A still more glorious dawn awaits...

With each passing year, I discover an incredible overlap between bellydance and geekitude. This pleaseth me greatly. :) So I am confident that a large cross section of you who visit this blog will appreciate the following video. It was sent to me via various methods earlier this year, and I have had it stuck in my head and heart ever since. It's autotuned Carl Sagan (feat. Stephen Hawking, even!), so for those of you not interested in either (autotuned music or science), you may not enjoy it much. But it made me cry when I first heard it and it still moves me incredibly every time I listen.

I grew up watching Cosmos with my family at home, and later on VHS in science class. Carl Sagan is at the top of my "if you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?" His combination of genius level intelligence, eloquent speaking skills, practical spirituality, childlike wonder, wry humor, respect for life, and passionate desire to understand that which is not yet understood is, to me, an incredibly evolved state of being which Mr. Sagan exemplified in his life* and work. This song is a lovely tribute to the man and his philosophies.



And while we're at it, you need to read "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan. An incredible read by one of the greatest thinkers in human history. http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469

(* To be clear, Sagan was still HUMAN, and I am aware of his personal relationship issues with his wives and family, but I am speaking of the public figure and his admirable qualities. I should hope I am more judged on the good I do publicly than the way I fuck up in private. :)

The digital Universe

This video is stunning. Shows the known Universe as we understand it today, through a combination of the most advance scientific resources we have available.


If you feel amazingly tiny and insignificant, and completely awed by the scope of human existence, raise your hand.
*raising hand*

Nightmare before Christmas as metaphor

Once upon a time there was a character named Jack Skellington.

Jack was very very good at Halloween. Everyone looked to him for leadership because he was so good at it.

As time went on, Jack became bored of Halloween. He kinda felt like everything that could be done had been done, and he really wanted to try something new to spice things up.

He stumbled upon a town which celebrated something called Christmas. "What's this?!" he exclaimed joyfully. It was something really different, and it looked fun and interesting. On the spot he decided to give that a try.

He took Christmas back to his friends, none of whom knew anything about Christmas. Jack himself really didn't know much except what he thought it should maybe look like a bit (from his brief visit to the town), and some general ideas about the traditions. Armed with this spare information, they set to work on their version of Christmas.

Renee's look at ATS

Today I stumbled across a tribal discussion on Bhuz from back in June which I missed (I was on vacation for my anniversary around that time), in which my co-director Renee was making some observations about tribal bellydance in the context of a discussion where another dancer asked about the difference between cabaret and tribal. I really enjoyed her perspective, and she is such an eloquent writer, I thought I would share.

The full discussion can be found HERE (must be a member to read, but Bhuz is a great resource--you SHOULD be a member and participate!).

From a technical perspective, everything done is tribal is geared towards enhancing and facilitating the group dynamic. Arms have fixed positions (frequently uplifted and away from the body) in relation to the corresponding hip and body movements because they are the primary cue mechanism. Formations are placed so that everyone can see the lead as well as be seen by the audience. There is not often a great deal of footwork or lateral traveling movements because you can't count on having the space to move an entire formation. Movements are kept simple and uncluttered to best emphasize the unsion of the dancers.

Organic Process: The Art of Seeing

All the way back in May, I was pondering the collision of modern media and the organic process of artistic creation. In that post I wrote:

"A sculpture or a painting--even a piece of music or a video--is not expected to change, and is appreciated for its unchanging beauty. It is it's solidity that is part of its appeal, in a way. We see the same piece over time, and instead of expecting it to change or adapt to us, our perspective adapts and changes. We see it (hear it, experience it) from different angles, in different lights, in a different environment, our attitudes change, our perceptions change; and we find that our appreciation deepens and becomes richer and more multi-faceted as we take the time to consider the piece from all these perspectives. The work to appreciate that art day-to-day is in our hands as the viewer."

Emmet the Otter

Last night was our "Elf Virgin Party", which sounds kinky, but is actually just an excuse to get some friends to watch the fabulously hilarious film. Really, if you haven't seen it, you must.

My friend Michelle brought a bonus DVD for us to watch after: "Emmet the Otter's Jug Band Christmas". If you haven't seen it, and love Jim Henson's work as I do, you will love it. And do NOT miss the outtakes, which had us CRYING with laughter! Some of it is available on YouTube, but I feel you won't get the full effect unless you are in a room with people you love, eating junk food, and enjoying the holidays in style.

Now I am ready to make my washtub bass to rock with my new band.

A Simple Guide to Being Present

Zen Habits really just has some of the best articles! Here is an excerpt, and I encourage you to pop over and read the rest for yourself:

"How often are you driving while talking on a cell phone, or thinking about work problems, or the errands you have to do? How often do you eat without thinking about the food you’re eating? How often do you drift off while doing other things, thinking about something you messed up on, or worrying about something that’s coming up?

I would submit that most of us are elsewhere, much of the time, rather than in the here and now.

If I could only give one word of advice to someone trying to find peace in an overwhelming and stressful and chaotic world, it would be this: simplify. But if I could give two more words of advice, they’d be: be present."

This article came from a suggestion from commenter Mark, after I wrote about ways to create a peaceful, relaxed workday. It’s an article I’d been planning to write for some time, but Mark spurred me to do it sooner — so thanks Mark!

Focus On Now
There are three things we can think about:

1. The past. Reliving things we messed up about. Being embarrassed about something we did. Wishing we could have something back that is gone. Living in memories of good times past. Being angry about things done to us. You get the idea.
2. The future. Worrying about things we need to do later. Worrying about what might happen, or a big event coming up. Being anxious that things might go wrong, or that we might mess up. Hoping for something wonderful. Dreaming of great things to come.
3. The present. What is happening right now, at this moment. What we are doing now.

What do you want to be known for...?

What Do You Want to Be Known For?, a post by Jonathan Fields over on his blog "Awake @ the Wheel".

"It’s a question most of never really think about…

Or, if we do, we think about it fleetingly, then tuck it away for some time down the road…when we’ll be able to finally do something about it.

Then, we go about the business of more or less responding to life, just doing what’s in front of us every day. Soon enough, a few minutes turn into a few hours. Then, hours turn into days, days turn into weeks…and, out of nowhere, we find ourselves years down the road, but still no closer to doing what we really want to be doing.

Still, no closer to being known for what we want to be known for…"