It has been some time since I have posted, and I have a few items I’ve been itching to discuss on my dear old blogbaby.
In no particular order, these items are:
- The Dalai Lama/The Pope
- Battlestar Galactica
- R.Kelly
And believe it or not, they are all connected.
The Dalai Lama came stateside around the same time that Pope Benedict XVI did–and what an exciting time it was for Little Miss America’s spiritual side. Catholics scurried to stadiums to catch a glimpse of their His Holiness, while Tibetan Buddhists (and hippies) scurried to stadiums to catch of glimpse of their His Holiness. I was part of the latter group (shocker): The Dalai Lama held a three-part lecture in Ann Arbor, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance.
I mean, I guess I was lucky. To be honest, I didn’t glean much from the 1/3rd of the lecture I attended. Don’t get me wrong, it was utterly surreal to weave through Chinese protesters and metal detectors surrounding Chrisler Arena to find inside a gorgeous, vibrant stage literally bejeweled with calm-faced monks. And it was even more surreal to watch the Dalai Lama walk out to a silent crowd to bow and speak with unfettered grace and serenity.
Seeing his face plastered on the Jumbo Screen and framed by advertisements for Pepsi and Meijer, though, wasn’t so awesome. And hearing him speak in Tibetan in15-minute increments and then having his interpreter speak on what he spoke about it English in 15-minute increments wasn’t so awesome, either. I couldn’t follow it. And I didn’t come back for the next sessions.
Call me an American brat, but it was just way over my head.
Would I do it again? You bet your Buddha I would–but I just wouldn’t expect to become spiritual enlightened after the lecture as I did initially.
NPR (my best friend) was telling me how the Pope’s visit to the state was incredibly beneficial to him and to the Catholic Church–that people, after realizing he isn’t just trying to teach fire and brimstone, may go back to the church once more.
I was shocked to hear that, all things considered. Sounds to me like the Pope hired a publicist who advised him to tone down the scary, damnation factor and up the smiles, hand-shaking, and baby-kissing (in a totally platonic way). That publicist is a smart cookie, too, and is definitely going to heaven for this.
You know, Battlestar Galactica has really brought me to think more about religion, spirituality, and humanity in general–moreso than any current Holinesses. Yeah, I said it: Battlestar Galactica. You can laugh–I’m used to it by now–but it is honestly the smartest, most thought-provoking show I have ever had the pleasure of watching.
It’s difficult to even call it a “show”–because even though it’s set in space and there are robots and stuff, it’s essentially an artistically- and critically-rendered allegory to life as you and I know it here.
And I LOVE ME SOME ALLEGORY because, believe it or not, sometimes metaphors are the best way to get a point or idea across. BSG does it beautifully, and it forces you to think and question your own thoughts and beliefs: torture, abortion, racism, classism, monotheism, polytheism, war, love, sex, drugs, rock n’ roll–it’s all in there.
Any intelligent human being can appreciate BSG. Pick up Season 1,2, and 3 from your local Borders today, or, if you’d rather not think or be smart, you could always pick up an R.Kelly CD.
Yes, R.Kelly is at it again with a new, hit single Hair Braider. It really doesn’t get more distrubing than this. This man makes me ashamed to be, well, a person.
“Hairbraider I’m doin my hairbraider
and she do my hair so good that I’m gonna tip her
The way she strip for me I gotta tip her”
You can’t make this shit up. This man makes more money than I ever will because of this trash. Forgive me God, Buddha, Lords of Kobol (and everything in between), but this man deserves a serious, serious beating. And with that, I guess my thoughts on torture have been revealed: I’m all for it if it means ridding the world of a-holes.
