Sunday, September 27, 2009

but before I go ...


"The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Not at all. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be."

Robert Fulghum
It was On Fire When I Lay Down on It
Ivy Books, 1989

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Holy Grail of the Unconscious

Whether or not you've heard of him, Carl Jung has most likely somehow been a part of your life in one way or another. Have you ever taken a Myers-Briggs Indicator (MBTI) test for work/fun or when applying for a job? Have you/someone you know taken part in a 12-step program? Do you know what an introvert or extrovert is? These were all contributions that can be directly tied back to Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung.

Jung has had an enduring influence not only on psychology, but also on society as a whole. He founded a new school of psychotherapy, called analytical psychology or Jungian psychology. This included: the concepts of introversion and extraversion. The concept of the complex. The concept of Collective Unconscious, which is shared by all people. As mentioned before, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Even more interesting about him is: he lost it. And when I say lost - he had a complete psychotic break, even diagnosing himself later as 'schizophrenic'. He had vistions and heard voices. Though treatments at the time were vastly different. It was nuthouse - or no nuthouse, ignore thoughts OR don't ignore thoughts. During this period, he detailed his 'break' into small journals -- the good, the bad, and the ugly in a book/diary/experiment of sorts. In 1914, Jung began to transcribe his notes into a large red leather-bound book, which he worked on, on and off, for sixteen years. The Red Book.

When he died, Jung left no instructions for his book. His family eventually moved it to a bank vault in 1984. Sonu Shamdasani, a historian from London, for three years tried to convince Jung's heirs to publish it—they generally said no to every hint of an inquiry about it, and as of 2009 only about two dozen people had seen it. But Ulrich Hoerni, Jung's grandson who manages the Jung archives, decided to publish it. When money ran low, the Philemon Foundation was founded and raised more.

(click on the picture to zoom)

In 2007, two technicians for DigitalFusion, working with the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, painstakingly scanned one-tenth of a millimeter at a time with a 10,200-pixel scanner. It will be published in German with "separate English translation along with Shamdasani's introduction and footnotes" at the back of the book, according to Sara Corbett for The New York Times. She wrote, "The book is bombastic, baroque and like so much else about Carl Jung, a willful oddity, synched with an antediluvian and mystical reality."

The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City will display the original and Jung's original small journals from October 7, 2009 to January 25, 2010. According to them, "During the period in which he worked on this book Jung developed his principal theories of archetypes, collective unconscious, and the process of individuation." Two-thirds of the pages bear Jung's beautiful illuminations of the text.

To learn more about the book and the people behind it's release (100 years overdue!); or, just to read a fascinating article in the NY Times about Jung and his Red Book, follow the link below.

Amazon has the book releasing on December 4th available for preorder now. It features the complete facsimile (German) with English translations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/magazine/20jung-t.html

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Did he get a bonus for this?

"Looks like the recession ended in June."
Wells Fargo Securities L.L.C. economic analyst Tim Quinlan


I think someone should let Tim know people with Bachelor's and Master's degrees are working job's you don't even need a high school diploma for ... if they can even find work doing that. While they are drowning in debt from their education, he's probably feasting on surf & turf paid by his last bonus ...

Monday, September 21, 2009

I'm a little bit horror, I'm a little bit co-me-dy!

Diablo Cody's singing a different tune in her follow-up script to the Oscar-winning, Juno. Jennifer's Body dives into the "horror" genre; though, I would consider it more dark humor or satire with some light horror mixed in. Vampiress-tween beast Jennifer is played by Megan Fox in her best role to date. She wreaks havoc on the small town of Devil's Kettle - with an appetite for teenage boys. Only her best friend knows the truth - played by Mamma Mia's Amanda Seyfreid. The dialogue is fantastic (as we've come to expect from Ms. Cody), but the story is strange and unfocused. Also - I was expecting a little more gore from an R-rated horror movie.

Thankfully, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously; in fact, it keeps you interested with it's switch from horrifying bloody scenes to light and witty banter between the main characters. That's where the movie does work: the two main characters are worthy of screen time and the words they spew. Despite the title role, and being Hollywood's current glam-girl, this movie is not Fox's vehicle - it was Seyfreid's as "Needy". In fact, we follow Needy through the film as she is horrified over and over by Jennifer. Her concerned, geeky but gorgeous character let's the quirky actress shine. This movie isn't the horror flick some had hoped, but I don't think the trailer misleads in that respect.

Stop reading this and go see it.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

All About Steve

Last weekend, I decided to go to a movie (uncharacteristically) by myself. I went to the gym, picked a late lunch and decided to see a movie that I already knew was panned by every critic and most people that have seen it: All About Steve.

Socially inept Mary latches onto Steve and stalks him cross-country as his job carries him from news report to weather catastrophe as a CCN cameraman. Barely having had a first date, clueless Steve can't seem to shake Mary's advances --- nor does it help that his overly 'helpful' wingman Hartman (Thomas Haden Church) mean-spiritedly continues to keep Mary's fire burning for Steve.

As I said, I was hesitant to see this movie but I'm a fan of Bradley Cooper from his Alias days and I generally find Sandra Bullock witty and charming. I loved her role as the insanely smart outcast. Cooper and friends (Thomas Haden Church and Ken Jeong) were funny, though unbelieveable -- but aren't most comedies fantasies to escape into? The heart of the movie is Bullock's wacky character and the characters that bring out her peculiarities: DJ Qualls & Katy Mixon. I enjoyed this farce -- I'd give it 3.5/5 stars and watch it again as a rental or purchase. It's smart, silly, and fun to watch without the contrived ending we've all come to expect.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Swayze Was Set to Cameo in Zombieland!

By Perri Nemiroff: 2009-09-18 21:58:09


The stars of Zombieland are clearly Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, but the film features a mystery actor in a very prominent cameo role. That role initially belonged to the late Patrick Swayze.

Co-writer Rhett Reese said, “That was many years ago, before he got sick. It was [going to be] a Patrick Swayze zombie. They got attacked by him zombified and we had these wonderful moments where they found a potter's wheel and there's Columbus on the wheel and these other hands come up behind him and it's Patrick Swayze the zombie. Ultimately, they fight and Patrick bull rushes Tallahassee who grabs him and lifts him into the air, a la Jennifer Grey, and smashes him into a pillar.”

When Swayze backed out of the film Reese and co-writer Paul Wernick had to look into other options. They considered Sylvester Stallone, Joe Pesci, Mark Hammill, The Rock, Kevin Bacon, Jean Claude Van Damme and Matthew McConaughey, but none worked out. While it’s disappointing to hear that Swayze is not in the film, you’ll be very pleased with the man they nabbed to make that cameo. Find out when Zombieland hits theaters on October 2nd.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

"Look at the baby."

There's my wife. See that? Always smiling? Hi, honey.
Judging, watching, "Look at the baby."

Vince Vaughn, Old School


I'm probably gonna go to hell for writing this blog, or at least friend hell. Though, lately - I feel like I'm already there (with some people, don't go hating on me if you fall into the married or w/child and/or pregnant categories!). I can't go anywhere without people asking me about marriage or babies or something along those lines. Or telling me about theirs. There are no other subjects or things that are interesting to anyone anymore. Well, apparently that gene skipped me. Attention all: I don't want any kids. There, it's been announced, stated, shared, blogged, etc.

I go to family reunions and am, ironically, banished to the 'kid' table. I am invited to weddings ... and all but ignored since I don't want to have one, so apparently - there is nothing for me to contribute. I try to get into all of it, but when there is nothing BUT it - what do you do?

I heard once "friendship is an involuntary reflex," so when did everything become so difficult? I have to chase some friends down, and no one wants to come to my house anymore -- it's always about me coming to them. Apparently the reflex is only if I make the effort?

I'm gonna chalk this one up to growing pains, or a shifting of priorities. By no means do I want to abandon my friends - I guess I'm just looking for someone to come to 'the dark side' where the childless and unmarried hang out. Ya know, where you used to?