Tag: movie

Voltaire, Snow Crash, Thank You For Smoking, The School of Life, and a Japanese Proverb

Voltaire, Snow Crash, Thank You For Smoking, The School of Life, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 18, 2024

Sunday Supplement #145 (February 18th, 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:

“I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.”

– Voltaire

Book of the Week:

Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson is a Hugo, Locus, and Clarke-award-winning author whose works have been classified as Science Fiction and Cyberpunk.

My Uncle recommended Snow Crash to me, and I’m so glad he did. Stephenson’s novels tend to feature themes around history, linguistics, religion, computer science, and philosophy.

Snow Crash is set in the 21st century, several years after the worldwide economic collapse. Los Angeles is no longer part of the U.S. since the government ceded most of its control to entrepreneurs and private organizations.

Hiro Protagonist is the main character, and he is a freelance hacker and pizza delivery driver for the Mafia. He receives a data file in the online Metaverse that turns out to give a virus to the user that carries over to the real world.

Protagonist’s adventure is wild and one I highly recommend. It was nominated for the British Science Fiction Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

Movie of the Week:

Thank You For Smoking

The 2005 satirical comedy Thank You For Smoking passed under the radar for the most part. I didn’t remember hearing anything about it when I watched it, probably five years later.

The film follows Nick Naylor, Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman, who lobbies on behalf of cigarettes while trying to be a role model for his 12-year-old son.

Aaron Eckhart steals the show as Nick Naylor, but there are brilliant performances from the ensemble cast of Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons, Robert Duvall, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, and Rob Lowe.

The film is written and directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) and is based on the 1994 novel by Christopher Buckley.

Thank You For Smoking is a highly entertaining watch with a surprisingly moral lesson about choice as its central theme.

Brainfood of the Week:

How To Recognize Your Patterns – And Escape Them | The School of Life

The School of Life makes content from psychologists, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people lead calmer and more resilient lives. I have featured their videos in several previous Sunday Supplements.

In this video, The School of Life discusses how we can lock ourselves in repeated behaviors and narratives that aren’t always pleasant.

The video goes on to discuss a variation of childhood trauma, where we are reenacting old scripts from our childhood that we are trying to process.

I believe another influence on our narratives can be what we are tuned into in our lives: people, environment, media consumption, and things.

The School of Life finishes the video by saying we must find and heal the original traumas. I recommend looking into therapy if that’s an available option.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Good fortune and happiness will come into the house of those who smile.” (笑う門には福来たる)

– Japanese Proverb

I think this Japanese proverb is one you make a default setting for yourself. I try to notice more when I’m unhappy so I can see if there’s something I can do about it.

There will be many situations and times when you are in a difficult place, which is more than okay. But I believe you should make sure your natural disposition is a positive one.

I take the meaning of the Japanese proverb as both literal and metaphorical. For both, smiling is a way to welcome positive things into your experience.

This proverb is a good reminder for me to keep an eye out for whether or not I’m going through my days with a smile.

Choose to smile as often as possible and appropriate, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Zora Neale Hurston, The Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing, Wentworth Miller, and a Bible Passage

Zora Neale Hurston, The Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing, Wentworth Miller, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 11, 2024

Sunday Supplement #144 (February 11th, 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:

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”

– Zora Neale Hurston

Book of the Week:

The Princess Bride – William Goldman

Most people know The Princess Bride from the 1987 film of the same name. I featured the movie in Sunday Supplement #108.

I’m a huge fan of the movie, and I always wanted to read the book. I finally did earlier last year, and I loved it. The book was like an extended cut of the movie, which makes sense.

The novel follows a fictionalized Goldman as he attempts to gift his son the book his father read him as a child.

Goldman discovers that the actual book is much more dense than the version his father read. He proceeds to write his version, which encapsulates one of the best love stories in fantasy.

It’s so hard to encapsulate in a brief blurb, but I highly recommend the book to anyone who loves the movie. And if you haven’t seen the movie, give it a watch.

Movie of the Week:

Dirty Dancing

The 1987 film Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite feel-good movies to put on. The music, the dancing choreography, the acting, and the story are wonderful.

Dirty Dancing follows Baby Houseman, played by Jennifer Grey, as she spends her summer at a Catskills resort with her family. She falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle, played by Patrick Swayze.

The film was nominated for one Academy Award, Best Music – Original Song, and won the Oscar for the song “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.”

I delved into a lot of classic films while I was in high school. I wasn’t sure if I’d like Dirty Dancing, but it was on too many top film lists to ignore.

I’m glad I watched it back because I still enjoy the film today. I highly recommend it for a fun movie about summer love.

Brainfood of the Week:

Wentworth Miller | Full Q&A | Oxford Union

Oxford Union is one of the most prestigious debating societies. The institution is renowned for bringing international guests and speakers for discussion and debate.

In this video, actor, writer, gay rights and mental health advocate Wentworth Miller discusses a variety of topics, including his experiences with depression.

In responding to a question about his experience with depression, Miller discusses talking to yourself in a way that is loving and supportive.

Miller goes on to talk about how he knew how to support friends in crisis, but his response wasn’t always kind when he was in crisis. If he spoke to his friends like he spoke to himself, he would have no friends. So, he started to pay attention to how he talked to himself.

I’ve put the link for this video to start when Miller receives the question about his experience with depression, but the whole video is worth watching.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

– 1 Corinthians 16:14

There are many Bible passages about love, but I think this one sums up where our actions should originate.

Love can be assumed to mean only good things, but I believe love also means being open, honest, and from the heart.

Being nice can often be a way to avoid confrontation. But I believe if you are operating from love, you wouldn’t avoid challenging situations.

That doesn’t mean you have to be mean, but I think operating from a place of love means connecting with your truth.

Express your love, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Troy Palamalu, Tao Te Ching, Concussion, Jordan Peterson, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Troy Palamalu, Tao Te Ching, Concussion, Jordan Peterson, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 4, 2024

Sunday Supplement #143 (February 4th, 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:

“Playing professional sports, it’s important to eat healthy and take care of your body. In the offseason, rest is really important to me.”

– Troy Polamalu

Book of the Week:

Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu (Ursula K. Le Guin)

Lao Tzu was a philosopher of Ancient China and is considered by some the founder of Taoism. The Tao Te Ching is a central Taoist text.

Ursula K. Le Guin studied the Tao Te Ching for over forty years. She consulted the literal translations and worked with Chinese scholars for her translation.

Le Guin’s version has wonderful footnotes of her thoughts on various verses. I’m a huge fan of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author and featured her in Sunday Supplement #44.

In verse form, the Tao Te Ching describes the ideal existence, the Tao, the Way. The poems of the text have much beauty and depth.

Though the text is relatively short, I took my time reading it. I found myself pondering the contents of a poem for a while, sometimes putting the book down to let the verse sink in.

Movie of the Week:

Concussion

The 2015 biographical sports drama Concussion stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who goes up against the NFL for trying to suppress his research.

Omalu’s work focuses on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional American football players.

Peter Landesman wrote and directed the film based on the exposé “Game Brain” published in GQ magazine by Jeanne Marie Laskas.

Concussion didn’t get the best reviews or make the most money at the box office, but I thought it was a story worth portraying on the screen and that there was much to appreciate.

Brainfood of the Week:

Workaholics and the Importance of Rest | Jordan B. Peterson

I’ve featured Jordan Peterson in a couple of previous Sunday Supplements with the caveat that I don’t agree with everything he says, but his lectures are worth a listen.

Peterson is a clinical psychologist and author of bestselling self-help books and more than one hundred scientific papers.

In this clip, Peterson discusses the necessity of rest. He starts by quoting the Bible’s passage on God’s creation of the world and his resting on the seventh day.

He then discusses the utility of rest. The obvious is not burning yourself out so you can’t get back to work for an extended period. The other aspect I thought interesting was rest gives you a chance to reflect.

Give the video a watch if it piques your interest. You can take away what is useful to you and disregard the rest.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.”

– Bhagavad Gita 6:16

I think this Bhagavad Gita verse is an interesting insight into the necessity of moderation in our day-to-day lives.

A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga— not solely the physical exercise popular in Western culture, but rather an encompassing group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that aim to still the mind.

Depending on the circumstances, an occasional excess or deprivation seems perfectly reasonable to me.

However, the necessity of regular sleep and a steady diet seems obvious, but it’s something we can often ignore.

Make sure you’re resting appropriately, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 28, 2024

Sunday Supplement #142 (January 28th, 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:

“I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true – hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”

– Ray Bradbury

Book of the Week:

The Century Trilogy – Ken Follett

The historical epics Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity comprise Ken Follett’s #1 New York Times bestselling The Century Trilogy.

Follett’s novels follow five families (Welsh, English, American, German, and Russian) and their fortunes through the 20th century.

I’m a big fan of Follett’s work, and you can expect a well-crafted and researched story when you pick up one of his historical epics.

I featured his The Pillars of the Earth novel in Sunday Supplement #47, where he decided to break free from his thrilled typecast and write the historical epic he always wanted.

Follett has since delved deep into the veins of the historical fiction genre with many epic books since then. The Century Trilogy is one of his best works.

Movie of the Week:

Office Space

Emmy-winner Mike Judge, creator of Silicon Valley, Beavis and Butt-Head, and King of the Hill, wrote and directed the 1999 cult classic Office Space.

Office Space follows the plan of three workers who hate their jobs as they decide to rebel against the company.

The cast is an all-star ensemble that includes Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Ajay Naidu, David Herman, Gary Cole, and John C. McGinley.

Judge’s Office Space brilliantly and hilariously captures some of the tedious and baffling idiosyncrasies of a workplace.

There’s a positive message at the end of searching for work that fulfills you in some fashion. I recommend it for those looking for a lighthearted comedy.

Brainfood of the Week:

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address | Stanford

Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple and Pixar Animation, gave the Commencement Address at Stanford’s 2005 graduation. He told three stories from his life.

The first story was about connecting the dots. Jobs recounted his experience with college, dropping out, attending the classes he wanted, and later seeing the dots connect.

Jobs’ second story was about love and loss. He talks about his time at Apple, getting fired, and relationships.

The last story was about death. Jobs would wake up and ask himself, “If today were the last day in my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today.” He knew he needed to change something if the answer was “no” for too many days in a row.

The commencement speech is just over 15 minutes, but it is worth the time from your day. Give it a watch if you get the urge.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You cannot work for food when there is no food for work.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb reminds me of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Physiological needs, such as food, water, shelter, and sleep, are at the bottom of the pyramid.

On the next level of the pyramid are safety and security needs: health, employment, property, and social ability.

Love and Belonging with friendship, family, intimacy, and a sense of connection are on the next tier, with Self-Esteem (confidence, achievement, individuality, respect) above that.

The top of the pyramid is Self-Actualization, where we experience purpose, meaning, creativity, etc. This African proverb speaks to the necessity of having a base level of sustenance to be able to achieve more.

Make sure you’re meeting your base needs, work on the things that give meaning to your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Heraclitus, Slade House, Lost in Translation, The Art of Improvement, and a Dhammapada Verse

Heraclitus, Slade House, Lost in Translation, The Art of Improvement, and a Dhammapada Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 21, 2024

Sunday Supplement #141 (January 21st, 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:

“No man steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.”

– Heraclitus

Book of the Week:

Slade House – David Mitchell

Every nine years, in an alley down the road from a British pub, a unique someone who’s different or lonely will be extended an invitation to Slade House.

The novel spans five decades, starting from the 1970s, and the people who enter Slade House find that they don’t want to leave but later learn they can’t.

David Mitchell’s Slade House is an excellent blend of paranormal fiction with elements of horror that combine for an enthralling read.

I’ve featured one other David Mitchell book, Cloud Atlas, in Sunday Supplement #35, and though the books are wildly different, the quality of writing is of the highest caliber.

Movie of the Week:

Lost in Translation

Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation focuses on a faded movie star’s and a young woman’s experience of disconnection in their respective marriages.

The film is set in Japan, where the faded movie star, Bob, goes to promote a whiskey, and the young woman, Charlotte, accompanies her husband on a business trip.

The two disillusioned Americans keep bumping into each other on their respective trips, and an unlikely kinship forms from their search for connection.

Coppola won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Billy Murray as Bob was nominated for Best Actor, and the film was nominated for Best Picture.

Brainfood of the Week:

4 Zen Stories That Will Change How You Think About Life | The Art of Improvement

I’ve featured The Art of Improvement in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos focus on self-improvement and feature a variety of topics based on various sources.

This video starts by stating we sometimes get stuck overthinking and worrying in life, and an easy way to get out of a negative thought loop can be experiencing a good story.

The Art of Improvement video then tells four short zen stories: The Farmer’s Horse, The Learned Man, The Couple on the Donkey, and The Move.

Each story is a fun little parable with a lesson worth listening to. The end of the video reminds us that if you’re in a funk, stories can help you change your perspective.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Before long, alas, this body, deprived of consciousness, will lie on the earth, discarded like a useless log.”

– Dhammapada 41

At first look, this Dhammapada verse can be a little disheartening and a downer. But looking at it a little deeper gives me much to take away from it.

The obvious lesson is that we all die one day, and we should make sure we live a full life before we do. But I think the power of this lesson comes from the idea that we shouldn’t fear failure or negative experiences.

Along with the bumps and bruises of living life, this verse points out consciousness as a significant marker of life. We often go through life with periods of unconscious behavior, and this verse reminds us to try and stay as conscious as possible.

Continue to experience life consciously each day, and have a blessed week ahead!

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