Sunday 27 December 2009

Oh I'm a psychiatrist

"What do you do for a living?" I asked.
His hand shook so badly, as he lit another cigarette, that he knocked over the whisky bottle at his elbow.
"Oh I'm a psychiatrist," he said. "I help people who have problems."
Sangharakshita, Peace is a fire

Unless you love yourself...

Unless you are a healthy, growing individual – unless, as it were, you love yourself – you can't love others.
Sangharakshita, Peace is a fire

One is as though nothing is a miracle

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein

Wednesday 23 December 2009

Philip Glass - Façades

Philip Glass - Façades

Monday 21 December 2009

Top Ten Things Jim Carrey Will Always Say Yes To

Top Ten Things Jim Carrey Will Always Say Yes To

It is not the strength, but the duration of great sentiments that makes great men

Nicht die Stärke, sondern die Dauer der hohen Empfindung macht die hohen Menschen.
It is not the strength, but the duration of great sentiments that makes great men.

Friedrich Nietzsche
Beyond Good and Evil, Chapter IV: Apophthegms and Interludes, 72
Jenseits von Gut und Böse, Sprüche und Zwischenspiele

Sunday 20 December 2009

Ό,τι έκανα, δεν το έκανα εγώ

Ό,τι έκανα, δεν το έκανα εγώ. Το έκαναν οι άλλοι, για τους οποίους δεν ευθύνομαι. Ομως, βαρύνομαι. Σχεδόν αποκλειστικά.
Σταύρος Σταυρόπουλος

Η ποίηση συμβαίνει όταν ένα ρήμα, ένα ουσιαστικό κι ένα επίθετο συναντιούνται για πρώτη φορά

Οι Ινδιάνοι λένε ότι η ποίηση συμβαίνει όταν ένα ρήμα, ένα ουσιαστικό κι ένα επίθετο συναντιούνται για πρώτη φορά. Η ερώτηση δεν είναι αν σου αρέσει, αλλά αν την αντέχεις. Η συντριβή είναι δεδομένη.
Σταύρος Σταυρόπουλος
http://greekpoems.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/στη-χώρα-των-θανάτων-σταύρος-stavropoulos/

Tuesday 15 December 2009

El que se tenga por grande (flamenco, scene from "The Limits of Control", review)

Perhaps the song below (second video from the actual movie) is the only thing of interest in the movie The Limits of Control. Ok, some quotes from the moronic scenario are good too (one, aptly characterized the entire movie: "Sometimes I like it in films when people just sit there, not saying anything.").

Friday 27 November 2009

We are too accustomed to the absurdity of existence

We are too accustomed to the absurdity of existence. The loss of a universe is not worth taking seriously.
Yukio Mishima, The Decay of the Angel (天人五衰 - Tennin Gosui)

Wednesday 4 November 2009

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Oscar Wilde

Thursday 17 September 2009

Don McLean - Till Tomorrow (lyrics and video clip)



What can this be - can you tell me
Would you like to discover
Why we're not free - to be lovers
I've been wanting to ask you

Thursday 3 September 2009

Lucio Dalla, Piazza Grande (lyrics, video clip)

>

Santi che pagano il mio pranzo non ce n'è
sulle panchine in Piazza Grande,
ma quando ho fame di mercanti come me qui non ce n'è.

Wednesday 29 July 2009

For happiness, cherish others

For happiness, cherish others.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Monday 29 June 2009

Happiness too is an idol of the market-place

One should never direct people towards happiness, because happiness too is an idol of the market-place. One should direct them towards mutual affection. A beast gnawing at its prey can be happy too, but only human beings can feel affection for each other, and this is the highest achievement they can aspire to.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Monday 22 June 2009

It's heaven when you find romance on your menu

Jamie Cullum, What a difference a day made (lyrics and video clip



What a difference a day made,
twenty four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
where there use to be rain

Tuesday 16 June 2009

They prefer the barren middle ground of nothing.

Most people are unwilling to suffer the experience of great joy or great sadness. They prefer the barren middle ground of nothing.

Commenting on the characters in Albee's, Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf, From: A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-century American Drama, C. W. E. Bigsby

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Aργά, η αγάπη, τρυπώνει λαβώνει σαν σπαθί... (Σαβίνα Γιαννάτου, Νίκος Κυπουργός)



Aργά, η αγάπη
τρυπώνει λαβώνει σαν σπαθί
γοργά κυλάει στο βλέμμα στο αίμα στο φιλί

Tι κι αν σε κάστρο απάτητο ο άνθρωπος το νου διπλά κλειδώνει
με βήμα αλαφροπάτητο η αγάπη του, σαν άνοιξη ζυγώνει

Aργά, η αγάπη
τρυπώνει λαβώνει σαν σπαθί
γοργά κυλάει στο βλέμμα στο αίμα στο φιλί

Tι κι αν φορείς πουκάμισο
που ως το λαιμό, που ως το λαιμό κουμπώνει
απ' τα κουμπάκια ανάμεσα
ο έρωτας, ο έρωτας τρυπώνει..

Monday 27 April 2009

There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way. You should be happy right in the here and now.

There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way. You should be happy right in the here and now. There is no way to enlightenment. Enlightenment should be right here and right now. The moment when you come back to yourself, mind and body together, fully present, fully alive, that is already enlightenment. You are no longer a sleepwalker. You are no longer in a dream. You are fully alive. You are awake. Enlightenment is there.
Life Is Now Or Never, a segment from a Dharma talk on August 26th, 2007, by Thich Nhat Hanh

Ravel: Piano concerto G major - 2nd movement Adagio assai



From minute 4 onwards the melody unfolds in a most beautiful way and the cadenzas at minute 5 are sheer magic.

Ενός λεπτού σιγή για τους απεγνωσμένους...

Ντίνος Χριστιανόπουλος, Ενός λεπτού σιγή

Εσείς που βρήκατε τον άνθρωπό σας
κι έχετε ένα χέρι να σας σφίγγει τρυφερά,
έναν ώμο ν' ακουμπάτε την πίκρα σας,
ένα κορμί να υπερασπίζει την έξαψή σας,

κοκκινίσατε άραγε για την τόση ευτυχία σας,
έστω και μια φορά;
είπατε να κρατήσετε ενός λεπτού σιγή
για τους απεγνωσμένους;

Από τη συλλογή Ανυπεράσπιστος καημός (1960)

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Madeleine Peyroux - Instead (lyrics and video clip)



Instead of feeling bad
Be glad you got somewhere to go
Instead of feeling sad
Be happy you're not all alone
Instead of feeling low
Get high on everything you love
Instead of wastin' time
Feel good 'bout what you are dreaming of

Instead of trying to win something you never understood
Just play the game you know eventually you will you both look good

It's silly to pretend to have something you don't own
Just let her be a woman and you'll be her man

Instead of feelin' broke
Buck up and get yourself in the black
Instead of losing hope
Touch up the things that feel out of whack
Instead of being old
Be young because you know you are
Instead of feeling cold
Let sunshine into your heart

Instead of acting crazy chasing things that make you mad
Keep your heart ahead, it'll lead you back to what you have
With every step you are closer to the place you need to be
It's up to you to let her love you sweetly

Instead of acting crazy chasing things that make you mad
Just keep your heart ahead, it'll lead you back to what you have
With every step you are closer to the place you need to be
But it's up to you to let her love you sweetly

Instead of feeling bad
Be glad you got someone to love
Instead of feeling sad
Be happy there's a god above
Instead of feeling 'lone
Remember you are never on your own
Instead of feeling sad
Be happy that she's there at home
She's waitin' for by the phone
So be glad she all your own

Get happy...
Watin' for you by the telephone...

Don't get...

Saturday 11 April 2009

Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (lyrics and video clip)



Little by little the night turns around
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn
Novices lean on each other in yearning
Under the leaves the swallow is resting
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Over the mountain watching the watcher
Breaking the darkness waking the grapevine
One inch of love is one inch of shadow
Love is the shadow that ripen's the wine
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his question to heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
The heart of the sun

This Mortal Coil, Another day (lyrics and video clip)



The kettles on, the sun has gone, another day
She offers me, tibetan tea, on a flower tray
Shes at the door, shes wants to score, she really needs to say:
i once loved you a long time ago, you know
Where the winds own forget-me-nots blow, you know
But I couldnt let myself go
Not knowing what on earth there was to know
But I wish that I had, cause it makes me so sad
That I never had one of your children.
Across the room, inside a tomb, a chance is waxed and waned
The night is young, why are we so hung-up, in each others chains
I must take her, I must make her, while the dove domains
See the juice run as she flies
Run my wings under her sighs
As the flames of eternity rise
To lick us with the first born lash of dawn
Oh really my dear, I cant see what we fear
With ourselves, sat here between us
And at the door, we cant say more, than just another day
Without a sound, I turn around, and I walk away

Monday 16 February 2009

Μάνος Χατζιδάκις, Λιανοτράγουδα, «Αν μ' αγαπάς κι είν' όνειρο, ποτέ να μην ξυπνήσω»





Απ' όλα τ' άστρα τ' ουρανού ένα είναι που σου μοιάζει
/ ap' ola t' astra t' ouranou, ena ine pou sou miazi
from all the stars in heaven, there's only one resembling you
Ένα που βγαίνει το πουρνό όταν γλυκοχαράζει
/ ena pou vyeni to pourno otan glikoharazi
one that rises in the morning, when the day is sweetly breaking

Κυπαρισσάκι μου ψηλό, ποιά βρύση σε ποτίζει
/ kyparissaki mou psilo, pia vrisi se potizi
little cypress-tree of mine (and) tall, which "spring" is "nourishing" you
Пου στέκεις πάντα δροσερό, κι ανθείς και λουλουδίζεις
/ pou stekis panta drosero, ki anthis ke louloudizis
that you are standing (there) always bracing, and you bloom and blossom

Να'χα το σύννεφ' άλογο και τ' άστρι χαλινάρι
/ na 'ha to sinnef' alogo ke t' astri halinari
(if only) I had the cloud as the horse and the star as the rein
Тο φεγγαράκι της αυγής να 'ρχόμουν κάθε βράδυ
/ to feggaraki tis avyis, na 'rhomoun kathe vradi
the little moon of dawn, to come over every night
Αν μ' αγαπάς κι είν' όνειρο, ποτέ να μην ξυπνήσω
/ an m' agapas ki in' oniro, pote na min xipniso
if you (do) love me and it's (in) a dream, (let me) never be awaken
Гιατί με την αγάπη σου ποθώ να ξεψυχήσω
/ yati me tin agapi sou potho na xepsihiso
for, with your love I yearn to perish

Της θάλασσας τα κύματα τρέχω και δεν τρομάζω
/ tis thalassas ta kimata, treho ke den tromazo
the waves of the sea, I run and I fear not
Kι όταν σε συλλογίζομαι, τρέμω κι αναστενάζω
/ ki otan se silloyizome, tremo ke anastenazo
and when I "reflect" on you, I shiver and sigh

Τί να σου πω; Τί να μου πεις; Εσύ καλά γνωρίζεις
/ ti na sou po? ti na mou pis? esi kala gnorizis
what (could) I say to you? what (could) you say to me? you very well know
Kαι την ψυχή και την καρδιά εσύ μου την ορίζεις
/ ke ti psihi ke tin kardia, esi mou tin orizis
"both" the soul and the heart, you regulate for me

Να'χα το σύννεφ' άλογο και τ' άστρι χαλινάρι
/ na 'ha to sinnef' alogo ke t' astri halinari
(if only) I had the cloud as the horse and the star as the rein
Тο φεγγαράκι της αυγής να 'ρχόμουν κάθε βράδυ
/ to feggaraki tis avyis, na 'rhomoun kathe vradi
the little moon of dawn, to come over every night
Αν μ' αγαπάς κι είν' όνειρο, ποτέ να μην ξυπνήσω
/ an m' agapas ki in' oniro, pote na min xipniso
if you (do) love me and it's (in) a dream, (let me) never be awaken
Гιατί με την αγάπη σου ποθώ να ξεψυχήσω
/ yati me tin agapi sou potho na xepsihiso
for, with your love I yearn to perish

Εγώ είμ' εκείνο το πουλί που στη φωτιά σιμώνω
/ ego im' ekino to pouli pou sti fotia simono
I am that bird that to the fire I get near
Kαίγομαι στάχτη γίνουμαι και πάλι ξανανιώνω
/ kegome, stahti yinome ke pali xananiono
I burn, to cinders (I burn) and again I rejuvenate

Σαν είν' η αγάπη μπίστικη, παλιώνει, μηδέ λιώνει
/ san in' i agapi mpistiki, palioni, mide lioni
and when love is constant, it wears out (grows old), but never dissipates
Aνθεί και δένει στην καρδιά και ξανακαινουργώνει
/ anthi ke deni stin kardia ke xanakenouryoni
it blossoms and binds within the heart and rekindles

Χωρίς αέρα το πουλί, χωρίς νερό το ψάρι
/ horis aera to pouli, horis nero to psari
devoid of air the bird, devoid of water the fish
Xωρίς αγάπη δε βαστούν κόρη και παλικάρι
/ horis agapi de vastoun, kori ke palikari
devoid of love they won't last, (both) girl (young maiden) and lad (young man)

Αν μ' αγαπάς κι είν' όνειρο, ποτέ να μην ξυπνήσω
/ an m' agapas ki in' oniro, pote na min xipniso
if you (do) love me and it's (in) a dream, (let me) never be awaken
Гιατί με την αγάπη σου ποθώ να ξεψυχήσω
/ yati me tin agapi sou potho na xepsihiso
for, with your love I yearn to perish