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September 30, 2005

Acid drop at Battell Chapel: A Night with David Lynch

One of the perks of working for an Ivy League institution is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that occur, like a visit from David Lynch. Now a man as unique as David Lynch guarantees a lively evening. I had no idea what I was in for.

The event was entitled "Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain." It was advertised as a Q and A session with some guest lecturers. David Lynch is a visionary. His unique perspective focuses itself on humanity and shows us things we could have never imagined could exist.

For a man with a professed dislike of public speaking, David Lynch was charismatic and eloquent. His obvious passion and enthusiasm for his craft oozes from his pores and his face lights up in excitement. It was a joy and absolute pleasure to listen to him.

However, after his fifteen minutes, he turned the floor over to Dr. John Hagelin, a renowned quantum physicist, who also happens to be the president of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace.

Yes, you heard that correctly.

I was subjected for about what seemed an eternity (actually an hour and a half lecture) about the necessity to expand our consciousness though the means of transcendental meditation. He went on to describe how the world would be a better place if only more people would seek this approach.

I slowly felt dizzy, light-headed. Why was everything so warm and fuzzy? As Hagelin spoke, I zoned out, entering what may have been some meditative state. I was weaving in and out of my own consciousness, pinching myself to keep myself awake. I was rudely snapped out of unconsciousness by a fellow spectator who must have hit a very deep transcendent state himself as he lost control of his folding chair and fell onto to floor with a resounding boom.

My friend was dying...dying of laughter. His witty asides became our running commentary. It got to a point where he was quaking, a volcano of laughter threatening to erupt in that oh-so transcendent chapel.

The next portion of the program got high tech. It involved a neurologist — Dr. Fred Travis — who gave a wonderful and powerful PowerPoint presentation about the brain's capabilities and how we aren't using it to its full potential. He even had a volunteer who was strapped up to an EEG machine in order to demonstrate the difference between a normally functioning brain and a meditative brain (alpha and beta waves). I say attempt because they were having some technical difficulties. You would think that with the millions they had flowing into this organization, they would have at least spent some money on decent equipment that wouldn't have performance anxiety.

After all this meditating and electrifying, David Lynch hit the stage again, fielding questions about his organization and his whole state of being.

Oh dear! It was interesting to say the least. I for one wasn't exactly swayed by all the bells, whistles, peace, love, consciousness. I was waiting to see people rolling around in the mud and enjoying some psychedelic groove. All we really needed was a group hug.

Lynch's ideas and intentions are great. More power to him for believing that this is the way to end war and create world peace. But it just didn't seem real. I was waiting for P.T. Barnum to come out and say "Humbug!"

And at least we got a free DVD....

David Lynch said "A rotten baloney! It's the idea that you can have peace by killing - killing human beings! That is real baloney!" See and listen to David Lynch's "Rotten Baloney" (3.71MB)

Posted by eva on 10:40 PM

Area Codes - Part 2....

Now when I wrote yesterday that Meat-Cutter Al called me at 5 AM, I was hoping it was a one shot deal, hoping that he had one iota of common sense and would catch the hint. But apparently, the tool has nothing better to do in the wee hours of the morning than to call my cell phone number.

Today, at 3:33 AM, I once again was rudely awaken by the idiot, who left the most ludicrous of messages on my voicemail. It was something of a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and Dave Chappelle that just went terribly wrong. And the kicker is that it's a restricted number, so I can't even block it. ARGHHHH!!!!!!!

Posted by eva on 6:01 AM | Comments (1)

September 29, 2005

There's a reason for area codes....

While I slept blissfully at 5 A.M., an odd whirring invaded my dreams. As the cobwebs cleared, I realized it was my cell phone. I jumped, thinking it was some emergency.

I answered and heard ... "Hey it's Al, What's up? ...."

Now I was annoyed, and although I'm a morning person, getting a random phone call that early in the morning doesn't really inspire a Miss Mary Sunshine response. After asking again who it was, just in case it was a friendly prank, he started in his best Rico Suave voice: “You know who it is ...." CLICK! And back to sleep I went.

Not even 20 seconds, the idiot called again. Again, I hung up, but this time I changed my phone to silent mode. The light show that is my silent cell phone let me know he called two more times and left a voicemail.

According to Al, I'd given him my number at some cursed newsstand, that he was the meat-cutter.

I have never given anyone my cell number right away; you'll be lucky if you get an email. At any rate, I have a boyfriend and not interested. His sheer persistence riled me up and I was wide awake and waiting for my alarm clock to go off at 5:30 AM.

You would think he'd get the hint. Perhaps, if it hadn't been that early in the morning, I would have politely told him that in fact he had dialed the wrong number. I hope he came to this realization on his own ... remember even cell phones have area codes!

Posted by eva on 11:06 AM

September 24, 2005

What's wrong with a book?

As I watched TV Saturday morning, I came across the TV ad for a new game for young girls.

Dream Life! For about $50 young girls throughout the nation can build a fantasy world. Apparently, you can create your own virtual representation and do all these amazing activities and have a fabulous life, in essence, becoming Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan/Hilary Duff if they are so inclined.

What is happening to the world? This game is a bit ridiculous. What happened to reading a book and fostering your imagination the old-fashioned way? As technology advances more and more, children are becoming equally tech-savvy, but maybe they are losing the ability to use their imagination independently of such progress.

I remember as a child reading books and drawing pictures of what I imagined the characters looked like and where they lived. Sometimes, I would create my own sequels, not wanting the adventure to end. I wonder if kids today ever venture beyond the world of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket and revisit some classics, like the Chronicles of Narnia and Nancy Drew.

Sadly, the state of literacy among the youth is frightening. When talking to my brother about his senior English class, I was shocked to hear about some of the books high school seniors had read for summer reading. Seventeen and eighteen year olds were reading books that were aimed for a much younger audience. And I'm not talking about Harry Potter, but other frivolous teen oriented series. I'm not advocating that they ought to have read great classics like Jane Eyre or The Count of Monte Cristo, but there is a plethora of great modern and approachable authors that should be devoured like Nick Hornby or Marian Keyes.

It worries me that young adults, future leaders of our world, are refraining from expanding their literary knowledge. They see reading as a chore and not the pleasure that it should be. Perhaps, games like Dream Life are distancing young kids from the pleasure of reading and the mental exercise of using one's imagination.

A balance must be found. Imagination must learn to be independent from technology so that it can continue. Perhaps this will create future generations of outside-the-box thinkers, who will find a new perspective in a world that can only see technology in one way.

Posted by eva on 9:23 AM | Comments (1)

September 7, 2005

Random Tales from Academia : Volume 1

At Yale, there is a phenomenon known as “shopping for classes�. Yalies spend the first days of the academic semester taking classes for a proverbial test drive, trying on instructors and seminars to find the ideal class fit. Not only will they fulfill academic requirements, but they will be challenged and ultimately shaped into well-rounded citizens of the planet Earth.

In a not so distant past, I had to select my classes with nothing more than word of mouth working its way down the undergraduate grapevine. At my alma mater in Beantown, we had to register a semester in advance. At times, we did not know who the instructor was. Summers would be spent in suspense, awaiting the unveiling of the mysterious professor.

On Telreg Sundays, we waited with baited breath in front of our computer screens, watching the different classes and seminars fill up. Cries of anguish echoed through the halls as seminars closed; desperate students sought those with the coveted early registrations times, begging, calling favors and selling firstborn children in order to get into their desired classes.

When I decided to take a Spanish class at Yale, it was a shock. These kids can comparison shop! I heard some undergrads saying that they would spend the morning seeing which section of Elementary Spanish was best for them. As I sat in the first day of class, I soon realized that was an hour I would never get back. We spent 44 minutes, 59 seconds and 12 milliseconds, regurgitating the following dialogue:

¡Hola!
¡Hola!
¿Como te llamas?
Yo me llamo Taylor. ¿Y tú?
Yo me llamo Kara.
¡Chau!
¡Hasta la vista!

I was suddenly stuck in an episode of The Twilight Zone. All I wanted was to improve my written Spanish, not subject myself to a partial lobotomy. I ended up being cut from the class, as I was not a high priority student.

And so I continued on my quest, seeking the perfect class for my Spanish needs. I stumbled upon Spanish for Bilingual Speakers, jumping for joy! No more frivolous dialogues; I would get into some gritty grammar analysis, in-depth discussion and writing. However, that joy was short-lived as that class was cancelled due to low enrollment.

Once again, I set sail upon the unknown seas of course shopping. I am being buffeted about from one class to the next, hoping to find a safe haven. I’ve one last chance before I give up in despair. Now it is my turn to beg and plead for mercy. Please let me in! Who really needs the first born anyway!

Posted by eva on 6:50 PM | Comments (1)