Tonight I heard Erin Morley read out a Martha Graham quote that I think is worth noting down somewhere:
“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is on a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”
We went to see Quantum Solace, the new Bond movie.
I’d read a number of reviews of the movie. Most seemed dissatisfied in one way or another. But I enjoyed the film. Yes, it’s blatantly obvious that the movie was influenced by the Bourne films, but I really liked the Bourne films. Yes, the film is action from start to finish, but that’s okay by me. Yes the film is a bit sober/somber in tone - a lot less witty repartee (which I did enjoy in Casino Royale). However, this particular movie is a revenge story, so maybe it’s okay if the main character is more deadly than humorous this time around.
Also, I thought the intro song by Jack White and Alicia Keyes was interesting. The guitar parts were quite good - reminded me a bit of Jimmy Page.
My previous jogging baseline was 40 minutes. In the past couple of weeks (specifically, the last three times I’ve jogged, including today) I’ve moved the time up to 45 minutes, still jogging at 5.7 mph.
Here are the stats from today’s jog on the treadmill (which include a couple of minutes of warmdown time):
Elapsed time: 48:09 / Distance: 4.51 Miles / Average Speed 5.61mph / Average Pace: 10:41 per mile
I recently came across a book titled “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes On Performance” by Atul Gawande. I started reading and could not put it down. One particular idea about successful institutional reform (in this case, with hospitals), through recognition of what is referred to as “positive deviance” seems particularly worth examining - but the whole book is a fascinating read.
A friend recently lent me a couple of books by Jon D. Levenson. As soon as I started reading these books, I realized this author is providing some of the most insightful Biblical commentary I’ve ever read. In fact, I am having a hard time reading the borrowed books because I want to mark them up and make notes in the margins.
Here are three titles of his that I am specifically interested in (that I think others might want to examine as well):
Creation and the Persistence of Evil
Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible