Patience

Ten years' searching in
   the deep forest
Today great laughter at
   the edge of the lake.

~Soen Nakagawa

Four Penguins

I can see four penguins
Perched on a corner edge of downtown rooftop,
High, high, high,
Scraping a solo patch of bright blue sky
In a ceiling of white and grey.
I wonder if they’re cold up there
And why they stand so still,
And I question if they feel fear
Of the height or the roar of the plane jetting by.

Odd to me that they don’t move
Or set their hearts to wander
Or talk about the things that penguins like to ponder.
Westward facing,
Maybe they are waiting for that solitary blue patch
To catch the sun,
Warm them and set them free to fly.

Another jet plane pushes by.
Still they stand, frozen,
Nesting in air and concrete,
Reminding me of what I’m reaching for,
Giving me the courage not to try.

Letting Go

You sit before a single candle in a quiet room.  With each inward breath, you feel the light of the flame resonate in every particle of your body.

With each outward breath, you exhale whatever unruly thought is tugging at the surface of your mind, any distraction – good, bad, trivial or fundamental – that keeps you from focusing entirely on the subtle movement of the flame.  Each thought burns in the fire and is gone.

Then a new thought strikes you – that these vigorous little thoughts were keeping you company, were staving off the silence, the loneliness.  And you exhale that thought into the flame as well, until at last you are left with just the loneliness itself.

So you take that loneliness and send it on the back of your breath into the bright fire, until it too burns away and is gone.

Okay, drugs can make you stupid

The Watchmen are coming

Very excited for this film, coming March 6th.  I first read the graphic novel back in 1990 and loved it (you can call it a comic book If you’d like, but that really doesn’t do it justice.)  I highly recommend reading the book before seeing the film.  Chapter IV alone (Watchmaker) is worth the price, and even if the book slows down a bit in the middle, the end is great.

Moneyball hits the NBA

Great article in today’s NY Times Magazine about the Houston Rockets’ efforts to look for greatness in players regardless of limited, official statistics.  It’s a nice reminder of how we often focus on the wrong things and how we can find success by changing our perspective.

It’s also a great article for you probability (read poker) fans out there, as it touches upon a competitor’s need to focus on the process rather than the outcome.  If you force Kobe Bryant to take his least effective shot every time down the floor, then you’ve succeeded even if he makes them all.  Or, if you push all your money in on the turn when your opponent has only one out, you’ve still made the right move even if he sucks out and bankrupts you.

Warning: Drugs make other people stupid

Good article today by Todd Hartley in his regular weekly column in The Aspen Times called “I’m With Stupid.”  Phelps, A-Rod, drugs, hyprocrisy and demented priorities – it’s all good.

Tim Lee is funny

Saw Tim Lee live a couple weeks back.  He got his PhD (biology?), then proceeded directly into stand-up comedy.  Here’s a sample:

All’s well that ends well?

Why this infatuation with endings? We can witness or experience the greatest life or love in the history of the world, yet if it ends badly it is somehow sad or tragic.

Nothing lasts. If there is bliss at the beginning, or in the middle, does tragedy at the end undo it?

Perhaps, indeed, “the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep.”  (Kenny Rogers, The Gambler)