A few weeks back, I was gifted with some things from friends and relatives and I want to share them with you. But please be warned that my tastes are kinda eclectic and is hardly mainstream and so you may not readily resonate with some of them. But then again, who knows? If you’ve been enjoying this blog, we may have a lot more in common than I am presuming. So here goes.

1) Ali G—I got this DVD from my sister and finally got to watch it last night. My God!! This guy is outrageously funny! Talk about reality television. He actually goes and interviews famous and respectable people—politicians, scientists, religious leaders, celebrities, etc.. The clincher is, he does so sometimes as a really stupid, idiotic, hip-hop inner city guy, an Austrian fashionista or a dubious celebrity from Kazahkztan named Borat! Imagine Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump, UN General-Secretary Boutros Boutros-Ghali, US Surgeon General Evert Coop, etc. sitting, or squirming through an interview with someone who asks the most inane, offensive questions and watch them suppress great annoyance and disbelief! Ginagago niya ang mga sikat!! What a way to get back at celebrities. The guy is pure genius. Two thumbs and two toes up!!

2) Kosmic Consciousness—-This is a gift I received from Rommel de Leon a.k.a. coolmel. This is a 10 CD set of conversations with perhaps the greatest philosopher, psychologist, pandit of our time. Listening to it is like sitting with an intelligent, ebullient person who talks about his life work with great erudition, heart and humor. Admittedly, if you are not at all familiar with his works, this may not be your cup of tea. He covers the whole spectrum of what gets into our consciousness. I am already on my third listen and I am still learning a lot. It’s good to listen to it and discuss with others. If you are interested, let me know. Maybe we can arrange something. But again. let me warn you that you may find it heavy listening.

3) THIS BOOK by Mitchell Simons—Reviewed as ‘more interesting than the bible’, it’s a thick book of esoteric facts galore! It’s actually hard to put down once you open it. But, right after you close it, you can’t seem to remember anything! Thanks for this, Ala!

4) Awakening At Midlife by Kathleen A. Brehoney—This is a wonderful book that explores a topic that anyone in midlife should be facing but hesitates to. It is a fascinating look at the second half of life where one can live more truly and fully than ever. There is so much more to each person than he/she has ever dared to know. Midlife is the time to meet and reconcile all aspects of oneself including both the light and the dark. A perfect gift for anyone over 40 or experiencing great unhappiness, ennui, boredom or confusion! Bettina, Salamat! Ganda nito talaga.

5) Skype—This is software which you can download free from the net. It allows you to talk to anyone in the world for free as long both of you are subscribed. I’ve been using it to talk to my sister and it is so easy to use and the reception is crystal clear. Thanks to Greg, my techie brother-in-law.

6) The Meaning of Life, And Now For Something Different—Two DVDs of Monty Python’s classic films. I saw them in the early 80s and I was laughing my head off then. Hanggang ngayon nakakatawa pa rin!

7) Grace and Grit by Ken Wilber—A true story of love in the time of cancer as journeyed through by Ken Wilber and his late wife Treya who was diagnosed with breast cancer a few days after their wedding. Ken, the same guy I mentioned above weaves the narrative with so much insight, love and compassion while sharing with us the depth and breadth of his own eastern spirituality. A great read! Again thanks to Bettina whose generosity spreads to everyone she meets.

Lastly, due to reactions from my previous post, I would like to announce that I will be holding the 27th run of my creativity workshop, Tapping the Creative Universe (TCU) which I talked about previously. The dates are February 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28 at 7 to 9 PM. Venue is at the Partnership Center, 59 C. Salvador St., Loyola Heights, QC. If you are interested, write to me at jimparedes@gmail.com and I will send you a syllabus and answer all queries. Hey, maybe it’s really YOUR time to be there!It will be a long time before I run this again.

Gassho!

Jim