Big Heart Videos!

Derrick Jensen

2009-05-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

another busy day in big heart land, huh team? i have never read any of derrick jensen's books, but now i feel like i need to.

let's do this, friends.

we need to.

are you doing it?
do you want to?
are you seeking?
where are you?

there are three more of these videos on youtube.

in love,
ge

"The Green Beautiful" - Part 1 and 2

2009-05-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

whoah, so i just stumbled across this movie (which is in its entirety on youtube), and it blew my mind. it is soooooo good. you should watch the whole thing. seriously. get some tasty snacks, preferably local ones, and call me when the movie is over.

after doing a little research i found out that this film was banned in the EU and had almost no international distribution...why?

because it might make you change your whole life.

i am purposefully posting parts 1 and 2 to entice you to watch the whole thing.

in love,
ge

Free Runners from the UK

2009-05-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

hello friends,

ok, so these videos might be a little over dramatic and self-absorbed, but they truly are amazing.

sometimes, we have to leap.

much love,
ge

TRIPLE POST! Delta Spirit - "People Turn Around"

2009-04-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

it's a bountiful day in big heart land. all these gems! just discovered this one by accident, scoping out the new blogotheque videos. i know nothing about this band except that this song is awesome. that singer is wailing! rightfully so.

in love,
ge

Delta Spirit - People Turn Around from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

DOUBLE POST! Here's One From My Friend, Kim

2009-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

When in Doubt, Love Amma

2009-04-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

guess what, friends?!?! amma's USA summer tour is posted on the web! go get a hug!

http://www.amma.org/tours/amma-tours/namerica-jun09.html

seriously though, whenever i feel confused about what my project is or what i am trying to do or what i am going to do, i watch amma. it just makes so much sense!

Best Beach Parties of All Time: "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" 1983

2009-04-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

ok, so let's just get a few things out in the open:

1. the original star wars movies were AWESOME. especially for a six-year-old boy.
2. george lucas has since ruined star wars forever.
3. he even managed to ruin this ending when he re-made it in the late nineties.

that being said, this is a great beach party. who wouldn't want to party with ewoks?!?! ok ok, so it might be a little essentialist and colonialist, what with the indegenous, non-sensical, care-free ewoks, who play drums and dance in the woods, but they are cute as a button!

in love,
ge

Best Beach Parties of All Time: "The Neverending Story" 1984

2009-04-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

well friends, here is the second installment of my series on "beach party endings". i still can't watch the end of this movie without getting a little misty-eyed. it's so good!

A sampling of the amazing quotes found in this clip:

"I will do what I dream!"

"In the beginning, it is always dark."

"Fantasia can arise in you."

awesome.

in love,
ge

Best Beach Parties of All Time: "The Phantom Tollbooth" 1970

2009-04-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

what is a beach party, you say? i'll tell you. a beach party is an ending of a film or play in which all characters rejoice and celebrate. everyone's happy, everyone's celebrating, the hero(ine)s have triumphed, all major characters involved feel better about life (maybe even the bad guys!), and good times prevail. actual beaches may or may not be involved. actual partying may or may not be involved. it could all be metaphorical or implied or....what am i saying, you know what i'm talking about! beach party!

so, fine friends, this is the first part of a series celebrating "the beach party ending". it happens way more often than you might think, and, coincidentally, i only love movies with beach party endings.

ok, first off, "The Phantom Tollbooth." i loved this movie and book so much growing up. it has a great beach party ending. in this final scene, the princesses of Rhyme and Reason are freed from their captivity in the castle in the air and return to a world that needs them. milo, the little boy who frees them, has just completed a wild and scary adventure....and now, it's beach party time!!!!

in love,
ge

this series is dedicated to all members of STOP LAUGHING

Oh My Goodness...

2009-04-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!>>>>>>>>what can be said about something this cute?

Thank you, jaya!

in love,
ge

You Can Never Watch Too Many Videos About the Universe

2009-04-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

this is a pretty amazing user-generated film. happy astronomy year!

and this is neil degrasse tyson. "the universe is in us"

may our hearts and minds become more and more expansive and alive.

in love,
ge

and of course, as always, thank you agng for teaching me to marvel at science again

"Meetings with Remarkble Men" - A Film About Gurdjieff

2009-04-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

this little gem is brought to you by, blair. i'm gonna miss you, friend. may your spirit find peace and wholeness.

from the youtube description:

Filmed in 1979 by Peter Brook. A classic spiritual movie of G.I. Gurdjieff struggles beginning with his childhood until his discovery of The Fourth Way, an ancient spiritual tradition that used sacred movements as meditation. The story in this film is based on Gudjieff's book with the same title, which is the second book of his trilogy: "All and Everything".

During his long career, director Peter Brook has conducted a wide range of theatrical experiments, pushing audiences and performers well beyond their typical experience of theater, in an effort to achieve not a temporary catharsis but a transcendent, transformative event. As the narrator of THE MAHABHARATA says, "If you listen carefully, at the end, you'll be somebody else."

This interest in transformation that has characterized the latter part of Brook's career continues with this adaptation of the autobiography of famed mystic G.I. Gurdjieff, which stars Dragan Maksimovic. Driven by a sense of unwavering dedication to unraveling the meaning of human existence, he journeys throughout the most unattainable areas of the East, encountering an array of Hindu fakirs, Buddhist monks, whirling dervishes, and gurus of every stripe.

In search of enlightenment, he climbs the Himalayas, walks across the desert on stilts, and uncovers evidence of an ancient order, guards of an arcane wisdom. Most fascinating, perhaps, is the form of dance he created as a form of meditation and later taught in the West. A film that may be best appreciated by those already familiar with the work of Gurdjieff, MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN features spectacular photography and a highly evocative score, incorporating various indigenous musics.

- you can watch the whole movie on youtube! this is just part 1! get some popcorn!

in love,
ge

Akon - Freedom Webisode 1

2009-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

this is exactly how i feel....minus still being able to do amazing art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWUPcEW2rOU

i'd post it, but they won't let me.

in love,
ge

Schoolhouse Rock....really?!?!?

2009-04-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

this post is brought to you by terence, a fine specimen of hearty-ness.

he forwarded me a link with this video:

pretty powerful stuff, right? good work, schoolhouse rock.

K'Naan, thank you.

2009-04-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

my sweetie has a great new blog up. check it out for k'naan's "dreamer" video: http://hereweareintheuniverse.tumblr.com/

this is an important and beautiful human being.

much love.

in love,
ge.

Rick Jones....omg

2009-04-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

my goodness, i am a little bit swoony after this one. i've mentioned vimeo before, but i'll say it again: it's awesome (thank you kim!). totally different from youtube, it has a flavor all its own.

like this one.
is he singing to me? he's probably singing to you, but is he singing to me?
oh my goodness....i can't even begin to talk about how many levels of amazing are in this video.

i gotta meet this guy.

in love,
ge

agng, i know you know what i'm talking about....this guy is definitely on the bus.

"LOVE" from RICK JONES on Vimeo.

Woah...the last post, with fervor

2009-04-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

i have to admit: it is hard for me to watch this video without getting seasick. it is taken from an IMAX movie, so i can only imagine what it would be like in that setting. it is basically the same premise as the last post but with better special effects.

wowza!

thanks, terence!

in love,
ge

A Fantastic Trip

2009-04-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

my poppa forwarded this to me. it's such a good reminder of the power of perspective.

i've been bummin out, confused, unsure, and uneasy. this video gave me some peace. it reminded me of several important things worth remembering:

1. we are not in control
2. the universe goes on
3. we are enmeshed in the fabric of existence
4. there's no such thing as being alone
5. you are a miracle, a total f-ing miracle
6. there are worlds upon worlds within your fingernail

hallelujah.

thanks, dad.

in love (and struggle),
ge

Food Inc.

2009-04-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

this is the beginning to the feature length film "Food Inc."

in a word: terrifying. i don't want to eat food anymore...

in love,
ge

Wouldn't This Be Awesome?

2009-04-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

hey, it could happen, right? anyone can learn how to love. even rush limbaugh!

happy april.

in love,
ge

Octopus Transformation!

2009-04-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

this video is not for rosie. it will terrify her. but for those of you without octo-phobias, this video always blows my mind...creatures are totally crazy! we all live on a giant sphere orbiting a giant fireball! wahoo!

in love,
ge

A.E.I.O.U. - Italian Children's Show Done Entirely With Sand!

2009-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

pretty awesome.

in love,
ge

Christian the Lion

2009-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the back story on this one (taken from youtube):

In 1969 a young Australian, John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke, bought a small lion cub from Harrods pet department, which was then legal. 'Christian' was kept in the basement of a furniture shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea, the heart of the swinging sixties. Loved by all, the affectionate cub ate in a local restaurant, played in a nearby graveyard, but was growing fast...

A chance encounter with Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna led to a new life for Christian. He came to live in a huge enclosure and to sleep in a caravan at their Surrey home. Then in 1971 he was flown to Kenya, his ancestral home, and returned to the wild by lion-man George Adamson. Nine months later in 1972, John and Ace returned to Kora in Kenya. This clip is of their reunion at that time.

It was an emotional reunion: "He ran towards us, threw himself onto us, knocked us over and hugged us, with his paws on our shoulders."

My friend Sadie showed me this one....totally awesome.

in love,
ge

School of Seven Bells

2009-03-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

ok, so every once in a while i go on a mission: find a new favorite band. this quest, taken up at least twice a year, has proven successful time and time again. here is a list of past winners:

the arcade fire
iron & wine
yeasayer
bon iver
thao nguyen
lewis and clarke
lata mangeshkar

the list goes on and on. well, yesterday, the mission struck. a fire was lit in my heart, and i wasn't going to stop searching the internet until i found something worthy of listening to non-stop for the next several months. thankfully, the universe responded in kind with School of Seven Bells. upon first listening to "Half Asleep" on my dinky little headphones in the library, i was rather impressed. i thought, "wow, maybe these guys are really good." later in the nite, i found myself in keith's room, and we began sharing music. it wasn't long until i brought up School of Seven Bells. we proceeded to listen to "Half Asleep" on his most excellent computer speakers at top volume, and all of a sudden, everything made sense: this is it. these guys are it.

so, if you listen to this music once and you go, "eh, kind of repetitive, a little simple, a little trippy," i understand. but do yourself a favor and mellow out using whatever techniques you deem necessary and put on Seven Bells at top volume with good speakers and try to tell me your life didn't just change a little. the two female vocalists are twins....twins i tell you! they found Benjamin Curtis (any relation to JE?) by watching him play on stage. they fell in love with his playing and he fell in love with their singing (who can blame him).

the last song, "iamundernodisguise," is their new single...and it is arguably their best song!!! they are opening for Black Moth Super Rainbow on May 21 in Chicago!!!! we gotta go!!! it's going to be awesome!!! and it's only 12 bucks!!! caitlin, can me and some friends crash at your place?

oh, and read the lyrics. and visit their myspace page for three other incredible tracks called "Prince of Peace," "TranceFigure," and "Chain." they are all incredible:

http://www.myspace.com/schoolofsevenbells

ok. enough jibber jabber.....listen to the music!

in love,
ge

Lyrics to Half Asleep:

Sometimes I go whole days
listening bored, half sleep
I won't say anything
that's worth a thing to me
One day, suddenly, time
took a turn that once felt so brief
I blinked to see polite ghosts fading quickly

What begins as an unguarded
train of thoughts slowly can become
an addiction to the slumber
of disconnection and the resonance
of memory that no longer has a shape
but keeps you numb through
the hours tills gone is another day

Be aware, my darling
these things I say I mean
are just traces of something
I long to feel again
I see our time expand
in the air almost forcibly,
spreading thinner till it dissolves completely

Lyrics to connjur:

How does someone with nothing end
up with so much to show for it
All kinds of people, places, and things
Your cheap doormats and decorations
And to think it was all just a dream
One fantastic hallucination

Keep on polishing your golden
wall of trophies and self portraits
We'll just smile and wait till he knocks off
your designer rose colored glasses
And you'll see what we see - nothing but
old dust, peeled paint, and broken glasses

A simple imprint, imagine
I was the hill we walked
I was the walk that swung from your leg
I was your words that cast in my thoughts
Those who say dream are just dreams
say words end when you can't hear them
Listen closely as they fade
and witness the worlds construction

Lyrics to My Cabal:

My cabal, he sleeps outside
pulling the shadows over the moonlight
My cabal, won't you come inside
Forget the darkness if just for one night

Possibilities
baited with personal inconvenience
Every time he feels
that baited resistance tugging at his sleeve
he struggles to find who
he struggles to see why
He's weary with a weight
so often confused with authority,
but who's?

He sleeps outside
pulling the shadows over the moonlight

I want to know why
paper is so different
And what happens once these
promises incubated hit the air
I want to know why the
air becomes so thick and impenetrable
and why another set of rules apply, why?

My cabal, he sleeps outside
pulling the shadows over the moonlight
My cabal, won't you come inside
Forget the darkness if just for night

Lyrics to iamundernodisguise:

I am neither breather nor speaker
I am neither walker nor sleeper
I am neither sister brother son nor daughter
Solely in my chest is my heart a drum of water

I am under no disguise

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

2009-03-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

i literally cannot believe how good this is. Ali Khan sings Qawwali music, praise songs to God from the Sufi tradition. my dear friend, pete, just sent out an email to a bunch of his friends with a video from this performance. watch the master at work and let him move you...at the 8 minute mark, your whole life might change

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nusrat_fateh_ali_khan

in love,
ge

Stephen, I'm glad we're friends...

2009-03-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Walt Whitman dance party with woodland creatures at 2:36...

Salt at different frequencies...yeah, it's science...

John Mayer and Elmo

2009-03-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

i heard about this one from my dear friend, maggie. it is so cute!!

in love,
ge

More Sunni Patterson

2009-03-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

sunni patterson tells it like it is, whether we want to hear it or not. sometimes, her anger startles me. but then i remember what she is talking about, and i realize that it is my own complicity that makes me uneasy.

why is it so hard for us to accept the fact that the universe is asking us to undergo a complete and total revolution? why is it so hard for us to support each other in this journey? what must be done to make it happen, to do the work that needs to be done, individually and collectively?

in love (and questions),
ge

Louis CK

2009-03-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty funny segment on how funny entitlement is and how spoiled some of us are.

I hope you're well.

in love,
ge

Severn Suzuki at the 1992 UN Earth Summit

2009-03-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

this is such a powerful video. her words are so true, so real. we must start acting boldly, yes? perhaps you already do.

how do you act boldly for the world and the people who inhabit it?
how do you listen to those who are too often silenced or ignored?
how do you fall short of the radical lifestyle you envision?
how do you continue on despite the setbacks?

or better yet, how do we do this together? how do we forgive each other for falling short? how do we encourage each other to keep going?

in love,
ge

Herman Dune = Awesome

2009-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

thankfully, i found these guys a second time. several months ago i saw these videos online but lost track of where i could find them. then, tonite, while procrastinating, they came upon me like a spring rain of contentment. puppets. pop music. trite, catchy lyrics. dancing children. nothing is better.

in love,
ge

Sam Cooke

2009-03-02T10:58:00.001-08:00

everything is good about sam cooke. let his voice shake loose your bones...and your heart. these are two of my favorite sam cooke songs of all time. the first one is the best version of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" that i've ever heard. the second one is, "Bring it on Home To Me," and Pete Weiss and I used to sing it in the Union Square Subway station to raise money for Obama. It's a doosy.

there's so much good sam cooke out there, i feel bad just posting two videos but youtube has a surprising shortage of good videos featuring him. bummer.

however, these do the trick.

listen to that voice...nobody sounds like that.

thank you, sam.

in love,
ge

Charlie Chaplin in the final scene of "The Great Dictator"

2009-02-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

well, it's an early morning post today. how does the morning find you? are well? are you fully involved in the mysterious oneness of the universe? yes, i'm sure you are. we could not completely separate ourselves from that reality if we tried.

i am still finishing a paper for class that was due at midnite, and i don't feel ashamed about it. if i could have finished my paper on time, i would have. something is shifting in my heart, as i am sure something is shifting in your own. it's true: you have the whole universe inside you. there is no center; everywhere is the center.

may our hearts grow wide enough to fit in all this beauty...

in love,
ge

The Shade

2009-02-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

this is a really nice short film [you're a really nice short film]. it is tragic, yes, but it is also beautiful and profound.

little kids want ice cream. it's a universal thing.

in love,
ge

John Trudell

2009-02-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

this is so good. i mean, seriously, why aren't we listening to stuff like this? why don't we believe it?

it's not in the best interest of those in power for us to hear and see things like this.

"see how you got civilized, because terrible things happened."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Trudell
http://www.johntrudell.com/

this is so heavy...what are we doing? dear god, what are we doing?

stick around for the end of that second trudell video. there is a little kid reciting one of his poems...and it's awesome.

in love,
greg

Amma III

2009-02-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

i just can't stop posting amma videos! what can i say? they're incredible...

this is a segment from one of the many films that describe her life and teachings. the little girl getting bossed around by her parents at the start of the clip is a potrayal of the young Amma, whose parents would often try to force her to abandon her spiritual practices, which she exhibited at a very young age...then on to those wonderful hugs and kisses!

it brings me to tears every time i watch the faces of those she is hugging. i hope that i get one of those physical hugs some time soon...her own face is pure love.

she is pure love. it's true. it's totally true.

she wants to hug you...right now.

in love,
ge

Please Buy More Stuff

2009-02-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

this is better than anything in my diatribe below.

thank you, internet...i think.

we want your soul!

in love,
ge

George Carlin on Consumerism

2009-02-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

this...is...so...awesome.

who knew george carlin was so awesome?

what do we do with this reality?

and no, barack obama is not a revolutionary figure. he is saving america and capitalism one day at a time. it is awesome that we have a black president, but what he does is ten times more important than who he is. i still have his poster on my door. i still love looking at pictures of him and michelle. hell, i still love to hear him speak. but if barack obama is our revolution, then the revolution has truly been co-opted. america and capitalism consumed it: bob dylan victoria's secret commercials. ...yup.

but you know all this. we are all too aware that we are settling. that we are going in to this world because all the alternatives have been destroyed or made to look foolish, outdated, and no longer necessary.

and maybe they're not. maybe capitlism will just get better and better until everyone has a hybrid suv, organic cotton t-shirts, and soy lattes in recyclable containers. sounds like heaven doesn't it?

but what if something else is going on? what if the machine, in its seemingly infinite power, is shifting to keep us engaged. "oh look, we can't get away with what we used to. let's get salads in mcdonald's. let's donate 10% of our profits to charity . let's change our imagery to address the rising awareness that we are killing the earth and oppressing its people."

we live on a land that is not ours. we live in an empire that will do anything to stay alive, including a change of tone when necessary. increasingly, there is no outside. the machine groans on, taking up everything in its path, keeping whatever secrets it needs to to stay alive, including the fact that "successful," "wealthy" people are depressed, suicidal, drug addicted, disconnected, isolated, consumers....they are still consumers! no one is beyond consumption!

Obama quote: “Reagan’s central insight — that the liberal welfare state had grown complacent and overly bureaucratic, with Democratic policy makers more obsessed with slicing the economic pie than with growing that pie — contained a good deal of truth.”

Excerpt from nytimes article about obama: "'The market is the best mechanism ever invented for efficiently allocating resources to maximize production,' Obama told me. 'And I also think that there is a connection between the freedom of the marketplace and freedom more generally.' But, he continued, 'there are certain things the market doesn’t automatically do.' In other words, free-market policy isn’t likely to dominate his agenda; his project would be fixing the market."

now don't get me wrong, capitalism and america are not totally evil. capitalism is indeed quite efficient. and neither is obama, of course. i'm totally psyched that he is president instead of mccain...but that's just it. as my favorite professor once said, "racism is not longer bull connor with a pitbull." it's confusing now. it's grey. it's hard to see where justice stops and injustice begins, where freedom becomes domination. it's slippery now. our vision is distorted. the image is twisted, turned upside down, manipulated intentionally to keep us placated and confused.

there's no room of evil men. there's nothing to be worried about. we just won. we have a black, progressive president..

then why do i feel so strange?

why do i feel so alone?

why am i so confused?

why do streets, cars, and buildings feel sinister?

what is this feeling in my heart?

to where are we truly headed?

the clock stays silent. the road does not talk back. the passerby gives no hidden signals. even the trees have nothing to say.

what is happening? what the hell is happening?

in love,
ge

Part 1 of History of Spanish Anarchism

2009-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

this is the first part of a really good documentary on the spanish anarchist movement from 1936-39. it features interviews with some of the remaining survivors of the revolution.

so what do we do?

unfortunately, you can usually identify those who truly threaten the existing social order and power structures by how ruthlessly they are attacked.

how do we make peace?

how do we live radical lives?

in love,
ge

Robin Hood Disney Cartoon

2009-02-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

ok, so we all know that disney is f-ed up. but this cartoon is so good! if you need to watch the whole movie on youtube, i understand.

thanks to all the recent comment posts from kim, haven, adrienne, the 1 question 50 people folks, adjua, and the rest of the gang.

keep comin back! tell your friends!

in love,
ge

Earth Spirit Action

2009-02-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

ok, so i know that this is video is pretty new-agey, which i usually can't stand, but this one happens to be really charming, informative, and right-on about most things.

where are you at? what are you thinking about? how do you connect to the way you are currently living your life? how do systems of oppression, destruction, and domination impact your life? what would it look like to live a revolutionary life?

in love,
ge

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce

2009-02-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

hello friends, adjua, my love, sent me this one. it is a sad reminder of what prop 8 meant for tens of thousands of happily married gay and lesbian couples.

thank you, sweet love. i hope your flight to new york isn't as bumpy.

in love,
ge

Michael Truckpile!

2009-02-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

yeah! this is a friend of mine from the hudson valley. him and his partner jacinta (the other person in the second video) are awesome! jacinta actually used to hang out at my house when i was little with my cool-ass mom, who would wax poetic about eastern religion and philosophy. i got to hang out with them when i was living in tivoli, ny, and they performed with the sparkle kids action network in wilkes-barre while i was living in town. jacinta makes radical coloring books for kids and adults: http://www.girlsnotchicks.com/index.html check them out! she also does workshops on making zines and coloring books.

they're so great!

in love,
ge

Star Wars told by Someone Who Hasn't Seen It

2009-02-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

totally awesome.

in love,
ge

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

J Mac Attack!

2009-02-07T11:38:00.001-08:00

here is another feel-good favorite. you might have already seen this one, but it's a beauty. my old buddy, lukas, posted this one.

every bit of joy makes a difference.

in love,
ge.

Ellen DeGeneres - I love Jesus but I drink a little.

2009-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

this is a great little clip that some friends of mine posted on facebook.

laughter is so good.

come get some.

in love,
greg.

bon iver - like sipping good tea

2009-02-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

hello friends, it's been a while since my last post. it was quite a week. through this time, bon iver has been my constant companion, playing his music almost non-stop for the last week. it's so amazing and warm, i love it so much. i am probably getting on some people's nerves who have already heard me say this in some form or another repeatedly in recent memory, so i want say much more.

i gotta thank my dad for getting me this cd for christmas. it came right on time.

these are my four favorite songs from the album, one of them is live.

in love,
ge

Opening Scene from "Werckmeister Harmonies"

2009-01-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

opening scene from the best movie i haven't seen yet. thanks, haven.

in love,
ge

Amma Part II

2009-01-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

she's real. she's totally real.

Sarah Haskins

2009-01-27T10:08:00.001-08:00

everything about sarah haskins is awesome. discover the joy...the commentary...the truth...and the laughter. that's right: i'm posting every sarah haskins video the internet has to offer. why? because they are all awesome.

thanks, caitlin.

Farm and Wilderness Camp

2009-01-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

i...love...camp! i have such a camp crush on farm and wilderness. journey's end farm camp is still the best...but f and w is like the party next door that you can hear people having fun at and you just want to go check it out!

yay camp!

in love,
ge

Veena - Jayanthi Kumaresh

2009-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

the veena is one of the most beautiful instruments i have encountered. it is so unique and special, and jayanthi kumaresh plays it so incredibly. i love the playfulness and intensity of this performance. the third video ends with a raging drum solo as well.

i have a restless spirit today, and this music resonates on that level for me.

to read up on veenas, check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena

in love,
ge

NEPA!

2009-01-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

NEPA, meaning Northeastern Pennsylvania, is a place like no other. its language, culture, and customs, long hidden from the outside world, are unique and surprising...and it's also where i'm from! if you ever pass through, give me a call, and i'll show you all the sights! like the largest poured concrete structure in the world, the nicholson bridge! the bluebird diner, factoryville's own 4-star dining! scranton, an actually cool city i don't really want to make fun of! mostly! the deitrich theater, tunkhannok's community run movie theater! journey's end farm, home of my quaker meeting, my quaker camp, and several wonderful people, including wood-beau, k-fitz, and the curtis family! nay aug park, with the sweetest waterfall scranton has to offer, as well as an animal sanctuary/slash community run zoo! the bog, the bar where all the cool kids hang out to look cooler! it's all here! it's all NEPA!

first up, let's learn the language. although this video is at times embarrassingly corny, so is all the comedy you come across in NEPA! including the comedy i did! the importance of this video is that it captures the NEPA dialectic. the second video is proof that people actually talk this way! ray lyman, scranton hero, a man of the people!

up next, scranton! home of , the office! as well as the craziest st. patrick's day parade ever, simply referred to as "parade day" it's beautiful! it's rundown! it's homey! it's weird! it's NEPA!

the nicholson bridge! the 8th wonder of the world! there are people who died making it buried in the concrete! wahoo!

factoryville! if you search it on youtube, all you get is people shooting guns out behind their house, a lot of footage of raccoons, a few kayaking videos, and this video of a plane landing at seaman's airport! if you listen closely, you can hear my 5th grade teacher, mrs. seaman's in the background! huzah!

perhaps nepa's most important feature is its unique foods! welsh cookies! hoagies! perogies! and old forge pizza!

here's footage of a small child making welsh cookies, the tastiest cookies in the world! that's not even a joke!

next is an old man making a hoagie! all of eastern pa, including philly, knows what a hoagie is!

actual chefs making perogies! thank you eastern europe!

and there's no videos on old forge pizza...what's this world coming to?

believe it or not, nepa has great music! here is one of our local favorites, and the moneynotes, playing at the bog, the coolest bar in scranton! because it has to be!

and a little documentary about them! how cool! my friend, settie, is the redhead (i don't like the violence either...but most boys seem too)!

and nepa is so cool that politicians are scrambling to claim it as their home! even if they haven't set foot in nepa for several decades!

"scranton is a place that never leaves you. it becomes part of your heart."

amen joe, amen.

50 People, One Question - Benjamin Reece

2009-01-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

this is a pretty fascinating video. try to follow your response to the images of the people and what they say. it was so interesting to see what judgments came up in me immediately upon seeing some of the interview-ees. and how some of them were affirmed, while others were dispelled. so many of their responses are surprising in so many different ways! a nice little microcosm of humanity...[you're a nice little microcosm of humanity]

in love,
ge

Fifty People, One Question: New Orleans from Benjamin Reece on Vimeo.

"Tranny Triptych" - Morty Diamond and Glenn Marla

2009-01-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

hello friends! today's post is a powerful one. it features morty diamond (sex educator, performance artist, filmmaker, etc.) and glenn marla (performance artist, burlesque superstar). i had the pleasure of meeting glenn by way of serendipity in nyc. one night, we discovered that we had two mutual friends: his roommate, thailan, and dave end. what a world!

what i think is amazing about this video is that it manages to be vulnerable and artistic and playful all at the same time. so often the sharing of our stories and difficulties happens in a spirit of absolute seriousness with somber tones (understandably). but this bit of wonderfulness manages to express these stories in a way that is playful, loving, and open, without diminishing the emotional honesty of what is being shared. a truly remarkable accomplishment.

in love,
ge

glenn marla: www.myspace.com/smulyan
morty diamond: www.myspace.com/mortydiamond

CERN Rap

2009-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

i am not quite sure what the best thing about this video is...i think it is probably imagining all the CERN interns running around the LHC, videotaping themselves. also, it has so much information! in rap form! brilliant!

CERN Rap from Will Barras on Vimeo.

"Iceland" - Eva Sturm

2009-01-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

vimeo comes through again. such beautiful images...and a powerful, simple message.

for those of you keeping track, this is actually the second time that this sigur ros song has made it onto my blog as the background to a video....can you name the other one?

in love,
ge

Iceland from Eva Sturm on Vimeo.

"Beautiful Flower" - India Arie

2009-01-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

amazing. i am not, nor have i ever been, a girl. but i do know that there needs to be more songs and images like this one, to counteract all the poison and sadness.

much love to all women who have survived and thrived and come into their power. we love you and we need you.

much love to all women who still struggle and suffer. we love you and we need you.

and much love to those who are both.

in love,
ge

Lauryn Hill Unplugged

2009-01-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

ok, so i should totally be doing my homework instead of posting, but funk it. this is about lauryn hill unplugged. i honestly assumed that i had already posted these videos because of how incredible they are, but to my surprise, this is their first appearance. and, to be frank, this blog would be pretty empty without them.

lauryn hill got a lot of s*** for this performance and the album that accompanied it. it was panned by critics, getting half a star in some cases. in the fall out afterwards, she fell apart, getting mixed up with a somewhat occultist figure, an awkward reunion with the fugees, and a life that did not make sense given the content of this performance. from all accounts, she fell apart.

you might think, well, this discredits these songs. she must not have gotten it in the way that she said she did. "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" and "I Find it Hard to Say [Rebel]" don't make sense if she did not continue down the same path of spiritual awakening that she was clearly on at the time.

and if you do think that, i can't blame you. i have thought it myself from time to time. but i think that it is not the truth. watching these videos, listening to these songs, hearing the album, you KNOW she KNOWS. but she is still suffering and struggling and questioning so much. she got rid of the clothes, the band, the record deal. she confesses on the album that if her voice cracks, it is because she is not trying to be a "perfect singer" anymore. just honest. she had never performed these songs live before, messing up in front of millions. this is unlike any performance by a pop singer in recent memory, maybe ever. and you can tell that for how enlightened she is at this moment, she is still in so much pain....but i mean, what do i know? who knows what was really going on in her mind? all i can say is, crying to the tune, "I know it's possible. Free, Free, Free your mind," is as real as it gets...

this performance stands as a testament to the beauty, love, and transforming power of the divine. what happened afterwards is a testament to how rough this world is and how it can chew you up and spit you out and lead you astray and every other un-godly thing you can think of. can you imagine what it must have felt like to have this album laughed at by critics, an album on which you bared your soul, crying in testimony to god? i can't. it must have been devastating.

all i can say is, thank you, ms. hill. thank you for sharing with us what you discovered about god and yourself. i'm sorry we didn't understand, though many of us hold on to this album as gospel, as true today as it was when you performed it [i am one of them]. i hope you continue on, through whatever it is your going through, and emerge knowing that you are beautiful and divine. hopefully, you never forgot.

in love,
ge

p.s. if you don't have this album, you should probably buy it. one of the major things it got slammed for was all the talking she does in between songs. but you know what i think? i think the talking the best part...prophetic to say the least...

Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan

2009-01-13T16:56:00.001-08:00

the first performance of mr. tambourine man at newport.

"The House of Beauty" - Mark Doty

2009-01-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

nobody reads a poem like mark doty. it's as if he is speaking each word for the first time, careful not to waste any sounds that might be missed by speaking without care. if you like poetry at all and you've never been to the dodge poetry festival, you haven't lived. it's sacred and holy. people get together for five days and read poetry to each other. what is better than that?

Dick Gregory on Rest, Water, and Fitness

2009-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

i love dick gregory. he was one of my first heroes, because he would go to the front lines of the civil rights movements and get everybody laughing in order to dispel the danger of violence. but he has done a whole lot more than that. here is a link to his blog:

http://www.dickgregory.com/index2.html

and here is dick gregory letting us know how to have healthy bodies:

The Animal Odd Couple

2009-01-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

my parents sent me this one (thanks mom and dad).

Rocket Man - WIlliam Shatner

2009-01-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

incredible.

Bruce Springsteen!

2009-01-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

bruce springsteen is incredible. this fact took me some time to realize. but now i understand...unfortunately all of his music videos are blocked from being embedded. no matter. his live performances will do just fine...the other problem is that i want to post every video of him ever. he's just so damn nice to look at!

if there is any good at all to be found in masculinity, bruce springsteen has found it.

and if you are yet to be convinced of his greatness (thanks jake), i will be happy to elaborate. just look at clarence, his sax player. his beauty rivals the boss!

in love,
ge

Papiroflexia - zell777

2008-12-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

god bless user generated content.

in love,
ge

i love comments!

2008-12-31T09:05:00.001-08:00

hello friends! some kind people informed me that they were having trouble posting comments on the site....so i fixed it! post away! i always intended for this site to be a conversation, a way for us to take the isolation of the internet-world and spin it on its head, co-creating a "place" for nourishment, transformation, and community...and fun!

in love,
ge

Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job!

2008-12-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

ok, sometimes tim and eric is offensive. sometimes it is really weird.

other times, it is so funny that my life actually gets better while i watch it. here are three of my favorite clips. enjoy!

in love,
ge.

Liberation Ecology - Frances Moore Lappe

2008-12-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

this is so awesome. frances moore lappe also happens to be an earlham grad! go quake!

this is taken from the midwest social forum.

i really hope that we figure out how to co-create a culture of life...

in love,
greg

Muto - Blu

2008-12-29T11:36:00.001-08:00

well, thus far, this is the only video about which i can safely say, "i have never seen anything like this."

although it is not particularly uplifting or discernible, it is unbelievably creative and radical. art for everyone! i loved watching it from start to finish. who knows what's going to happen next?!?

thanks john!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Alex Fals, aka "Alf"

2008-12-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

i have known alex since he was 11...or maybe 10. i can't remember. i was his camp counselor. then we worked together at that same camp. he is a great dude, always seeking, always searching, always growing. it has been a blessing to be his friend all this time. and now he's an amazing songwriter! that's so cool! i believe that all three of these songs are originals. they were all recorded really recently in columbia. he is there visiting his family.

it's really great to know so many incredible people.

in love,
ge

Fire Breathing Fish - Brandon Guy Smith

2008-12-27T10:20:00.000-08:00

brandon smith is my brother. we've known each other since the fourth grade. no matter how much time might pass between conversations or visits, he's still my brother. and he blows glass! how cool is that!?! although this video is sped up a bit, it really only takes him about 15 minutes to make a glass fish like this one.

that's pretty awesome.

RR vs. D - Au

2008-12-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

ok team, this is one of my favorite new bands, Au. this video is so beautiful to watch. i love the spinning tops!

Seasonal Favorites!

2008-12-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

happy winter solstice! you just might celebrate it as christmas, but in fact, christmas was moved to dec. 25 to overshadow the pagan celebration of the winter solstice! bring the green inside! (christmas tree) light up the night! (christmas tree lights) sacrifice a pig! (ham dinner) put up a wreath! (good luck for a healthy year) wahoo! but for those of you who might have sentimental seasonal memories, here are mine!

ok, so clearly this is not on everyone's list of favorites because my friend kara just ran out of the room due to the fact that the snowman melts at the end of this cartoon and brings up bad memories. maybe a lesson on impermanence is a little heavy for a christmas classic, but remember, this is only after a snowman dance party in the woods hosted by santa!

p.s. kara just threatened to boycott my blog due to my insistence on including this video in today's post. for the record, you can stop watching the video after the snowman dance party if you want to skip the sad ending. and if this video makes you as sad as kara, be sure to watch the next three.

scrooged is my favorite christmas movie of all time! this is the ending. some important back information so you know what's going on: bill murray is scrooge and a tv executive. he just figured it out. then, dance party/sing-a-long!

adam sandler's chanukah song...what a success! i have always loved this song, and i am pretty sure that most of my friend's my age know all the words. i wish there were more awesome chanukah themed youtube videos, but they seem to be in short supply. i guess that's because it is not one of the most important jewish holidays...but send me some if you know some!

the last part of "how the grinch stole christmas"! awesome!

and to top it all off, a little commercial for "buy nothing day"! R.I.P. Demore, the wal-mart employee who got trampled.

have a wonderful day! and happy holidays! however you spend them!

in love,
ge

Ubuntu and The People's Grocery - The Global Oneness Project

2008-12-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

these videos are so good, i had to post them as soon as i saw them. who has heard of this organization? i never have. i don't know much about them, and i'm sure they're not perfect, but these are some beautiful short films. they are well-shot, powerful, and important. we hardly ever see the radical actions of others. we hardly ever see images of African peoples that are not of genocide, poverty, and political tyranny. the images we take in really impact us. i know that they have impacted me.

someone once said to me, "people love what they know about." the example was that people won't love nature unless they know more about it. but i think maybe people also love what they feel connected to. i don't know the names of all the trees or flowers, but i love them because i feel connected to them. i understand the importance of their life and their place in the universe. so, maybe connection or knowledge can come first. maybe one creates the possibility of the other.

but what happens when neither thing happens, when we don't know about something or someone and we don't feel connected to it or them? and what happens when that shifts, and all of a sudden something is on our radar that never was before? and how does that shift? just some thoughts and questions....what are yours?

the first one is about ubuntu, and it is filmed in South Africa, and the second one is about a food justice project in Oakland, CA called, The People's Grocery.

www.globalonenessproject.com

in love,
ge

The Common Fire Foundation! and Climbing Poetree!

2008-12-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

so, this is going to be a two part post. this part is about the common fire foundation, started by jeff and kavitha in the hudson valley! (i helped!) jeff and kavitha are really amazing people, and i've been bumming recently that i haven't seen or talked to them in a while. they work so hard to contribute to the world in radical, creative ways, and i am blessed to know them. this video was shot maybe three years ago now, and if you look close enough....you can see me in the background of some of the shots! the footage is primarily from the grand opening ceremony for their super-green co-op building. the event was really fun and joyful. and they got julia butterfly hill and climbing poetree! how cool is that?

i love you, jeff and kavitha. i hope you are well. samiha too!

so, the second part of this post is about climbing poetree. after watching the previous video, you're probably asking yourself, "oh my god, who is climbing poetree? they are amazing." and i am here to reply that they are in fact amazing. i actually found that common fire video looking for videos that featured them (teehee). my friend anna just saw them perform and was blown away by them, which reminded that they are incredible.

i think that what is particularly powerful about the previous common fire video and the following two videos featuring climbing poetree is that both are examples of what is possible. in jeff and kavitha, we have two people who created a non-profit and coordinated the creation of the greenest building in the east, an accomplishment so big that they constantly had to remind people of their long-term commitments to social justice, camps, retreats, etc. and in alixa and naima, we have two women who have decided to let their lives be their vision, who have decided to speak out for justice, who have decided to create radical, transformative art, and who have decided to be alive for the sake of awakening the consciousness and collective power of the masses. not to mention that all of them are so much more than the sum total of these words...

whoah...and can i just say how amazing the poem in the second video is? i just got chills...it reminds me that i gotta start doing some shit. seriously.

thank you. thank you. thank you.

as my mentor trayce says, "you're allowed to shine."

www.commonfire.org
www.climbingpoetree.com

Gene Kelly

2008-12-17T08:30:00.001-08:00

My friend, Louis, first introduced me to Gene Kelly. I had only ever heard his name, never watching the dances I knew he was famous for. Then I watched the first clip with Louis at his apartment and was stunned. Besides the fact that his dancing is incredible, he has this way of dancing that is both graceful and strong, light and direct. His mastery is beyond the sum total of his dance moves. He makes me want to dance! And in the second clip, he tap dances on roller skates! Roller skates! And he's just so handsome!

Enjoy!

ge.

Lata Mangeshkar

2008-12-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

enjoy!

i love you.

ge.

Dare - Stan Bush from the Original Transformers Movie

2008-12-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

whoah. this song is so good, i don't even know what to say...

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Animation by Seth Brau

2008-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

this is pretty awesome. i have always had a hard time with the notion of "property," but this is a beautiful document. and one cool looking film.

Validation - A Movie By Kurt Kuenne

2008-12-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

wow. this might be in contention for my favorite internet movie of all time. words cannot express. i just teared up watching it. be warned, it is 16 minutes long. but it is worth it.

thanks, isaak!

Locusts (Docu-Music-Video) - Invincible and Finale

2008-12-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

i made may way to this through the youth program of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. they have co-organized a tour called, Drop Beats Not Bombs, for a few years now, and Invincible was on the most recent tour. The nonviolence and anti-oppression training that comes out of the same program, called the Peacemaker Training Institute, has been so very important to me for six years. some of the most amazing people i have ever met were through PTI, and i am so thankful that many of them are still in my life today. isaak, alejandra, kavitha, maryrose, cesar, hayden, hawah, anna, elandria...all of you (plus so many un-named!) are amazing in so many different ways.

this video is very powerful and effective. contemporary cities are battle grounds, colonized land, where city governments, real estate companies, multinational corporations, and educational institutions purchase neighborhoods and remake them as they see fit. this was really evident in nyc, where "williamsburg" continues to grow eastward, taking over neighborhoods predominantly populated by people of color, and turning them into condominium play-lands, first for young white people, who don't mind living in slightly more "dangerous" and "cheap" neighborhoods, then for the businesses and "life-style" enthusiasts that follow them looking for the next "hot spot." meanwhile, the people who were already living there are forced to relocate further and further out or find some other way to stay and make ends meet, provided they are allowed to stay. this is just one example. we forget that this happened to manhattan as well.

it doesn't sound like this is exactly what is going on in Detroit, but it is the same dish with a different flavor. as i think about where to settle down, i flounder trying to find a place that does not already feel taken over. there are some really beautiful examples in this film of how people can reclaim abandoned spaces and turn them into spaces that exist for the community. not to mention some really, really good hip-hop!

i hope the tour went well!

oh, and p.s. -

invincible is amazing! here is her music video for "Sledgehammers."

Murder in the City - The Avett Brothers

2008-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

holy moly. the avett brothers. what can be said about the avett brothers? i stumbled upon them one night playing in a small bar in tivoli, ny. i had never heard of them. had no idea what to expect. i came in about 2/3 of the way through the show. and the last third was unlike anything i had ever seen. they played from their toes to their eyebrows, giving everything they had into those microphones. they screamed and sang harmony better than anyone i had ever heard. they expressed emotions of love and passion that so few capture. and at the end of the show, a 3 hour show by all accounts, they came into the audience, shook everyone's hands, and thanked them for coming. i was very thankful indeed.

and now they're famous, just signed with american, rick rubin's columbia label. we'll see what happens, but at this point, it's safe to say that they are making some of the most honest, passionate, and beautiful music out there today. thanks for being honest, loyal, and true, dear avetts. may you continue on to even more beauty and expression.

Coded Language - Saul Williams

2008-12-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

i needed to get into a poetry writing mood, so i found this little gem. although i've been having mixed feelings about saul williams recently, i.e. his nike endorsement and sub par album release, it cannot be said that he is asleep. i had the blessing to meet saul, and i asked him, "how can you be so sure that revolution is coming?" to which he replied, "have you ever read the tao te ching?" to which i replied, "yeah, a while ago." to which he replied, "maybe you should read it again."

we are the equivalent of three buckets of water and a hand full of minerals.

the last two minutes and twenty seconds is the best part.

where do you find transcendence? or rather, where do you transcend dance?

The Life Aquatic & Sigur Ros

2008-12-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

the best scene in the best movie.

Tracy Chapman - Talking About a Revolution

2008-12-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

who doesn't love this song? it's been a little while since i posted a music video/performance. powerful stuff.

i hope you are well.

in love,
ge

Tamera

2008-11-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

i first heard about Tamera from Jeff, a friend of mine who co-founded a non-profit called The Common Fire Foundation with his partner, Kavitha. he went to eurupe to check out some intentional communities, and when i asked him if any of them stood out, he said, "Tamera."

the more i learn about this place, the more i feel like i need to go. you can see for yourself at tamera.org. the first video is the last segment of a half hour long documentary mostly about the "sunvillage" they are building over there. this last part goes into what Tamera is about as a whole.

the second video is the opening speech from last summer's "university" at Tamera, a ten-day program focused on revolution, ecology, sustainability, love, and sex. the speaker is 19 and a member of the community there.

whoah...

Sunni Patterson - We Made It

2008-11-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

this is not a "feel-good" performance or poem, so if you are looking for something purely uplifting, this might not be it. this poem is, however, incredible. sunni patterson invokes the prophetic voice, speaking radical truth and transformation. the first time i saw this was accidental. i was visiting a friend, and Def Poetry Jam just happened to be on tv. my mouth nearly dropped.

so why is this video on bigheartvideos? because having a big heart requires that we open ourselves to the radical proposal of Love. i call it a proposal, because Love is an agreement we make with our hearts. and that doesn't mean it's always pretty. if it is not challenging us to go beyond ourselves, then it isn't love.

she has a lot of other amazing videos on youtube.

i hope you're well.

in love,
ge

Maria Bamford - Dark

2008-11-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

so, i know that i just blogged about Maria Bamford two days ago, but she is amazing. so i'm doing it again.

don't be afraid of the dark!

Northern Exposure - Physics Lesson

2008-11-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

there's two things i love about this clip:

1. northern exposure
2. physics

who knew it would take science over two thousand years to agree with the buddha?
good work universe.

The Maria Bamford Show

2008-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

i love this show. a lot. sometimes you just need to laugh, right?

you should probably do yourself a favor and watch the whole series on superdeluxe.com

Keith Olberman - Prop 8, Marriage, and Love

2008-11-16T16:59:00.001-08:00

well, it is pretty rare that i am moved to any emotion by a newscaster, let alone a powerful one. this made me get teary-eyed in the lilly library computer lab.

the issue of gay marriage is a complicated one, not because it is morally ambiguous, but because it is an issue that is at the heart of only one segment of the gay and lesbian population which tends to be economically secure, while the issues of working class, poor, and homeless LGBTQ people go untalked about in the dominant discourse.

that being said, the fact that gay and lesbian couples cannot marry in most states is, well, terrible. this is an incredibly beautiful plea from a man who says that he has nothing to gain from making this statement. but he does have something to gain: through speaking out against injustice that we ourselves do not feel, we wake up and begin to see each other again. we reclaim our inter-being, and therefore reclaim a part of ourselves that we have forgotten.

since all oppression is connected, all justice is too.

thanks keith olberman, for not losing your heart in a world that destroys many.

keep calling us out! i look forward to your future editorial on the plight of trans youth of color who make up an incredibly disproportionate number of the homeless population. keep going keith! keep going!

"The Mystic" - Stoil Vatev

2008-11-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

i found this little gem searching on vimeo.com. do you folks know about this site? it is a really awesome complement to youtube, and i have my friend, kim, to thank for introducing it to me. the videos are of a higher quality, often created by professionals or at least very talented amateurs. they also have projects that you can do. it also tends to be more international.

what i love about this particular video is that it is magical realism on film. i often dream of fantastical and mystical things taking place in normal life: flowers under someone's hat, a door that leads to the cosmos, an inconspicuous prophet in an alley. all of these things are actually happening, though. we just don't recognize them when they are happening...

in love,
ge

The Mystic from stoil on Vimeo.

Reading Rainbow - Original Theme Song

2008-11-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

reading rainbow! i used to watch this show all the time. what a wonderful idea: a tv show about books! it makes perfect sense!

My Digital Year - Bracken James Batson

2008-11-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

"Why don't you dance like a robot?"

OMG this is what i am talking about. what i particularly love about this video is...everything!

i miss kids, and seeing this little girl and her father in action reminds me why children are wonderful. would her father have danced like a robot if she hadn't asked him to? probably not, at least not in that moment. who could possibly resist dancing to that little drum beat?

*sigh*

why can't we all be like this for each other? co-creating, encouraging joy, being silly...i've been thinking a lot about how everything we love will be gone some day, but we must love what is fleeting and love with this understanding.

this moment is gone.

and this moment is gone too.

where is the possibility of joy for children whose needs are not met, whether by neglect, poverty, war, violence, oppression, etc.? i'm beginning to realize just how radical LOVE really is and that it asks to transform our lives, to love what dies, and to enter into creation.

you wanna dance like a robot?

My Digital Year (September 2008 - September 2009) from Bracken James Batson on Vimeo.

Buddha With 1000 Hands - China Disabled Peoples Performance Art Troupe

2008-11-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

so...the first time i saw this video, i was still living in new york city. i was so inspired after watching it that i got on a train to manhattan with my guitar in hand, starry-eyed and blissful. it was 2:00am or so. i ended up in union square and sang to the night. eventually some folks came over to where i was sitting and listened for a while. after they left, i noticed that it was a full moon, and i decided to talk home, across the williamsburg bridge, with the moon as my guide.

i began crossing the bridge at dawn, and new york never seemed so beautiful and divine.

did i mention that everyone in this performance is deaf?

in love,
ge

Improv Everywhere: Food Court Musical

2008-11-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

improv everywhere is awesome. they do amazing stuff all over.

"Here! You can have a napkin!" Brilliant!

sometimes you just gotta shake things up a bit, you know?

Eve Ensler - The Vagina Monologues

2008-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

here is another wonderful TED talk.

eve ensler is awesome.

Washington D.C. on Election Night: The Possibilities of Communal Joy

2008-11-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

this is it, folks. this is what communal joy looks like.

of course barack obama is not going to save the world. of course barack obama is not perfect. of course more work lies ahead.

but we gotta dance!!!! we gotta! how can we not?

the very fact that more struggle lies ahead necessitates that we celebrate now. that we shout. and sing. and hug. and chant. and love. and clap. and glimmer. and kiss.

because this night was not guaranteed. this victory was not inevitable.

let's let our souls shine. let's let our hearts go free! just look at all those people, sweet hearts! look at all those people!

let's sip this one slowly, friends. we must savor every little bit of sweetness we can....

in love,
ge

YES WE DID!!!!

2008-11-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

i do not have anything profound to say right now. i am still in shock. perhaps, after the euphoria wears off, i'll have something intelligent to say.

i love you all. thank you to everyone who helped with the campaign.

everyone is beautiful.

let's do this thing...