Tonic Pop: Recent Episodes
Nate Hamon
Art is the ultimate motivator. Think of that song, that book, that film, that painting, that poem etc. that stimulated your senses, aroused your passions, shoved you out the door with the force of 7 Samurai. This is the podcast where we take a swig of tonic from the limitless depths of pop and literary fiction, visual art, movies, music, poetry and more. Sometimes I monologue, sometimes I ramble, sometimes I dialogue sometimes we gambol. It's all good stuff - chug it back.
Finishing off our discussion about our favourite female-led action films. Honourable mentions and our number 1s!
It’s common knowledge among movie buffs or Neeson fans that the Northern Irish nearly 70 year old loves January as a release date and her wasn’t about to let us down.
“There are three things that are inevitable in life: death, taxes and Liam Neeson movies in January.”
January 26, 2021 | Full Review…
Asher Luberto
The Marksman hit top spot in North America for it’s first 2 weekends and has found favour with audiences even if the critics are bagging it out.
Robert Lorenz directs and he has chosen his projects well as a producer. Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, Invictus, American Sniper
As a chief director he’s really only had 2 films which is ‘Trouble With the Curve’ and this one, ‘the Marksman’. Both have had mixed with reviews with critics but have found decent favour with the general audience.
For the Marksman the ‘tomatometer’ or critics favourable percentage sits at 34% whereas audience favourability sits at 86%. That’s a startk contrast. The difference as I see it is that the general audience didn’t feel the need to pick this apart. Especially in a time when big name movies are few and far between.
Lorenz is a long time Clint Eastwood collaborator and this feels much like an Eastwood film but perhaps a bit less grizzled. With Neeson you don’t have to chop through as many hardened layers to get to the “heart of gold” as you do with Clint.
Let me read the synopsis verbatim from Rotten Tomatoes – “Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine sharpshooter, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, a dying Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his cop daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels. When they finally meet on a Midwestern farm, a fight to the death ensues as Jim uses his military skills and code of honour to defend the boy he's come to love.”
It's Not a great movie but it’s also not overweight and heavy with expectations and a director’s desire to meet those expectations. It just is – a simply plotted, small cast action drama. Dialogue is light. The whole film spans only a couple of days and the kid protagonist Miguel had watched his mum get shot to death trying to save him, while Liam was on the verge of losing his ranch to the banks – tired trope that never went anywhere - so witty banter wasn’t really on the cards and would have felt out of place but a few more deep and meaningful conversations would have gone a long way to helping us to grow more attached to the characters and helped them to grow more believably attached to each other.
Liam Neeson has natural gravitas which made him the perfect choice for this role. He’s not angry Mel Gibson or “hiding in plain sight” Rambo but he is the guy who commands respect just for his presence – if you’re a bad guy you are immediately wary and cautious despite not being too sure of his story.
Jacob Perez does a noble job in his role. It wasn’t one of those “holy crap who is this kid?” performances but neither was it meant to be. He was generally poker faced but this in itself was a performance that would have been tougher to pull off than it looked. I imagine that after going through what he went through his whole world was spinning and trying to come to terms with where he had to go to from there would have been an internal battle that required stoic concentration.
There were a couple of lighter moments though – watching a Clint Eastwood film in the motel – which could be considered an Easter Egg when you think of the director’s history with Clint, and watching Neeson try Pop Tarts for the first time under a bridge, and enjoying them – after reprimanding Miguel for his unhealthy choice, brought back memories of when I gave my then 95 year old Granddad a 7-11 slurpee which he then tasted for the first time – and watching his eyes widen in delight.
This is not a film that anybody will be talking about in years to come. I imagine it will hit the streaming services fairly quickly, have another brief moment in the sun and then fade into obscurity. But it is an easy, comfortable ,watchable old, retired army guy beating up on drugcartel baddies cinema experience.
Don’t expect twists and turns, don’t expect deep engaging dialogue, don’t expect to cheer, fear or cry – just expect to be reasonably entertained for a couple of hours.
I give this film 68 (Liam’s age) out of 100
This is a tough one to get through despite all of it's fun and interesting elements. I think this film failed to deliver but I hope to see a franchise created that builds on this foundation.
Gal Gadot has well and truly cemented herself as the most consistent of the DCEU actors I believe. Her and Momoa have locked in their parts I believe. The rest of the JL actors have yet to prove that the parts belong to them.
Some may find it easy to dismiss this as a "White Saviour" movie and justifiably there are reasons to see that in there but I feel having the White Aussie bloke in there as a potential antagonist turned protagonist helps create a more easily applicable lesson for those who need it most, i.e. the people he initially represents. Remember – they are the ones causing the problems.
In the same way the avatar helped Jake to understand the Na'vi culture, we all need to find our own avatar, or channel to experience, learn from and understand other cultures.
Understanding is one of the most powerful words in the English language.
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, the great American pop artist, was born Andrew Warhola on Monday, August 6, 1928 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to Czechoslovakian immigrants. He was the youngest of 3 children, 1 of who died before his parents made it to the USA. He was very tight with his Mum Julia. She moved to New York in 1952 to live with Andy and stayed with him until a year before her death in 1971. By those who knew him best it is said that she was his greatest inspiration.
Andy died on February 6th 1987 Warhol died of cardiac arrest suffered after gallbladder surgery.
His career was built off blatant, overt appropriation of famous imagery and products. He was a fan of using bright and primary colors in his art and he loved giving pop vibes to what many might consider mundane objects, or the experiences of everyday consumer existence, like some of his more well-known works like Campbell soup cans, Coke bottles or Marilyn Monroe. His design work for a variety of music albums also kept him squarely in the realm of celebrity.
His time in the spotlight was a time when pop art was exploding and he found himself at the forefront of its march. His art is philosophical and his philosophies are artistic. His works were and are intimately connected to American culture. He was considered to be a mirror of his times and even when he was accused of becoming too commercial he was acutely aware of his standing and unrepentant of his reasonings. He loved the Hollywood glam and once said: "I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're so beautiful. Everything's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic."
Aww yeah - music biopics. We haven't seem them all but from what we've seen these are our top 5.
Trivia (IMBD)
Attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham.
Ranked #62 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Co-authored play "How It All Began," performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, in 1981.
Was at the time the youngest student ever accepted into Juilliard's drama department. His record has been supplanted by Juilliard student Seth Numrich, who was admitted at 15 in 2002.
Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando infuriated director John Frankenheimer on the set of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996). Frankenheimer later vowed to never work with Kilmer again.
While being let out of the metal cage during the filming of the crossroads scene in Willow (1988), the rope holding the cage up broke and the cage landed on Kilmer's foot, nearly breaking it. Later on in the film, Kilmer (who played swordsman Madmartigan) can be spotted having difficulty walking.
Met first wife, British actress Joanne Whalley, when they filmed the 1988 fantasy, Willow (1988). They had two children: daughter Mercedes Kilmer (born in 1991) and son Jack Kilmer (born in 1995).
Is the second actor to play Batman in the movie franchise. He succeeded Michael Keaton (Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992)) and preceded #3 George Clooney (Batman & Robin (1997)); #4 Christian Bale (Batman Begins (2005); The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012)) and #5 Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)). If counting the two different film serials and the television series, then Kilmer is the fifth actor to play Batman. The first 15-chapter film serial, Batman (1943), was released in 1941 and starred Lewis Wilson. The second 15-chapter film serial, Batman and Robin (1949), was released in 1949 and starred Robert Lowery. The TV series, Batman (1966), starred Adam West.
Did his own singing while playing Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991). The real members of the band said they had difficulty distinguishing Kilmer's voice from that of Morrison's.
Turned down the role of Ponyboy in The Outsiders (1983) because he was working with a theater company at the time, and if he had pulled out, the show would have been cancelled and his fellow actors out of a job.
Got the role of Chris Shiherlis in Heat (1995) after Keanu Reeves, who was originally cast as Chris, backed out.
Contrary to popular belief, he enjoyed playing "Batman" despite his poor working relationship with Joel Schumacher during the production of Batman Forever (1995).
During the sled riding scene in Willow (1988), he can be seen wearing a black glove on his left hand.
Is the only blond actor to have played Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Oliver Stone once considered him for the role of Alexander the Great in his long-delayed Alexander (2004) project. Kilmer plays the father of Alexander, King Philip, opposite Colin Farrell in the Alexander role instead.
Did not want to appear in Top Gun (1986) but was forced to do so because of contractual obligations.
Appeared in Tombstone (1993) opposite Charlton Heston. Five years later, he succeeded Heston in the roles of both Moses and God in The Prince of Egypt (1998).
Does a variation on his trademark of twirling objects in Willow (1988): he twirls a sword during the fight in the snow camp.
Has played two legendary rock and roll musicians: Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley.
He was 4' 11" when he entered high school. He acknowledged this on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993).
Admits in interviews that he is a horrible cook.
After his first film, Top Secret! (1984), he went off and backpacked around Europe.
Enjoys scuba diving and traveling.
Filmed his part as Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993) in 1 day.
Good friends with actor Frank Whaley and musician David Crosby.
Has lived in New Mexico since 1983.
His first auditions were for commercials at 13 years old.
His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. His father, Eugene, died in 1993.
In 1995, Kilmer learned he was getting a divorce while watching CNN in a hotel room. "It was no fun," he has said.
In the past he used to send taped auditions to filmmakers, figuring they would be much better (and less pressure) than live auditions.
Loves buffalo (and owns several on his ranch in New Mexico).
Stated in 1999 that At First Sight (1999) was his most challenging role to date.
Turned down Patrick Swayze's role in Dirty Dancing (1987) because he didn't want to be perceived as a "hunk."
He turned down Kyle MacLachlan's roles of Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986). In the latter case, he dismissed the script as "pure pornography". It turned out to be a different version to the final film. He regretted turning it down.
Volunteered to work with AmeriCares in 1998, with whom he visited Iraq in April 1998 to deliver food, medicine, and baby food.
He was in the Kalahari Desert in Africa researching a story he was writing about witch doctors when he was offered the Batman Forever (1995) Batman role.
Wrote poetry for actress Michelle Pfeiffer.
Broke his arm while filming The Doors (1991) when he performed a jump from the stage into the crowd and the stuntman failed to catch him. The injury has left Kilmer with an abnormal growth on his left elbow that can clearly be seen many times in Heat (1995).
The 2017 Pixar animation Coco tells a tale that unfolds in an non-specific Mexican town on the evening of El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). This is a yearly event where the living honour their departed loved ones.
Coco is the first-ever motion picture with a nine-figure budget to feature an all-Latino cast, with a cost of $175–200 million.
The exception was John Ratzenberger who is perhaps a muse or lucky charm for Pixar and has been a voice in every single Pixar film. Director Lee Unkrich stated that it was a struggle to find a role in the film for John, who is not Latino. As Unkrich did not want to break Pixar's tradition, Ratzenberger was given a minor role with one word “Gracias’ making it Ratzenberger's shortest Pixar role.
young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. The problem is that pursuing this dream would have to come at the cost of rebelling against his his family's generations-old ban on music, which he initially does in secret where he practises in an attic above his home. Miguel believes that if he can just prove his musicianship he’ll bring his family around and he’ll be off on a path to becoming a renowned musician. This urgency leads him to becoming trapped in the Land of the Dead – a gloriously prismatic, vibrant place which spins in a different direction the evolved idea of bright white heaven vs fire and brimstone hell.
Miguel meets up and teams up with the mischievous yet amiable and warm hearted Héctor,
the film becomes a buddy film from this point and while the goal is to return Miguel to the land of the living, it becomes just as much an adventure story about a journey to unlock the secrets behind Miguel's genealogy.
There are so many themes that could be unpacked and discussed and the main theme is best described by actor The character Mama Imelda's voice was provided by Alanna Ubach. Ubach felt that the film "is [giving] respect to one quality that all Latin families across the universe do have in common, and that is giving respect and prioritizing the importance of family".
A sub theme that I want to draw out from the film and talk about in greater depth, is the power of forgiveness. The film has been out a while but not so long that I expect everyone has seen it so I want to avoid spoilers. Suffice to say that forgiveness is crucial to resolution. If forgiveness was personified it would be the ultimate hero of this film.
Forgiveness is not something that can be forced upon us. It is a voluntary action. And it is an action. It does require active effort. Forgiveness can be a journey that is taxing, wearing and painful. It requires a lot more energy than flicking the off switch to an emotion.
It is releasing someone from bondage – that person being you. Forgiveness can be accepted by the person who committed the wrong but really, that person may not ever have asked for it, wanted it or even considered that they needed it. Often, the person who can most benefit, is the one who carries the burden of unforgiveness and all of the associated feelings – resentment, hate, envy, bitterness…
I like a good revenge film as much as the next person but in reality, the peace that and eye for an eye brings is more of a fantasy than a truth.
Reading from CBC.ca – “When Kim Phuc was just nine years old, she experienced emotional and physical trauma as a result of the war in Vietnam. In 1972, the U.S. military dropped four bombs surrounding Kim’s village. In an interview with NPR, Kim recounts her experience. “I saw an airplane getting lower and then four bombs falling down,” she says. “I saw fire everywhere around me. Then I saw the fire over my body, especially on my left arm. My clothes had been burned off by fire.” The attack killed her family, and while she survived, her severe burns led to 17 operations.
Kim says at one point, she wanted to take her own life. “The anger inside me was like a hatred as high as a mountain,” says Kim. “I hated my life. I hated all people who were normal because I was not normal. I really wanted to die many times.” But, it was the power of forgiveness that allowed her to be set free. “Forgiveness made me free from hatred. I still have many scars on my body and severe pain most days but my heart is cleansed.”
Today, Kim is an inspirational speaker travelling the world to share her story of love, peace and forgiveness. She also has formed a foundation, Kim Foundation International, to help other child victims of war.
To forgive takes more strength to than revenge. It takes a lot of hard work especially mentally and emotionally.
Mahatma Ghandi said “Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Perhaps its not hatred or thirst for revenge that holds back our willingness to forgive. Perhaps we are justifiably concerned that forgiveness releases a perpetrator from their need to compensate for their actions or releases them from responsibility. It doesn’t.
Pastor TD Jakes said I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.
The perpetrator still has their own path to follow to find release and peace but if they choose to accept your forgiveness, it can help motivate them to becoming a better person and avoiding making the same mistakes that led to the conflict that caused so much pain for you, the victim.
If they choose not to accept it or never considered needing it in the first place that still remains their issue but you are now released from being tangled up in their past.
Let us forgive with generosity those who cannot love us. — Pablo Neruda
With that said, it is rarely an action that heals only one.
In the case of 2 of the Coco characters – deuteragonists if you like, the forgiveness was a reciprocal action that needed to occur in order to heal generations of hurt. In the case of the Coco story, forgiveness brought about a restoration.
Here are 8 steps – that I am paraphrasing from a blog post by Wayne Dyer – to lead you to forgiveness. “Even when Forgiveness Feels Impossible.” He actually lists 15 steps so if you want to read more go to waynedyer.com
Step 1: Move On to the Next Act
Your past history and all of your hurts are no longer here in your physical reality. Don’t allow them to be here in your mind, muddying your present moments. Your life is like a play with several acts. Some of the characters who enter have short roles to play, others, much larger. Some are villains and others are good guys. But all of them are necessary, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the play. Embrace them all, and move on to the next act.
end quote
Imagine keeping every villainous, deceptive, hurtful, back-stabbing, wrong-doing person and act in your daily diary entry with updates on where they are in your life. How overwhelming is that?
Step 2: Don’t Go to Sleep Angry
Each night as I drift off to sleep, I adamantly refuse to use this precious time to review anything that I do not want to be reinforced in the hours of being immersed in my subconscious mind. I choose to impress upon my subconscious mind my conception of myself as a Divine creator in alignment with the one mind. I reiterate my I ams, which I have placed in my imagination, and I remember that my slumber will be dominated by my last waking concept of myself. I am peaceful, I am content, I am love, and I attract only to myself those who are in alignment with my highest ideals of myself.
This is my nightly ritual, always eschewing any temptation to go over any fear of unpleasantness that my ego might be asking me to review. I assume the feeling in my body of those I am statements already fulfilled, and I know that I’m allowing myself to be programmed while asleep, for the next day I rise knowing that I am a free agent.
Step 3: Switch the Focus from Blaming Others to Understanding Yourself
Most great philosophers have promoted this idea – this idea of understanding ourselves – it is a powerful tool
Tell yourself that you are willing to freely experience your emotions without calling them “wrong” or needing to chase them away. In this way, you’ve made a shift to self-mastery. It’s important to bypass blame, and even to bypass your desire to understand the other person; instead, focus on understanding yourself.
By taking responsibility for how you choose to respond to anything or anyone, you’re aligning yourself with the beautiful dance of life. By changing the way you choose to perceive the power that others have over you and you will see a bright new world of unlimited potential for yourself and you will know instantly how to forgive and let go of anything.
Step 4: Learn to Let Go and Be Like Water
Rather than attempting to dominate with your forcefulness, be like water: flow everywhere there’s an opening. Soften your hard edges by being more tolerant of contrary opinions. Interfere less, and substitute listening for directing and telling. When someone offers you their viewpoint, try responding with: “I’ve never considered that before—thank you. I’ll give it some thought.”
When you give up interfering, and opt instead to stream like water—gently, softly, and unobtrusively— you become forgiveness itself.
End quote – in other words – we don’t allows have to promote ourselves as tough, hardened, staunch – that is ironically a weakness while allowing ourselves moments to be like water, soft, flowing, able to enter in, through and around relational cracks – is strength. Would you call water weak? No – it can wear down even the toughest of rocks.
Step 5: Take Responsibility for Your Part
Removing blame means never assigning responsibility to anyone else for what you’re experiencing. It means that you’re willing to say, “I may not understand why I feel this way, why I have this illness, why I’ve been victimized, or why I had this accident, but I’m willing to say without any guilt or resentment that I own it. I live with, and I am responsible for, having it in my life.”
If you take responsibility for having the experience, then at least you have a chance to also take responsibility for removing it or learning from it. If you’re in some small (perhaps unknown) way responsible for that migraine headache or that depressed feeling, then you can go to work to remove it or discover what its message is for you. If, on the other hand, someone or something else is responsible in your mind, then of course you’ll have to wait until they change for you to get better. And that is unlikely to occur. So you go home with nothing and are left with nothing when peace is really on the other side of the coin.
Step 6: Let Go of Resentments
What causes annoyance and anger after a dispute? The generic response would be a laundry list detailing why the other person was wrong and how illogically and unreasonably they behaved, concluding with something like, “I have a right to be upset when my [daughter, mother-in-law, ex-husband, boss, or whomever you’re thinking of] speaks to me that way!”
But if you’re interested in living a Tao-filled life, it’s imperative that you reverse this kind of thinking. Resentments don’t come from the conduct of the other party in an altercation—no, they survive and thrive because you’re unwilling to end that altercation with an offering of kindness, love, and authentic forgiveness. As Lao-Tzu says:
Someone must risk returning injury with kindness, or hostility will never turn to goodwill. — Lao-Tzu
Remember - There is a time for peace. During the hardest, high heat moments of hostility remind yourself of that – there is a time for peace – now let’s work to get there
Step 7: Be Kind Instead of Right
There is a Chinese proverb, If you’re going to pursue revenge, you’d better dig two graves, which is saying to me: your resentments will destroy you.
The world is just the way it is. The people who are behaving “badly” in the world are doing what they’re supposed to be doing. You can process it in any way that you choose. If you’re filled with anger about all of those “problems,” you are one more person who contributes to the pollution of anger. Instead, remember that you have no need to make others wrong or to retaliate when you’ve been wronged.
Imagine if someone says something to you that you find offensive, and rather than opting for resentment, you learn to depersonalize what you’ve just heard and respond with kindness. You are willing to freely send the higher, faster energies of love, peace, joy, forgiveness, and kindness as your response to whatever comes your way. You do this for yourself. You would rather be kind than right.
Step 8: Stop Looking for Occasions to Be Offended
**If we decide to we can spend all our time and energy on being offended and agitated by the offense indefinitely. The person that didn’t indicate, the slightly overcooked meal, the dude with 14 items instead of 12 in the 12 items or less line…
Yesterday I was at the lights waiting for the green when I zoned out and didn’t see the change immediately. The horn behind me was sat on a little aggressively. My first thought was to turn to indignancy but I took a quic breath, remembered my stoic lessons, gave a friendlier reply “toot toot” and an apologetic wave – then carried on. As chance would have it we both ended up in the same place and the person behind me himself apologised for the overly aggressive horn. Imagine if I had followed through with my first thought?**
Step 9: Don’t Live In the Past – Be Present
When we find it difficult to forgive, often it is because we are not living in the present, and instead, we assign more importance to the past. We assign a good portion of our energy and attention lamenting the good old days that are gone forever as the reason why we can’t be happy and fulfilled today. “Everything has changed,” “No one respects anyone else like they used to…” This is assigning responsibility to the past for why you can’t be happy today.
It’s doubtful that other creatures waste the present moment in thoughts of past and future. A beaver only does beaver, and he does it right in the moment. He doesn’t spend his days ruminating over the fact that his beaver siblings received more attention, or his father beaver ran off with a younger beaver when he was growing up. He’s always in the now. Practice living in the moment by appreciating the beauty around you now.
Step 13: Embrace Your Dark Times
The dark times will and have happened. You can’t make them disappear right? Don’t pretend they aren’t there. Embrace them. Give them a great big anaconda squeeze and draw out the positive energies that can be pulled from the experience. What was learnt? What experience was gained that can give you better insight and consequently better preparation for next time those demons face you?
This final step is my own one -
Allow yourself to time to heal and recover. It is in the recovery that we grow stronger. Don’t wait forever though – for every pain to be gone - In fitness we talk about the supercompensation curve which is basically the idea that it is not in training – when we are exhausting our systems, breaking muscle – that we get stronger – in fact it’s the opposite – we get weaker during the session – but it is during the right recovery that your body adapts and grows stronger in preparation for the next session.
In summary – forgiveness is healing
Epictetus said “Forgive others for their misdeeds over and over again. This gesture fosters inner ease.” He said we should, “Forgive ourselves over and over and over again. Then try to do better next time.”
You see grabbing tightly and refusing to let go of angry, negative feelings NEVER makes our life – or the lives around us better. Seneca said “Anger always outlasts hurt,”
In summary forgiveness is a medicine – it is a balm – it can heal the deepest of wounds.
Let's get down to business. Mulan & our top 5 Chinese martial arts films - a mix of Wuxia and modern setting films. We're no experts - we just love our movies. Prepare to get joyous or angry at our top 5s that aren't in your top 5s.
The goddesses must be appeased.
Nine naked hysterical women appear out of nowhere triggering a spate of bizarre deaths in the town of Didymus.
Detective Hubert Maimone must find the shadowy mastermind behind these deaths ... that all lead back to him.
The Nameless One… lies but does not rest… dreams but does not wake… waits but does not tire
The Lost Tomb of the First Emperor of China is about to be discovered. But the Emperor is a powerful Taoist sorcerer who discovered the Elixir of Life and drank too deep. He sleeps in his mighty tomb, guarded by rivers of mercury, Terracotta Warriors, and a Quicksilver Dragon ready to rise again and resume his quest; to conquer heaven.
For a short time only, from June 19th, download a free copy of Felix Long's 'To Conquer Heaven' on amazon books.
Shout out to Bemac and RASN for sponsoring this episode.
Industrial Indie Acoustic Rocker. What? Just bloody listen and get a taste of this killer artist.
Learn about the ridiculously awesomegasmic author, artist, architect and more, Ged Maybury.
Today Hoyts cinema manager (my bro-in-law) Luke Ormsby joins me to discuss opening films post-Covid, including the one we are really wetting our seats for - Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet'. We also discuss our Top 5 Michael Caine movies - sort of.
Support local artists!
Who is Paulina? Who would play Paulina in a biopic? What is her theme song? Who is her celebrity crush? Why should you listen to her music and get on board her support wagon earlier rather than later? All of your questions and more will be answered in this fun interview with German born, Ipswich local, 15-year-old Paulina sponsored by BEMAC & RASN. #bemacbooster
I pity the fool that skips this episode. I intro myself properly - kind of - and share some important information on how to avoid contracting or how to cure the dreaded GOMS/GOWS.
12 Monkeys
Rating: R (for violence and language.)
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Written By: David Webb Peoples who wrote co-wrote Blade Runner & Unforgiven, he was joined on this writing project by his wife Janet Peoples – what a team! What great peoples.
In Theaters: Dec 27, 1995
On Disc/Streaming: Mar 31, 1998
Runtime: 130 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures
From a budget of 29.5 million it grossed 168 million. Well done Terry.
This time-travel film is intense and intriguing and was one that showcased in my opinion some of Bruce Willis’s finer work acting-wise. Both Jeff Bridges and then Nick Nolte were originally slated for the part but due to unavailability Bruce was locked in. Any one of them could have pulled this off I reckon but Bruce sinks into the role beautifully. As mentioned The sci-fi was directed by Terry Gilliam, who by virtue of being a member of Monty Python receives legend status no matter what. His radical spin at directing solidifies it. Admittedly he’s had a few misses but I think the balance of crazily brilliant films are is in his favour. Time Bandits, Brazil, Fisher King…
Bruce Willis plays James Cole, a prisoner of the state in the year 2035. He makes a parole earning deal to travel back in time and thwart a devastating plague that wipes out a large percentage of the earth’s population. At least that’s what he believes he is doing initially. Makes you wonder – is there a James Cole wandering around earth right now?
If you’ve seen it – I need to say no more – if you haven’t – I need to say no more. Plot-wise that is.
Brad Pitt shakes off his pretty boy image to boldly grab his role as a paranoid rambling, twitchy skin bag of fleas on speed by the proverbial horns. He does it in a way that you want to pick through his monologues and make sense of them because you get the feeling there is sense to be found. With that said, in a new interview with the New York Times Magazine, he confesses his own feelings on the role.
Quote - “I nailed the first half of 12 Monkeys,” “I got the second half all wrong. – end quote
Have you seen it? What are your thoughts on Brad’s turn? Go to the Tonic Pop Podcast Facebook page to leave a comment.
12 Monkeys also co-stars the ageless and underrated Madeline Stowe playing Dr. Kathryn Railly Christopher Plummer also pops up
Deal with the gloom of foreordained disaster is a main theme “Suck it up”
“Are you going to save us Mr. Cole?” the doctor asks “How can I save you?” says James Cole asks, “This already happened. I can’t save you. Nobody can.”
That thought makes the moment from the film that I want to draw our lesson from oddly special. It’s the scene where Cole hears Fats Domino’s ‘classic ‘Blueberry Hill’ come over the car stereo. The joy of music prompts him to stick his head out of the window of the travelling vehicle like an excitable canine and proclaim “I love the music of the 20th century!” “I love this air! Love to breathe this air!”
This bewilders the good Dr who is driving. Someone who is, like many of us are, desensitised to the small pleasures that are far from abnormal to our existence.
This is such a cool teaching moment – a lesson that prompts us to consider pausing every so often and allowing ourselves to relish fleeting pleasures, moments of joy. We watch Cole transition from an acutely focused need to fulfill his mission – rampaging through the time he has been allotted to finding time to enjoy the world’s final moments.
It’s ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest — by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things. — Stoic philosopher Seneca, wrote in his Moral Letters,
How often do we let the good moments pass without allowing a brief pause to celebrate? I don’t mean streamers and a cake every time joy blows a kiss but taking a moment to enjoy life’s gems with a nod and a tip of the hat. A moment of
· honor
· lauding
· observation
. a touch of veneration.
Maybe your child welcomes you home – stop and soak that in – they may not always do that
Maybe you get a thank you from a colleague,
Maybe the sky gifts you a rainbow.
Maybe someone lets you in at a busy intersection.
Little moments – they will likely give you a little boost to your soul without having to think about it but why now hold on to it for a touch longer than normal? Why not allow these multiple moments to create a greater collective experience by savouring each?
Imagine you sit down to the most expensive meal you’ve ever had before you. Let’s say you sat down in a Wolfgang Puck restaurant and had a plate of scallops before you (I love seafood so that’s where I’m going but choose your own adventure) – throw that scallop down your gullet if you like – let it barely touch your tastebuds – what was the point of that? You just wanted sustenance? You may as well have saved a lot of money and scoffed down a filet o fish.
Savour the moments?
Feel, enjoy, and extend our positive ‘in the now’ experiences.
Here are 5 things that we can do to enable positive moments to have a greater effect:
-
Pause and pay attention when something positive, no matter how big or small, comes your way.
-
Practise gratitude – be grateful for whatever caused the positive emotion
-
Capitalize on the moment. Extend the moment by putting your joy on display, speaking about it, sharing it – just as Cole did with his head out of the window.
-
Avoid the trap of becoming preoccupied with planning for grand positive events while multiple positive moments pass you by. “Daddy can I show you a dance I made up?” “Maybe later sweetheart I’m planning our trip to family togetherness park.”
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Practise being more alert to moments. Don’t just look up – look around. When I used to work as a lifeguard we were taught to be constantly scanning our area of purview. To focus on only 1 spot could cause you to not only zone out but to miss out on concerns in the periphery.
Here’s the thing – we have little to no control over many of the impromptu moments that can put a smile in your file, a ding to your wing, a flame to your brain so when they come be prepared to grab them. And if you’re not getting enough of these - create your own. Pat your cat (not a euphemism) – watch the sun set, have a bubble bath, be playful, have a little dance when ‘The Safety Dance’ comes on over the radio – if it ever does anymore – does it?. Collect these experiences whether unexpected or planned and don’t hold off until that island vacation to refill your happiness bottle.
With all that said, we really don’t need to analyse every positive moment – we just need to accept its embrace and hug it back.“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.”
― Emily Dickinson
Shaun of the Dead.
How to become a romantic lead in your own life as shown by the unlikeliest of romantic leads.
Director: Edgar Wright
**Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Budget:**
GBP4,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend USA:
$3,300,000, 26 September 2004
Gross USA:
$13,542,874
Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$30,076,102
Summary: Shaun is dumped by Liz, his girlfriend because he is a slacker and lacks motivation. He doesn't put a lot of effort into their relationship. Shaun loves her and wants to win her back. His plans, however, are interrupted by the Zombie Apocalypse. So he and his even more deadbeat, slacker friend, Ed, embark on a courageous journey to rescue Shaun's mum, his stepfather, Liz and Liz's flatmates and take them to the safety of the local pub, The Winchester.
It has all the hallmarks of satire. Irony, commentary on current social issues. But is it Romantic comedy satire? Action film satire? It plays with a bunch of the usual tropes found in these genres. It really is a multi-genre weave. The portmanteau ‘RomZomCom’ has been coined to describe it. In simplicity it is a romantic comedy wrapped in a zombie flick. The zombies are representing the challenges that are often faced in a relationship story. Shaun of the Dead is like a video game where the hero character must battle through different levels to win – in this case win back – the heart of his love. Edgar Wright used a similar game play concept in Scott Pilgrim Vs the World.
I think the Brits do the “everyman” romantic lead well and Simon Pegg is evidence of that.
So what are some lessons that we can draw from Shaun’s character arc that lead him back to his being with his love.
- The influence of toxic friendships. Not FRIENDS per se but friendSHIPS.
Ed, played by Nick Frost, is Shaun’s bestie. The writers establish their relationship and backstory early and show how their relationship affects other relationships.
So, what began as a triangle, with Shaun, Liz and Ed at its points has turned into something much more complicated. It’s a Gordian knot which never becomes untangled but becomes more manageable and balanced as we’ll see later in the story.
In remaining tight with Ed, Shaun seems to be clinging to his childhood and the avoidance of responsibilities that come with maturity. As horrible as it is the zombie outbreak provides a coerced opportunity to step up and take on a hero’s obligation.
We are all guilty of being on the wrong side of this – of at times letting a digital 3rd wheel into our relationships. Maybe we’ve been the victims of it.
An unhealthy relationship with a virtual third wheel leads to phone snubbing or “phubbing,”.
We can list thousands of advantages to the tech in our hands but do we seriously consider the downsides particularly the effect on our interpersonal relationships?
Just as Shaun could be in the same space as Liz but not truly present, do we find ourselves sharing space with someone but because of a device in our hands, we are detached from the moment?
It used to be that the big 3 disputes for couples' were sex, money, and kids but now smartphones are joining that club.
In a study from Baylor University's researchers surveyed 453 adults to find out the real effects of phubbing. Phubbing is defined in the study as “the extent to which people use or are distracted by their cellphones while in the company of their relationship partners."
It was found that those who were phubbed by their partners felt conflict that led to lower relationship satisfaction. “These lower levels of relationship satisfaction, in turn, led to lower levels of life satisfaction and, ultimately, higher levels of depression," explained one of the study's authors, Dr. James A. Roberts.
Another study from Brigham Young University examined the same issue and the researchers concluded that phubbing, or what the researchers coined ‘technoference’ (but mouth – I prefer phubbing,) can be damaging not just to a relationship but to a person’s psychological health as well.
Overall, participants who rated more technoference in their relationships also reported more conflict over the use of tech – particularly smartphones and consequent lower relationship satisfaction, more depressive symptoms, and lower life satisfaction. By allowing technology to interfere with or interrupt conversations, activities, and time with romantic partners—even when unintentional or for brief moments—individuals may be sending implicit messages about what they value most, leading to conflict and negative outcomes in personal life and relationships.
So while it’s probably no surprise to anybody but the most dense among us that technology can be a catalyst for annoyance and conflict what this study is showing is that a person’s engagement with technology can actually send their partner into depression.
Another study done on young adult relationships, which was published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture showed a significant link between higher levels of dependency on smartphones and higher levels of relationship uncertainty. Not only that but participants who observed that their partners seemed highly dependent on their smartphone were significantly less satisfied in their relationships than those that didn’t note dependency.
Why? What is it about smartphones?
Because often it feels, that you are having an emotional affair right in front of the very person you are supposed to be truly engaged with.
The mentioned studies and many more that have been conducted conclude that phubbing feels like rejection – and maybe it feels like that because that’s what it is and it hurts.
“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.”
― Albus Dumbledore
When you are mid conversation, mid-meal, enjoying a show together, having any romantic moment and your virtual third wheel interrupts and you give it your attention what is that saying to the other person in the room?
“My phone is more important than you right now,”
We create a rubbish mountain of repeated rejections, many are just mini-rejections but they add to the pile that that eventually consumes the home and under the weight of that mountain peace and joy are crushed to death.
All of these studies have shown that it is not smartphone use, in general, that affects relational health. There is no need Rather it is the “psychological reliance on these devices, and one’s need to constantly be connected with his or her smartphone, that potentially affects relationships and not actual use.”
Some questions we could ask t thao determine whether a phone has become a negative 3rd wheel include:
Is my phone causing emotional infidelity?
Do I unwittingly or unthinkingly ignore your partner or kids etc. when you’re gazing at the phone?
Is it so noticeable and blatant that people are commenting on the human to phone relationship?
Am I easily Distracted by it and see no problem scrolling through social media while I’m mid conversation with someone or supposed to be focused on something else?
Do I get defensive and fail to apologise if pulled up on it?
If my phone isn’t nearby do I find myself easily bored and craving time with it?
Do I Get Separation Anxiety?
Do I seek Refuge In my phone?
Shaun was able to win back Liz and still hold on to a friendship with Ed but – spoiler alert – he had to keep Ed chained up in his shed. Drastic – but Ed’s heroism left him undead and actually enjoying his existence playing video games with his mate Shaun checking in on him from time to time.
To truly find balance:
Have Tech-free Times And places
Get more Intimate – need a dopamine hit? Get one from a physical embrace
Change Settings to avoid hearing constant alerts.
Be conscious and show it – show that you are setting your phone down and walking away from it. During the closing scene Shaun spoke with Liz about going to visit Ed in the shed. He didn’t just disappear.
All of these studies have shown that it is not smartphone use, in general, that affects relational health. There is no need swap out the smartphone for smoke signals but what the studies show is that it is the “psychological reliance on these devices, and the show of needing to be incessantly connected with a smartphone, that can be hazardous to relationships.
Shaun still made time for his friend but he had to wisely use restraint and create space that didn’t encroach upon his time with Liz. Just as he was able to focus on his relationship with Liz without completely severing his ties to his Ed, we can care for flesh and bones relationships without throwing our devices in the river. We just need to be smarter than the phones in our hands.
We’ll finish with a quote by 19th century poet James Linen
"Oh! it is deplorable to behold neglect aiding in the triumph of decay."
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. — Anon
Huck Finn is Twain’s magnum opus. We know the gist. It is his story of a runaway boy (Huckleberry) and an escaped slave’s (Jim) travels on the Mississippi plumbs the essential meaning of freedom. The book has caused controversy and conflict in libraries and schools across the US.
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a dangerous book. As all life manuals are." – Jay Squires – novelist
Toni Morrison (may she rest in peace,) describes and even celebrates “The hell it puts the reader through” as being exactly the point of it.
Ernest Hemingway went so far as to praise Huckleberry by writing that “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”
The morsel that I want to talk about today is a moment that really sets off the overarching theme of freedom. Before we get to that moment let’s talk about the main theme.
What both Huck and Jim seek is freedom. The setting of the Mississippi river gave Twain an opportunity to contrast and throw into conflict the protagonist’s floating log raft, sleeping under the stars style of freedom with the existing civilization along the mighty river.
Both Huck and Jim seek freedom but they have different ideas about what that freedom looks like.
Jim wants freedom from literal slavery and to an existence that will allow him to be with his wife and children.
Huck on the other hand has discovered that while escaping an abusive father to live with Widow Douglas, may have afforded him freedom from his father’s violence, in his mind he was now well fed and well-dressed but with a figurative collar and leash attached to himself.
Then he was kidnapped by his father and he was back to literal captivity in an isolated place where he was physically abused and locked up whenever his father went to town.
Between stimulus and response there is a space.
Huck’s dad going off to town for supplies was the stimulus.
Huck faking his own death and running away from not only the hut but the whole town was his response.
The space between was where his decisions were made.
We have a freedom to choose our responses.
Choice is an indispensable element of freedom.
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. – Amelia Earheart
Now, the argument could be made, and I’m sure followers of Kantian ethics would make it, that in escaping the clutches of his legal guardian and faking his own death, Huck made a wrong decision being that he was acting dishonestly.
“What’s the use you learning to do right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?”
Huck muses on this question as he struggles with the dilemma that would see him doing the strictly speaking honest thing (turning Jim over to the escaped slave hunters,) or lying to keep him safe from recapture.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, complicates our standard teachings of right and wrong.
The morality that Huck Finn abides by has more to do with following his heart and his gut instincts than strict definitions of right and wrong.
If Huck hadn’t made that choice in the space between stimulus and response, how might his and Jim’s life ended up?
Let’s talk about George McFly.
George was an overthinker. He was a bit gawky and dorky. And he was toes to eye-balls full of self-doubt.
When his son Marty went back in time and caught up with his none the wiser teenage Dad, he son saw in George potential but realised that those fitting adjectives were holding him back.
Now, if you haven’t seen the film – firstly – what the? Second – spoiler alert –
Marty unwittingly stuffs up an important moment in his parent’s timeline when George was to almost literally fall into his future wife’s arms. Instead, Marty ends up becoming the twinkle in his own mother’s eye. Yeah that sounds weird.
Marty realises that he now needs to help get the timeline back on track or he and his siblings will never be born.
George has lost his accidental opportunity to date and initiate the path to marriage. Now he must take control of the situation but the problem is as we indicated earlier – the guy has no confidence around girls, especially Lorraine who he is infatuated with.
There are 2 big moments in George’s attempts to woo Lorraine that set him on a path to reaching his potential, a potential which would exceed the position he was in as his former future self.
- George and Marty had come up with a plan to make George look like a hero at the school dance. The plan went awry though and hapless George found himself facing the large and fierce town bully Biff. Biff was sexually abusing Lorraine and when caught by George gave George the opportunity to just walk away.
George had a decision to make. He could walk away with his face intact and pretend he hadn’t seen anything, or he could stand up to Biff and defend Lorraine’s honour.
He chose the later. With a clenched fist he swung an almighty punch which landed cleanly on Biff’s jaw – knocking him out.
This got him the girl – not the violence per se – but the willingness to put his timidity to the side and stand up for what was right. At least initially. When dancing with Lorraine at Enchanted Under the Sea, he almost reverted back into his old, weaker self when another boy intimidatingly cut in their dance. As he walked away from the confrontation we see that this just about ended the idea that Marty and his siblings would ever exist.
But then he realised something – THIS was his moment and it was a moment that he could never retrieve and likely never repeat.
There is a Balance that must be found between thought and action and most of us find that to be a real challenge.
Sometimes we spend an inordinate amount of time imagining what our event, project, creation whatever – is going to look like and be like – we could be worrying about every problem that may pop up or on the other end of the spectrum dwelling on and daydreaming about how wonderful it’s going to be
Thinking and planning is a necessary phase. But so is action.
George found himself in the right place at the right time, but history would only consider it the right place and time if he made use of the opportunity that was presented.
George had made a decision to act – but he still had to act. He had to do it with tremendous discomfort as it went against his very nature. We can only guess what may or may not have happened due to inaction but we can always analyse the ripple effects of action.
As Gregg Krech writes in his book The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology, external reality remains exactly the same after your decision to ask someone out, to write a book, or leave your job. What matters is “creating ripples”, as he puts it — actions, however tiny, that alter things in the world outside your head.
Inaction is an expensive habit.
Dale Carnegie said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
See Action on the other, no matter how big or small leads to Momentum and will animate your life.
It can be really uncomfortable to take action but that’s okay. The lack of comfort in the process of taking action transforms into confidence. That’s how it was with gawky George and that’s how it can work for each of us.
I’ll share our final thoughts from the great Charles Dickens
This is a world of action, and not for moping and droning in.
Music by Mayan Fox
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“Forget the hearse coz I never die.”
Bon Scott, whose real name was Ronald, was born in Scotland in 1946 before moving with his family to Australia in 1952. The name Bon was a nickname given by his classmates and was a play on ‘Bonnie Scotland’.
In his late teens Bon spent a short time in Fremantle Prison's assessment centre and nine months at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution. These stints were a result of charges of giving a false name and address to the police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful carnal knowledge, and stealing 12 gallons of petrol. He attempted to join the Australian Army, but was rejected and deemed "socially maladjusted"
As we know his main legacy is his music.
Before his death in 1980, with ACDC he wrote and recorded 7 albums including the international version of High Voltage which was a mix of the first 2 Australian release albums ‘High Voltage’ and ‘TNT’.
In a poignant twist Bon’s last recording was an improv jam on the ACDC blues rock ballad, and arguably one of their best songs ‘Ride On’ which he jammed with some friends from the French band ‘Trust’. It’s a song about reflecting on mistakes but moving on and trying to create something better to leave behind.
Broke another promise
And I broke another heart
But I ain't too young to realize
That I ain't too old to try
Try to get back to the start
Days later he was found dead – a result of acute alcohol poisoning.
His legacy didn’t end with his own albums though, he had also hyped up Brian Johnson while he was alive to the rest of ACDC and told then how much he admired him as a front-man. This gave comfort to the band to carry on with Brian as their lead singer and the album that followed, which was a tribute to Bon, is to date ACDCs biggest selling album and not only that but the 2nd highest selling album of all time behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller – or 3rd if you include the Eagles Greatest Hits compilation.
Most of us want to leave a positive, indelible mark on this world. We want to know that people left behind feel that our life mattered. We want to leave something behind that can influence the future.
In considering what we want our legacy to be it need not come with the idea that it must be something so large that it incites a pilgrimage. We need not leave behind world or even local fame.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said ““To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
If we make a conscious decision to leave a positive legacy, no matter grand or how simple we can start purposefully building it.
How do we want to be remembered?
Coming to a knowledge of what we would like our legacy to be allows us to consider our steps. It can help us to avoid recidivism, of repeating an stupid moves and undesirable behaviour.
It can help us see more clearly the world we are creating. It can help us understand our life’s purpose. It can help us to realise that our life does matter.
What Will Your Verse Be?
in his poem ‘O me! O life!” Walt Whitman ponders his life’s meaning
O me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer:
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
We all have a verse to contribute. It might come in the form of a book, a charity, a life of volunteering, mentorship, artwork, crafts, a garden, stories, a blog, a movement…
It need not be a platinum record, it’s just that reminder that puts a smile on the face of those who are left behind and helps them to lead better lives and want to leave their own legacies.
I’ll let Author Ray Bradbury give us our concluding thoughts.
“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way. . . and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there.”
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was an instant success and has gone on to sell over 40 million copies and has been translated into 40 languages. It is a classic of modern American literature and won the Pulitzer Prize.
It is written from the perspective of a child, Jean-Louise Finch, nickname: Scout. Scout narrates her story as an adult looking back on her existence in Depression-era South from ages 6-9 and the view she had at that time and place of race and justice.
On a personal note, this is one of my favourite novels and I even convinced my wife to give our youngest daughter the middle name Scout. I almost got her to agree to it as a first name but the fact that her brother had a dog named Scout threw a spanner in those works.
One of the great things about To Kill a Mockingbird is it’s cast of beautifully ugly, fascinating characters. Mrs. Dubose is one of them. She's a disturbingly sour old lady. She sits on her front porch and viciously hurls abuse at Scout and her brother Jem any time they walk past her house.
The natural tendency for many of us – at least I might say that mine might be – to throw some spite bombs back at her – let them land in her shawl covered lap where it is rumoured that she hides a confederate pistol. Watch her explode.
Atticus the hero of our story, has been blessed with empathy and patience. Coupled with the wisdom of experience and inside knowledge, rather than ripping into Mrs. Dubose, (which with his intellect and lawyerly rhetoric he could do with ease,) He instead would, as he passed her house each day, he respectfully takes off his hat and wishes her a courteous and joyful “good afternoon”.
This is what incites Scout to proclaim that “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”
To Scout’s mind, her Dad was like a knight taking a birthday cake to a dragon and inviting it to blow out the candles.
She saw his ability to remain charming and controlled as powerful. She was right.
Atticus had his own idea about what he saw as bravery.
He knew that Mrs. Dubose was ultimately harmless but that her personality had been afflicted in the final steps of her life’s journey by intense pain. He never excused her abuse but he was able to provide context and give his children and opportunity to learn empathy.
Dubose was addicted to morphine and she had vowed to quit and become clean before she died.
After she passed away Atticus explained that she had been battling a terminal illness that caused her extreme agony. She had been taking morphine to ease the pain but realised that she had become dependent and so by her own volition had stopped taking the painkiller. She knew that the disease would get her in the end morphine or not but she wanted to die a woman free of her addiction. With this knowledge the children were able to understand that her willingness to compound the pains of her illness with the pains of withdrawal in exchange for a short moment of freedom, was indeed a courageous decision.
"Real courage, explains Atticus, is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin any-way and you see it through no matter what."
The Atticus lesson came at a time when his son Jem, who was almost a young adult, was beginning to face the social definitions, stereotypes and conventional teachings of what it means to be a man. A definition that tells us that courage has its own spotlight.
In the sageness of Atticus, courage is a decision. It is a decision to enable moral courage. In many cases it is a decision to do something that may have negative effect on the enactors life but they do it believing that what they are doing is the right thing to do.
With that said, the list of positives far out-weigh the negatives because with each courageous decision we make, we are resigning from what we are and stepping towards what we can become. I believe that with every moment of courage, a person’s mind expands and becomes more capacious; a person’s posture improves, stature increases, confidence grows and the spirit rises to new planes, in a state of liberation.
Thank you for listening.
Nate Hamon
Intro and Outro Music: Lioness by Mayan Fox
Fair warning – In today’s episode we are going to talk about death in a candid and forthright way.
Originally titled, simply, ‘Star Wars’, this film was retroactively given the title ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’. It is the first installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, the first of the franchise to be produced, and the fourth episode of the "Skywalker saga".
As always, there will be spoilers:
The moment we are pulling out of the film to take a lesson from is when Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi is battling one of film history’s greatest and most iconic bad guys, Darth Vader. Midst battle Obi Wan was taunted by Darth and in response, likely in acceptance of his inevitable demise, the sagacious Jedi returned serve with a warning;
“Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Obi Wan had in life learned a technique from his mentor Qui-gon Jin that would allow him, after death to continue to communicate with the living. So could Ben have considered his ability to be a kind of 'spirit guide' as being more powerful than his physical presence in the world?
Partially I think. That coupled with a moment of realisation that occurred just before he was killed. Obi-Wan, turns and notices Luke. Luke has to this point not quite understood the gravity of accepting and pursuing his role in the fate of the galaxy. In noticing Luke, in that short but lucid moment I think Obi sees a motivational opportunity. He isn’t scared of his own death but rather is scared of the death of everything he stands for and fights for. He knows that Luke is the hero needed for the time, for the rebellion to succeed and so if witnessing his mentor’s death at the hands of Darth Vader will drive Luke into accepting his role as a future Jedi Master and subsequently battle and bring down the evil empire, then he will, through Luke, become more powerful.
Death as a motivator is a theme that is used in a lot of the Star Wars films from, Obi-Wan training Anakin after Qui-Gon Jinn is killed by Darth Maul to Rey staying the course and searching for Luke Skywalker after Han is killed by Kylo Ren.
It can be very hard to accept but life and death go hand in hand. Whether you believe in the afterlife or that death is the full stop in a person’s life one thing is true; death is only the end of a chapter. Just because 1 character dies doesn’t mean the story has ended. The book continues to be written on the pages that follow and the characters that have come and gone can continue to influence the story.
Obi Wan’s death was a motivator for Luke - how can we use death as a motivator?
When my granddad recently died at the young age of 100, many of us lost a close friend and an inspirational figure. The days that followed saw family gathering and sharing stories of his many escapes from death, his adventurous lifestyle and his powerful work ethic. In the mix was discussions of his many faults and failings. There was no political correctness or fear of insulting the dead because that would have been a dishonest remembrance and Granddad being someone who had no trouble speaking his mind would have come back to haunt us. But what was discovered was that everything he did rippled into our existences and speaking for myself, I found motivation as I used the excuse of his death to remember his life.
So how can we take the opportunity that death presents, to become more life motivated?
-
Gather the Lessons Left Behind.
The body may join the earth below but the lessons remain. It’s up to us what we learn from those lessons, or whether we learn anything at all.
In an age where multiple incessant distractions have become a real threat to productivity, and our attention spans have become shortened, the death of a loved one can be a good opportunity to pause and consider the expanse of their physical existence and pull lessons from their life into yours. -
Get Some Perspective
The death of a loved one is a great time to pause and gain perspective on what really matters in life. How quickly do any petty concerns we might have with someone melt away when they pass. Little disturbances disappear, we become less myopic and for a time, if we allow it and don’t withdraw into ourselves, we can see things with a greater scope. -
Realise the Value of Time
There’s nothing like a death to force a revisitation of the adages “life is short” or “you never know when you’re gonna go”. It’s hard to stay motivated when consequences are delayed because action is delayed. When the delay is because of our own inaction then regrets can be debilitating. We don’t need to fool ourselves into thinking that we need to play catch up for years of procrastination though. It’s the next move forward that matters most. -
Consider How Indelible Your Impression Will Be
What impact did your loved one have on you? What impression will you leave on others? Rarely if ever is a funeral rife with talk of all the expensive clothes the person purchased or how big their house was. That is fine and impressive in life but in death it is more often the substance of a person that is discussed. It is how a person made you think and feel that leaves the strongest mark.
I'll leave you with a quote from author and more Jack Kerouac.
"I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life, but that great consciousness of life."