![]() “Where are we now, the moment you know you know you know.” - David Bowie Where am I?” I could say I’m at this address, in this city, in this country, on this continent, on this planet, in this solar system, in this galaxy, in this universe. Yet, if I take to heart Einstein’s postulate that “reality is an illusion, albeit a persistent one” then I am living in an illusion. He is referring to quantum mechanics and that when you break down - for example - a table into smaller and smaller parts, you reach individual atoms. When you break those down you find that these smaller parts (quarks etc) cannot be seen, they only exist as “potential” and could be in another part of the galaxy at any instant - they travel very quickly in 11 dimensional universes and though they can never be observed - we trust that they are there because we see a table. If Einstein was right (who am I to say he was wrong) then all that location data is meaningless - I am not here (at this location) because there is no here in which to locate myself. So where might I be? In the Matrix? A thought in someone’s mind? Where do I go in dreams? This might be further complicated if after death I find I still exist. Then it would become evident that indeed the “living world” was/is some kind of illusion. Am I just in my head? Why am I here? Whether reality is an illusion or not, what is it I’m supposed to be doing while I experience whatever this is? I can and must participate on some level in the daily effort to maintain healthy body functions (food, shelter, reproduction) if I wish to continue and heighten the experience. You might be within a capitalist or communist or some other model, depending on your birth circumstance, and this will impact the nature of your efforts to maintain the biological structure. Regardless of the social structure which you inhabit however, you could conclude there really is no reason to be here - there is nothing I need do beyond maintenance of the physical body. Some channeled works indicate we are here to learn how to control our creative impulses. This month I had what I hope, is my final finger surgery (trigger finger, index right hand). Including both wrists for carpal tunnel, that makes 5 surgeries (both wrists, 5 fingers). ![]() Read Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, 2014 A brief history on such a huge topic makes for a long and sweeping book and it must have been difficult to decide what to include. Much of his assessment of the early evolution of man ends with “but we just don’t know” - and I found this irksome. Other topics include mathematics, time, agriculture, religions, capitalism, empire building, happiness and many more. I did find several ideas which got me thinking. It will probably not be made into a movie starring Eddie Redmayne. ![]() Watched “Solo” (2018) This is a Star Wars prequel which tells the story of young Hans Solo. Directed by Ron Howard, this is one of the best Star Wars spin-off’s I’ve seen. The first ever Star Wars was heavy on morality, good verse evil etc. This is just a great romp - a fun tale more in line with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Having said this, it would never win any awards - except perhaps for special effects. Trailer here Get Me Roger Stone (2017) A brief biopic of Roger. He’s incorrigible, but I have to admit I hold a grudging admiration for the guy. Through the correct angle of a looking glass, he can be considered quite the historical figure, helping to have shaped America politics, beginning with Watergate and Nixon, as an aid to Reagan and both Bush’s and running the campaign which elected Trump. Not must-see, but also not time wasted - it's entertaining. Trailer here ![]() Black Earth Rising (2018) Based on true accounts during the Rwandan genocide. An eight-part television drama series about the prosecution of international Rwandan war criminals. From the web: “Kate Ashby (Michela Coel) was raised in Britain by her adoptive mother, Eve, but was born in Rwanda and was rescued as a young child from the genocide. Following in the footsteps of her mother, a respected British prosecutor in international criminal law (who we see gunned down early on), Kate works as a legal investigator for Michael Ennis (John Goodman). When Eve takes on a case prosecuting an African militia leader in the International Criminal Court, Michael and Kate are drawn in and their lives are turned upside-down. The series takes place in the U.K., the U.S., Europe, and Africa, and delves into challenging issues including race, justice, personal integrity, and self-determination, on a global scale. Trailer here ![]() Attended Penelopiad University of Windsor Players. Adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name. The story of Odysseus’ wife Penelope, who after death and from Hades tells us her life story. An all-female cast with lots of dancing and some singing. I was disappointed in the set, as I did not get the feeling it was in Hell - only in the last scene, which was quite impressive - all 11 women lined up above the stage with nooses hanging around their necks - was beautifully lit. Not a big fan of Atwood, this production needed a little more energy. I attended the first Sunday matinee and there was a respectable audience - usually, there are just a few people. Elder Affairs Funded by a New Horizons for Seniors Programs Grant, this original one-act play developed by ACT (in Windsor, Ontario) was written after attending focus groups with seniors discussing elder abuse. The play is a comedy with dark undertones. It was very good and with a bit of “spit, a polish” (real set and proper staging) could be shared with a wider audience. Many of the actors were on stage for the first time. Bravo to all. No Exit Shadowbox Theatre. A play by Jean-Paul Sartre, which coincidentally takes place in hell (as did the aforementioned Penelopiad). Three people sent to hell are to spend eternity together in a locked room - where the phrase “hell is other people” comes from. I congratulate Fay Lynn as Inez, Liz Dietrich as Estelle, Michael K. Potter as Cradeau, and Alex Monk as The Bellboy - on this tour-de-force - you rarely see this kind of effort (if ever) in the local Windsor theatre scene. However, the Shadowbox Theatre is an uncomfortable place to sit for two plus hours, and this takes away from the experience. I felt Sartre beleaguers the point - we get it, halfway through. I later found out that Michael Potter had temporarily lost his eyesight and was functionally blind as he walked about the small stage. He had me fooled. ![]() Cabaret At a completely rearranged Kordazone, they reversed the stage to sit where one normally enters the hall - and I really liked it - has a more “theatre-like” feel. I hope they will consider keeping it that way. Great set to work with and live music, but there are not that many good songs in Cabaret. Heather Hausmann - the lead, was excellent, English accent and all. Her husband Andres directed and produced the show, and I heard he was moving to the city, so maybe there will be more interesting stuff from him. Some of the German accents made the dialogue difficult to understand. Shoutout to Martin, Bailey, and Floyd! A hazer would have added a “clubby 1930’s smoke-filled bar” feel to the show, but I suspect the band on the second level could not handle it? ![]() Bowie Got Soul and the Windsor Symphony This was a “Jeans N’ Classic” Show. This professional company has a stable of singers and musicians who bring their own arrangements and join with local symphonies to play rock music with classical accompaniment. This has potential but the sound was poorly balanced so that you could not hear the symphony - they may as well not have been there. (the guitars, drums, and organ were out in front of the symphony) Also, the backup singers could barely be heard. There were two performers and I did not care for Jean Meilleur who sang the Bowie songs - just not how my mind interprets Bowie. The symphony should have been on raised platforms as they do at the Capitol (this was at the Chrysler Theatre) and they should have had several overhead mics. The first act was 4 Bowie songs and then Gavin Hope of the Nylons sang 4 Motown hits - which were more entertaining. Same for the second act. What should happen (IMO) is the band stops and the symphony plays an additional chorus which would be the “symphonic solo” or do a symphonic only prelude. Pretty full house. I don’t think I will go again, and they will be back. In Other News Tom Brady and the New England Patriots beat the Rams in the 53rd Superbowl, 13 to 3. It was their (and Tom’s) 6th win. Only watched the first half. One of the most boring (Superbowl) games ever - apparently. A few weeks later, billionaire Patriots owner Robert Kraft was arrested for paying for the services of a prostitute. Micheal Cohen testifies before a congressional committee. Trudeau runs into SNC Lavalin and Jody Wilson-Raybould. Returned to Source Albert Finney (1936), Peter Tork, real name Peter Halsten Thorkelson (1942)
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
February 2023
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