 60's and early 70's who seems perfectly content to take each day as it comes. While returning to his modest rental home one night, he finds two thuggish men waiting for him, one who soon acquaints The Dude's head with the inside of The Dude's toilet, while the other decides to despoil The Dude's living room rug in the manner of a unhousebroken dog. This meeting sets into motion a complicated series of events including kidnapping which evolves into a mystery, a ransom request for one million dollars, a suitcase of dirty underwear, a stolen car, an altercation with nihilists, various beatings, guns, a bowling tournament, interpretive dance, a sexual liaison, a ferret, some drugs, painting in the nude, the removal of a toe, a wicky drug-induced dream sequence, copious amounts of profanity and even a death, all with The Dude right smack in the middle.  Up to that point, The Dude has, by choice, an uncomplicated life. His employment is, shall we say, irregular. His apartment is modest. He likes to bowl and hang out with his friends.  All that is about to change!!

Here is the introductory monologue (Cowboy accent):

The Stranger: [voiceover] Way out west there was this fella I wanna tell ya about. Goes by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Lebowski, he called himself "The Dude". Now, "Dude" - there's a name no man would self-apply where I come from. But then there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place so darned interestin'. See, they call Los Angeles the "City Of Angels"; but I didn't find it to be that, exactly. But I'll allow it as there are some nice folks there. 'Course I ain't never been to London, and I ain't never seen France. And I ain't never seen no queen in her damned undies, so the feller says. But I'll tell you what - after seeing Los Angeles, and this here story I'm about to unfold, well, I guess I seen somethin' every bit as stupefyin' as you'd seen in any of them other places. And in English, too. So I can die with a smile on my face, without feelin' like the good Lord gypped me.

Now this here story I'm about to unfold took place in the early '90s - just about the time of our conflict with Sad'm and the I-raqis. I only mention it because sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? Sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Dude here - the Dude from Los Angeles. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Dude. The Dude, from Los Angeles. And even if he's a lazy man - and the Dude was most certainly that. Quite possibly the laziest in all of Los Angeles County, which would place him high in the runnin' for laziest worldwide. Sometimes there's a man, sometimes, there's a man. Well, I lost my train of thought here. But... aw, hell. I've done introduced it enough.

Then near the end of the movie - after all the chaos and craziness  - they have the following exchange at the bowling alley bar:

The Dude: Yeah, well. The Dude abides.
The Stranger: The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.

The above is from one of the Dude's amazing acid flashbacks while he is hooking up with Julianne Moore's wonderful character as the Big Lebowski's angry daughter. It is fun to study some of the awesome dialogue.  Here is his confrontation with the rich cripple that has his same name. 

The Big Lebowski: Are you employed, sir?
The Dude: Employed?
The Big Lebowski: You don't go out looking for a job dressed like that? On a weekday?
The Dude: Is this a... what day is this?
The Big Lebowski: Well, I do work sir, so if you don't mind...
The Dude: I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man....

The Big Lebowski: Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. Condolences. The bums lost. My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski? [the Dude walks out and shuts the door]
The Big Lebowski: The bums will always lose!
Brandt: How was your meeting, Mr. Lebowski?
The Dude: Okay. The old man told me to take any rug in the house.

Brandt: You never went to college...
The Dude: Oh, no I did, but I spent most of my time occupying various administration buildings... smoking a lot of thai stick... breaking into the ROTC... and bowling. To tell you the truth Brandt, I don't remember most of it.

The Dude: Uh, and then, uh, the music business, briefly.
Maude Lebowski: Oh?
The Dude: Yeah. Roadie for Metallica
Maude Lebowski: Oh.
The Dude: Speed of Sound Tour
Maude Lebowski: Mm-hmm.
The Dude: Bunch of assholes.

One of my favorite characters is his crazy sidekick - Walter.  John Goodman is truly perfect as Walter with his stickler to the rules and his misreading of information. Goodman has a great, cartoon-like army look that is truly Walter and no one could play that role better than him. Goodman has great chemistry with Bridges as they make one of the best comedies duo of all-time.  Below you will find one of the classic confrontations that Walter always seems to get into.

The Dude: Walter, I love you, but sooner or later, you're going to have to realize the fact that you're a god damn moron...

Walter Sobchak:  If you mark that frame an '8', you are entering a world of pain. (Pulls out a gun) A world... of pain.  (shouting, and holding a gun) Has the whole world gone crazy!? Am I the only one here who gives a shit about the rules!? Mark it zero! You think I'm fucking around? (cocks gun) Mark it zero!

The Dude: Just take it easy man.
Walter Sobchak: I'm perfectly calm Dude.
The Dude: [shouting] Yeah, waving the fucking gun around?
Walter Sobchak: Calmer than you are.
The Dude: Will you just take it easy?
Walter Sobchak: Calmer than you are.

The bowling alley is the scene for another philosophical discussion among the three friends.  The Dude is making a Marxist argument about how money rules everything.  Note the confusion over the name "Lenin." 

The Dude: It's like what Lenin said... you look for the person who will benefit, and, uh, uh...
Donny: I am the walrus.
The Dude: You know what I'm trying to say...
Walter Sobchak: That fucking bitch...
The Dude: Oh yeah!
Donny: I am the walrus.
Walter Sobchak: Shut the fuck up, Donny! V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!
Donny: What the fuck is he talking about, Dude?

Here are parts of some reviews I found at Amazon and elsewhere.  

"The Dude" played by Jeff Bridges is an aging old California hippie that just wants to bowl and smoke pot but finds himself caught up in a complex kidnapping plot of Someone's wife that shares his last name. John Goodman plays the "dudes" best friend and is one of the funniest characters in the film. This is one to watch over and over. Like many smart comedies the jokes in this film are muti-layered and found only funny after a second or third viewing. Sometime it goes right over your head."

"The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies." - Jeff Shannon

This year I am happily making DVDs from a series of 8 mm movies that I shot almost 20 years ago - with my kids and mom - among others.  Have created a shorter music video that features me playing guitar along with the scenes.  Also have scanned a whole series of old photos.  Very fun and easy.  Got me thinking also how much more it will mean for my friends and family.  So I found a site that stresses truly how it can (and should be "The thought that counts."

Reasons for a Buy Nothing Christmas -
This began in Canada as "a whimsical social experiment with a hidden agenda that tends to get heavy and paralyzing. So, in keeping with the spirit of our age - amusement and entertainment - I'm trying to keep it light and provocative."   See much more at there site where they make a strong case that:

Find out More about BuyNothing Christmas

Cool information and inspriation from the site:

Wade Clark Roof, in his book, Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion (Princeton, 1999) describes the contemporary scene as an "effusive quest culture" where there's a disenchantment with traditional theism and a "turning inward in search of meaning and strength." Like others mentioned by Roof, instead of leaving the church, I have taken another look at its teachings and found myself inspired by the possibilities of its prophetic edge. Mennonites have a long history of counter-culture protest, peace activism, and justice work. I think it's time to drag this out further into the open.

In terms of empowerment, I feel relatively powerless to make positive changes in society, which is ironic because I supposedly belong to an influential group of Canadians: I'm white, male, middle-class, heterosexual, married, educated and well-connected to society. But still, I see society dominated by big businesses - the media is owned by fewer and fewer big corporations, entertainment industries own media outlets, internet sites and even phone lines, our retail stores are dominated by international companies. The steam-roller culture is pressing us citizens into consumer moulds - challenging this process is not only daunting, it seems impossible.

Democracy, the ability of citizens to have some say in how their society operates, has been overrun by corporate interests. While some intellectuals hold out hope for the citizen (see John Ralston Saul, The Unconscious Civilization [Anansi Press, 1995], especially chapter 3, "From Corporation to Democrcay"), I'm not so optimistic. My participation in a Buy Nothing Christmas is one way for me to say that I'm against the pro-corporate orientation of our society. In some respects, citizens as consumers have been reduced to the role of subjects in a feudal society, where corporate interests are king. It's empowering for me to shed this self-concept and take an anti-consumerist stance.

In No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies (Vintage, 2000), Naomi Klein documents the rising tide of resistance against corporations and their encroachment into our public and mental spaces. Whereas the media tends to reduce anti-corporate demonstrations to "consumer boycotts," Klein recognizes their real political (i.e. democratic) intentions. "It is more accurate to describe them as political campaigns that use consumer goods as readily accessible targets, as public relations levers and as popular-education tools," she says. As I participate in a Buy Nothing Christmas, I'm seeking to re-assert my political power, which, when combined with the actions of others, is quite empowering, and even offers a hint of hope. 

How can we, as ordinary people, change society for the better? I'm not a politician, lobbyist, professor or big-time consultant (I'm currently a graduate student and a journalist). I'm tired of feeling like I can't do anything.   So, even if it's insignificant, I've decided to participate in a Buy Nothing Christmas. It's an experiment - I'm curious to see what happens. I think it's a great way to challenge our own consumer mindset, to put our faith into action, to offer a prophetic "no" to unfettered free-market consumer capitalism, and an excellent way to generate some good dinner-table discussions on the topic of economics, politics, religion, and what we're not getting each other for Christmas.

1. What Is Buy Nothing Christmas? Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic "no" to the patterns of over consumption of middle-class North Americans. They are inviting Christians (and others) to join a movement to de-commercialize Christmas and re-design a Christian lifestyle that is richer in meaning, smaller in impact upon the earth, and greater in giving to people less-privileged. 

2. Who are the Mennonites? A group of Christians who are community-oriented, counter-culture pacifists. But this campaign is open to everyone, regardless of religion, faith, creed or conviction.

3. What do I have to do to become a member? There's no membership, no fees, no plaques, no club cards. If you're sympathetic to the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign, let them know by sending feedback through their website.

4. Can I be a part of Buy Nothing Christmas even if I buy a few things? Definitely. We are all going to have to buy some things. When  you do buy things, we encourage you to remember principles like buying locally, fairly-traded, environmentally friendly packaging, recycling or re-using, buying things that last, and so on. The main aim of this campaign is not to save money (although that can be a side benefit), it's not to slow down the pace of Christmas (although that can be a side benefit), it is to challenge our over-consumptive lifestyle and how it affects global disparities and the earth. So, even though you might buy a few things at Christmas, it's important to think in these global economic terms.

5. What if I have children and feel tremendous pressure to buy them stuff? Our precious children - with their normal vulnerability to peer pressure, their desire to fit in, and their disposable income, or ability to influence their parents' spending - are a mini-battlefield of the marketers and branding machinery. They try to get the kids "needing" gizmos, gadgets, movie-theme toys, and endless "new" versions of popular toys. Companies like to advertise right in the schools (on the walls, books, cafeteria, buses, and computer equipment). The reality is that many parents will find it extremely difficult to practice a Buy Nothing Christmas. But it IS possible. For example, some otherwise normal people have decided that television is a bad influence for their kids. So they just don't have one in the home. In the same way, we believe there are parents out there who will want to teach their kids the richness of a non-commercial Christmas. Remember, you can still have a special time without buying stuff.  

6. If we all buy nothing this Christmas, won't a lot of people lose their jobs? Yes, and now we're getting close to the core reasons for why Buy Nothing Christmas is necessary in the first place: Our economy is based on a consumer-driven capitalism. And because it's the only economy we have right now, if we stop shopping we stop the economy. Hence we had President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien telling citizens to get on with their lives after the September 11 terrorist attacks and shop. But there are  pitfalls of our current economic system: We work too hard to save money to buy things we don't really need, we buy into a standard of living that that reinforces the gap between the rich and poor, and we ruin the earth to a point where we'll eventually all lose our jobs anyway.

7. What do you have against capitalism? In a nutshell, it  favors the rich, abandons the poor, is heartless, and is based upon the assumption that people buy things out of self-interest. We're not saying communism is a better alternative. We are in a crucial time when economists are working at new models that assume people are not  only self-interested, but also interested in the common good.

8. Do you think a Buy Nothing Christmas will make a difference?  It already has made a significant difference. Getting people to recognize problems (North American over-consumption) and begin to imagine new, more life-giving solutions is a big deal.

9. Are you against giving gifts at Christmas? Giving gifts at Christmas is a good thing to do - it's a small re-enactment of the incarnation of God's love. Gift-giving, as we know from other occasions (like birthdays, weddings, housewarmings) serves as a kind of social glue that keeps us together. It shows affection, thoughtfulness and love. While gift-giving is a good thing to do at Christmas, that doesn't mean we have to go overboard at Christmas.

It is so exciting to realize how many great gifts we can give to our friends and families without spending much or any money.  For all you last minute shoppers and procrastinators here are  a couple dozen ways to really show you care - while allowing you to save time and money.

Create coupons for a massage, spring cleaning, child-minding, manicure, etc.

Create a menu of various culinary delights (e.g., Tantalizing Thai, Mexican Fiesta, etc.) and have the gift recipient choose one of the options. 

Collect meaningful photos for the gift recipient, make color photocopies and create a collage.

Write and illustrate a book for the people in your life. 

Do something exciting and challenging together (e.g., long walk, bike ride, hike, art course).

Compile a list of memories and arrange them in a creative fashion.

Videotape and interview your elderly parents about childhood memories, how they met, etc., and give to siblings or children. 

Paint an empty wine bottle with non-toxic paint and fill with olive oil. Top with an oil pour spout that can be found at a gourmet cooking shop.

Bake your favorite holiday treat and pack in a recycled tin. Fill a basket with home-made goodies.

Make a mixed CD playlist and choose songs that make you think of that person. Under each title, explain why you chose that song.

Give away a valued possession and explain why it is meaningful to you and the recipient.

Fill an old trunk or suitcase with fun clothing, hats and gaudy jewelry for your children to play dress-up.

Wrap gifts in newspaper, maps, scarves or interesting clothing.

Make a calendar with pictures of family members and/or scenery.

For the people in your life, research newspaper and magazine articles from their youth and present in a creative fashion.

Buy a used book and in the inside cover explain why you chose the book for that person.

Collect quotes that make you think of someone.  Format these and print along with pix.

Make a soothing, herb pillow filled with lavender, rose, etc.

If you are skilled in a particular area, offer a lesson or class.

If you must purchase gifts go to a fair-trade shop, garage sale or thrift shop.

Make tree ornaments out of old CDs.

Tell me if you find any of these useful and leave tips.  Realize that this applies to all gift giving occasions - not just Christmas.  Hope you all have a hip, happy, high, and healthy holidays!!