I finally saw this bio directed by Alex Gibney. It has a strange aesthetic – busy backgrounds, constant music track, very ‘live’ looking interviews that all did not make me feel very close to Thompson. However, one or two figures stood out as being very clear and passionate about his role in critical American culture and mourned his demise (by suicide – he shot himself in 2005) on this count. For me the most moving point was a young fellow journalist from Rolling Stone who told us how much America needed a figure like him today and read excerpts from one of his books with tears in his eyes. Thompson’s texts are read by Johnny Depp. Worth seeing to get more informed about this strange figure though not an engaging film in the normal sense.
Buff review
I got a Buff ‘thing’ for Christmas. I’d never heard of them but being easily impressed was attracted by the packaging and the concept. After wearing it in the privacy of my own home as a kind of pirate headscarf I tried it on another icy cold ride on the motorcycle. As a balaclava it did a fantastic job of keeping the chill off my neck and chin. At £12 I recommend them. Details at http://www.buff.es/index.php.
Breathing in… breathing out
One meditation technique involves ‘breathing out’ unhelpful qualities and habits of thought and feeling, and ‘breathing in’ more noble qualities. For me I find it suprising how a range of mean attitudes that give rise to suffering and sabotage relationships spring from a kind of lack of confidence. So with this in mind here’s a meditation I’ve found useful. You time it with your breath and imagine the attributes:
I breathe in confidence
I breathe in health
I breathe in presence
I breathe in balance
I breathe in power
I breathe in equanimity
I breathe in generosity…
I breathe out resentment
I breathe out a sense of powerlessness
I breathe out victimhood
I breathe out anxiety
I breathe out fear
I breathe out anger
I breathe out despair
hello, does this work?
hello, does this work?
Heine Gericke in the cold
I recently splahsed out £280 on yet another motorcycle jacket. The first two have been ebay bargains that I never saw or tried on before they came to the front door. They either looked terrible (the first one) or looked good but were cheap and little more than a fashion item with some snazzy stiching around the elbows with pockets whose lining tore after a week. This time I wanted something that would actually be protective, with armour built in, and good in a variety of weathers. Last year’s Cruise jacket in Gore-text fits the bill. Today we had that beautiful winter sun but icy winds. What better weather to try it, So with a few thin layers underneath, and the quilted lining still in place I tried it. Not a leak of cold air – apart from around the neck which I need to sort out. I was warm as toast on an hour long ride. I just noticed one reviewer on http://www.advrider.com/forums/ says:
“One of the things that I did not like about the Cruise was that there appears to be a design issue.
The top most popper on the right side is missing a like popper to connect to (left collar bone area). This would leave the neck flap only connected by velcro at the top and the second popper, therby leaving a gap. There is velcro where the popper should be but oddly no popper.
When asked about it, the Hein Gericke man just shrugged in acknowledgement but all the Cruise jackets there (5 of various sizes) were the same. It really put me off considering the price. Obviously if you always use the supplied (removeable) neck cuff that covers the Adam’s Apple area then it’s not an issue.”
OH NO! here’s some bad news. HG is now selling this jacket for £100 less than I paid. But I certainly prefer it to their new model.
Where I’ve been: where I haven’t yet
Via checking out some Flickr records of bike tours of Eastern Europe, I discovered this site that draws maps of where you’ve travelled. This is my Europe map. it doesn’t go East at all.