Tag: After Skool

Crystal Paine, Jaws, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Andrew Huberman Ph.D., and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Crystal Paine, Jaws, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Andrew Huberman Ph.D., and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on June 30, 2024

Sunday Supplement #164 (June 30th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Living with intention means saying no to the things that aren’t important so we can say yes to what matters most.”

– Crystal Paine

Book of the Week:

Jaws – Peter Benchley

Most people have seen or at least heard of Stephen Spielberg’s film Jaws, which is often described as the original Summer Blockbuster movie.

That movie was based on Peter Benchley’s horror novel. After watching the film, I was curious to read the book. I was surprised to find the differences between the two.

The story follows the fictional seaside town of Amity as it becomes plagued by the attacks of a great white shark.

Chief Brody leads the attempts to kill the shark, with help from Quint, a shark hunter, and Hooper, an ichthyologist.

Mafia ties, affairs, and who dies are a few differences between the book and the film. I recommend Jaws for summer reading if it piques your interest.

Movie of the Week:

The Bridge on the River Kwai

The 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai is based on the 1952 novel. It follows a group of British POWS who are forced to build a railway bridge for their Japanese captors in Burma.

A standoff ensues between officers and camp commandant Colonel Saito. Neither party knows that a commando raid is planned to destroy the bridge.

Without spoiling too much of the film, the last thing I’ll say is that its leading characters are excellently written. The intentions and ambitions of both dominate the story.

The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Alec Guinness won Best Actor in a Leading Role for Colonel Nicholson, and Sessue Hayakawa was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Colonel Saito.

There’s some great history behind the making of the film, including McCarthy-era reasons for the screenwriters (Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson) not receiving credit.

I love it when old films stand up to modern viewing; some even cast shadows over what’s made today. The Bridge on the River Kwai looms large in Cinema history and deservedly so.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Optimal Morning Routine – Andrew Huberman | After Skool

Andrew Huberman, Ph. D., a neuroscientist and Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, provides examples of practical tools for optimizing your morning routine.

In this video, Huberman discusses how sunlight in the morning affects your circadian rhythm, how caffeine intake can cause crashes depending on when you have your first cup of coffee, and how exercise and cool showers can benefit and kickstart your day.

The video is 16 minutes long and will surely provide a useful tip for you to add to aid your morning routine. If you enjoyed this video, check out my other Sunday Supplement featuring Andrew Huberman.

After Skool animates the background for videos of various life lessons presented by individuals and texts. I’ve featured their channel in a few previous Sunday Supplements.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Free from expectations and the sense of ownership, with the mind and intellect fully controlled, they incur no sin even though performing actions by their body.”

– Bhagavad Gita 4:21

I found this Bhagavad Gita verse an interesting look at intention and how we view the results of our actions.

This verse speaks to the idea that if we do our best and have just intentions, a bad result does not add negative karma to our lives.

An example would be telling someone a harsh truth. If someone takes this poorly, it is not your fault. However, the delivery of a harsh truth must be done with the best intentions, genuinely seeking to help.

It’s easy to think your intentions are pure while not reflecting on your actions. For me, this verse is a reminder to diligently observe your thoughts and intentions before acting.

Align your thoughts and intentions with your actions, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jackie Robinson, A Walk in the Woods, True Grit (2010), After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Jackie Robinson, A Walk in the Woods, True Grit (2010), After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on December 31, 2023

Sunday Supplement #138 (December 31st, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Many people resented my impatience and honesty, but I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.”

– Jackie Robinson

Book of the Week:

A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson recounts his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail and his decision to traverse it, accompanied by his old friend Stephen Katz.

The pair are not suited to the long journey of the trail and end up discarding much of their starting load.

Their journey includes some history and ecology of the trail, funny encounters with humans and animals, and some honesty about their abilities and the overall outcome of the trek.

I read A Walk in the Woods while I was still in high school. I remember it being one of the first books to make me laugh out loud, almost every chapter.

Movie of the Week:

True Grit (2010)

True Grit tells the story of a stubborn teenage girl, Mattie Ross, as she tracks down her father’s murderer with help from a U.S. Marshall and a Texas Ranger.

Hailey Steinfeld made her feature debut as Mattie Ross, Jeff Bridges played the U.S. Marshall, Matt Damon the Texas Ranger, and Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper the villains.

The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

I haven’t seen the original True Grit with John Wayne, but Ethan and Joel Coen’s 2010 remake is one of my favorite Westerns.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Power of Radical Honesty | Dr. Anna Lembke | After Skool

Dr. Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, has published over a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries, and sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations.

In this video, Lembke focuses on how telling the truth improves our lives. She explains how radical honesty helps limit compulsive overconsumption and can be the core of a well-lived life.

We are wired at an early age to lie. The wiring fluctuates as we grow older, and we can gravitate toward honesty, but the temptations of lying can be exacerbated in modern society.

Lembke explains how radical honesty combats the pitfalls of lying, promotes awareness of our actions, and fosters intimate human connections. I can’t recommend the video more highly.

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts. I’ve featured them in two other Sunday Supplements.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Good medicine tastes bitter.”

– Japanese Proverb

I think this Japanese proverb is pretty straightforward, but I like the reminder that what might be best for you doesn’t always go down well at first.

Advice and honest assessment can be this way. It can be difficult to critique your decisions openly or to take advice that may be hard to follow.

However, I think this proverb has another side that can argue that medicine that will get the job done doesn’t have to be bitter.

I think it’s important to know when to deliver news starkly or with a little cushion to it, but bitter medicine shouldn’t be avoided when necessary.

Take an honest look at your past year, make actionable plans to improve your 2024, and have a blessed year ahead!

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Jay Shetty, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Kung Fu Panda, After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Jay Shetty, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Kung Fu Panda, After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 16, 2023

Sunday Supplement #101 (April 16th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“If you can build a muscle, you can build a mindset.”

– Jay Shetty

Book of the Week:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success discusses seven simple principles that help cultivate a mindset that brings success.

The principles have some basis in Hinduism, and Chopra breaks down each principle into actionable steps to help change your perspective and invite success.

An example of one of the principles is 6. The Law of Detachment. In this chapter, Chopra discusses the benefits of not trying to change people and force solutions, but seeing how you can adapt to each situation or move on.

Chopra has written numerous New York Times bestsellers and was described by Time magazine as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.

I’ve featured Chopra in two previous Brainfood of the Week sections and believe his work is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Kung Fu Panda

The 2008 Dreamworks film Kung Fu Panda tells the story of a clumsy panda surprisingly chosen as the protector of the Valley of Peace in the wake of a villain’s pending attack.

Kung Fu Panda is a simple film with a powerful message of perspective and self-belief. It also packs many laughs and an entertaining story.

The film was also a commercial success and went on to have three sequels, multiple television show spinoffs, video games, and more.

In addition to its huge commercial success, the original Kung Fu Panda was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year.

I haven’t seen any of the other films or subsequent spinoffs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the original and recommend it as a fun and uplifting watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset – Mike Rashid | After Skool

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts.

Former professional boxer, entrepreneur in the wellness space, and host of the Civil Mind Savage Body podcast, Mike Rashid, shares his story and perspective for this video.

Rashid breaks down the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. He shares his life experience and how he embraces a growth mindset.

Lessons from the video include using problems as motivating factors and knowing that intelligence and skill can be improved with effort.

I featured After Skool in Sunday Supplement #16, and I’m glad for the opportunity to return to their channel to share this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“One man’s fault is another’s lesson.” (人のふり見てわがふり直せ)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proves reminds me of the usefulness of thinking about how I interpret things and what I want to gain from them.

Instead of criticizing someone else’s behavior, you can use the situation as an opportunity to correct your own.

Another’s fault can also be a chance to catch yourself before you react and an occasion to support someone else instead of putting them down.

The opportunities for pausing and thinking about how you want to interpret things can be elusive, but seeing someone else’s fault is a chance to reframe your perspective.

Work on your ideal mindset, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 29, 2021

Sunday Supplement #16 (August 29th, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”

– Plato

Book of the Week:

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess is most recognized for the massive success of his novel A Clockwork Orange, which he gave credit to Stanley Kubrick for the movie adaptation. The film is a cinematic masterpiece for many reasons, but it is not a completely faithful adaptation of the novel. It also isn’t a great representation of Burgess’s work as a whole.

Most of Burgess’s creative writing was comedic, and he considered himself as much a composer as an author with over 250 musical pieces credited to his name. He was also a literary critic for The Observer and The Guardian and wrote studies of classic writers during his lifetime. For any who read A Clockwork Orange, though, it’s obvious why it’s his most famous work.

A Clockwork Orange takes place in a dystopian city that contains a youth subculture of acute violence. Gang leader, Alex, narrates his terrorizing journeys to the reader in a Russian-influenced English slang. Everything about the novel pushes the boundaries of good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. The primary arc of the book follows Alex’s adventures, his imprisonment for his crimes, and his subsequent release after he has been “reformed.”

What most people will miss if they’ve only seen the Kubrick film is the final chapter the famous director omitted. This chapter brings an entirely different perspective to the end of the story and is worth the whole read to find out where Burgess intended to leave Alex. The novel takes a chapter or two to get used to the language, but it is well worth pursuing. It is on many top lists of “Greatest English Novels” and deserves its place in literary history.

Movie of the Week:

Howl’s Moving Castle

A shy young woman is cursed to an elderly age by a spiteful witch. Her only chance of reversing the curse is in the hands of a self-indulgent, insecure young wizard and his bizarre walking castle.

I highlighted Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke in Sunday Supplement #2, and this is another gem from the acclaimed Japanese animation studio. Any one of their films is worth checking out, but this is one of their best. The theme of self-belief throughout the film creates an uplifting and wonderful watch.

The movie creates a beautiful blend of magic and realism. The internal journeys of each character have depth and meaning that come from a brilliantly adapted story. The scenery is breathtaking, and the magic in the film allows director Hayao Miyazaki to bring out the best of his creativity. I highly recommend the Japanese version, but you get Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Emily Mortimer, Blythe Danner, and Lauren Bacall voicing the characters if you choose the English audio.

If you missed my post about Princess Mononoke, check it out, and add Howl’s Moving Castle to your list of animation films to watch. The former wasn’t nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, but the latter was one of the picks, and both were deserving of the win. They are considered animated classics and wonderful films.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Alan Watts clip “Life is NOT a Journey” — animated by After Skool.

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts.

Alan Watts is most known for breaking down and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for the Western world. He became known through his role as a volunteer programmer at KPFA radio station in Berkeley, California. Throughout his life, he wrote over 25 books and articles about religion and philosophy. The Way of Zen was one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. Various of his other works put forth ideas and philosophies about human consciousness and existence.

In this video, Alan Watts talks about existence in the universe. He maintains that the universe is meant to be playful. He explains this through an analogy of music and art. The meaning in both is not determined by any destination but by the act itself. However, this concept is not something we see reflected in everyday conduct. The idea of a destination is brought on by many constructs in our society but often leaves the individual missing out on a deeper experience of life.

The After Skool video provides a cool animation of a brilliant monologue by Watts. It is a short clip and puts forth a positive perspective on engaging the world around us.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

– Quran 30:21

This passage from the Quran can be broken down in many different ways. One is the idea that we need companionship. From this, I take the word mate as meaning both intimate relationships and also the British slang for friend. I believe both provide significant meaning to our lives and help us be our best selves, have peace, and find purpose in life.

Another thing I pull from this passage is the idea of affection and mercy in love and friendship, meaning being there for support, especially in vulnerable moments. This isn’t always easy when you aren’t at your best, but it reminds me to be clear with my communication and inquire what is the best way to support them.

This coincides with the last part, which mentions the signs for people who give thought. In my opinion, meaningful relationships come when you give them thought and are present. You always have the time to be there for everyone at every moment, but I believe when you are with someone, you should give them your full attention and support.

I enjoyed coming across this passage from the Quran and hope you take something away from it that brings a positive perspective to your life.

Give the people you’re with your full attention and have a blessed week ahead!

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