Friday, June 5, 2009

David Carradine's passing June 2009

Now after a period of time I am writing about David Carradine. We still don't know how he left his body and if he was responsible or someone else was. We may never know. Here are my thoughts on him.

I have had the privilege to study Shaolin Kung Fu with a real Shaolin monk and I probably would never have if it weren't for the part David Carradine played in bringing the energy of Shaolin to the USA.

Who was that wandering man in the TV series "Kung Fu?" Why was his hand so steady, when facing a rattlesnake? Why did he never panic even though he faced very difficult situations seemingly every episode? Why was he content to sit on the bare earth and play his flute?

The Chinese in positions of power were afraid of the Shaolin Temple because it produced men with seemingly super powers. There is a lot of talk about High Intensity Interval Training or "HIIT" these days and how healthy it is for you. Shaolin monks have been practicing it for hundreds of years.

One reason I really liked David Carradine was he was so authentic. I have to admit when I first learned of his lifestyle, I was disappointed. Later, I grew to have a different kind of affection for him. He was from an acting family and began acting very early. It wasn't long before he was a star.

He lived his life openly. He smoked and did other things that were not in the character of Caine, who he played on the TV series. Like Cain he seemingly was a stranger in a strange land. In the series Caine comes to a new place every week, but by the end he must leave it. He seems to be wandering forever. In a way I think that's who David Carradine was. Like his character, he studied herbs and Tai Chi and meditation. Was the seemingly permanent smirk on his face David sort of saying "how can you be spiritual and carnal at the same time?" Watch me. Be human! Like many actors, he got better as he matured. He was real and vulnerable in his struggles and I think unashamed of being exactly who he was.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

An interesting gentleman

Here's a really interesting gentleman. ZahiHawass on twitter, current Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Whatever goes on with any dig in Egypt from The Old Kingdom to Alexander the Great's tomb, Mr. Hawass is usually in on it.

You can't deny his passion. I have always loved Ancient Egypt. I once owned a replica of the Temple of Dendur made of cardboard from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The temple was brought here and placed at the Met brick by brick. By the way, Hawass wants every brick returned to Egypt along with many other Egyptian antiquities scattered around the globe.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Walking NYC streets...

I find at least one business card a day on the streets. When I read the writing on the back of a card, I wonder..."a business deal blown?"

Followers