Tuesday, February 2, 2010

“"It just doesn't matter!": The philosophy of Bill Murray - A.V. Club” plus 3 more

“"It just doesn't matter!": The philosophy of Bill Murray - A.V. Club” plus 3 more

"It just doesn't matter!": The philosophy of Bill Murray - A.V. Club

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 11:29 AM PST

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They say all humor has a grain of truth to it (which means "they" have clearly never watched an episode of Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!). Our best comedians have always understood this, using comedy as a means for providing punchline after punchline to the longest running gag ever written: human existence. Of these thinking man's wits, Bill Murray is one of the most dedicated: He's done everything from dropping Dalai Lama riffs in the middle of Caddyshack to scaling a mountain to seek enlightenment in The Razor's Edge, while even taking a few years off from acting to study philosophy at the Sorbonne. It's no accident, then, that so many of his films—beneath Murray's veneer of world-weariness and sarcastic asides—recall the same existential questions that have been posed by sages since the dawn of the word "why." In honor of Groundhog Day (and Groundhog Day), here are some of Murray's deepest thoughts, couched in some of his funniest movies.

The Buddhism of Groundhog Day
Though everyone from secular self-help therapists to Catholics have claimed it as their own, Groundhog Day is especially beloved by the Buddhists, who view it as an illustration of the notion of "samsara"—the endless cycle of birth and rebirth that can only be escaped when one achieves total enlightenment. In the film, Murray's sarcastic, self-serving weatherman is forced to repeat a single day out of his life until he comes to terms with the Four Noble Truths: 1) Life is suffering (but that doesn't mean you have to add to it by being a jerk). 2) The origin of suffering is attachment to desire (so don't spend your days robbing banks, stuffing your face with danishes, and trying to bamboozle your way into Andie MacDowell's pants). 3) There is a way out (by dedicating your time to bettering yourself), and 4) it involves following the "eightfold path," which means revoking self-indulgence and becoming a "bodhisattva"—someone who acquires skills and uses them in the selfless service of others (like changing an old lady's tire, saving kids who fall out of trees, and performing the Heimlich maneuver on a choking victim). As a result of Murray's generous acts, he receives the love of the whole town—a oneness with the universe—and is allowed to evolve past the cycle of samsara to nirvana. In this case, "nirvana" means renting a house in rural Pennsylvania and waking up next to Andie MacDowell every day, but hey, whatever makes him happy.

The "amor fati" of Ghostbusters
A favorite expression of Nietzsche, "amor fati" refers to an attitude of acceptance toward one's fate—that even suffering and loss should be embraced, as they are all part of one's destiny. In Ghostbusters, Murray's Peter Venkman goes with the flow of fate like no other: Faced with the sudden closure of his paranormal research department, he revels in it as an opportunity, memorably saying, "Call it fate, call it luck, call it karma. I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump." Venkman's abiding faith in predestination allows him to confront even the ugliest of horrors—like the dead rising from their graves and smearing ectoplasm on everything in sight—with an unflappable cool that verges on stoicism, the most extreme version of amor fati. That's why he can deal with everything from the constant threat of bankruptcy to rejection by Sigourney Weaver (and her later transformation into a demon dog) to an imminent apocalypse at the hands of a Sumerian god, armed with nothing beyond stoic self-confidence and a bottomless arsenal of sarcastic quips. (And okay, proton packs.)

The existential nihilism of Meatballs
The idea that life is meaningless—and that free will is thus an illusion, given the utter senselessness of making any choices at all—has plagued philosophers ever since man first set useless pen to pointless paper. In centuries past, some writers have taken this to the extreme, arguing for suicide as the only solution, but others take a more existentialist tack, arguing that embracing that fundamental meaninglessness is an act of liberation. Take Arthur Schopenhauer, who (despite the negative, dismissive connotations of his advocating "pessimism") argued that looking at life optimistically required intellectual dishonesty, and coming to terms with meaninglessness was the first step toward pursuing the basic human compassion that is our only true purpose. Those ideas form the basis of one of Murray's most stirring, endlessly-adaptable-to-our-times monologues, a postmodern philosophical treatise delivered to North Star campers fearing another Olympiad trouncing by the rich kids at the Mohawk.

The Socratic wisdom/embrace of ignorance of The Man Who Knew Too Little
A way of life espoused by sandal-wearing philosophy majors and monologuing stoners everywhere, the notion of "wisest is he who knows he does not know" from Plato's Apology is perhaps best exemplified by Murray in the 1997 espionage spoof The Man Who Knew Too Little. Murray plays Wallace Ritchie, the personification of blissful ignorance. Ritchie decides to celebrate his birthday by flying all the way from Des Moines to surprise his brother James in London with a visit. James, on the verge of closing a big deal with some German businessmen, decides to get rid of his brother by sending him off to enjoy an evening of interactive experimental theater that takes place in the real world. Only, Ritchie never connects with the "The Theater Of Life," and instead winds up receiving a call intended for a hit man that sends him down the path of unwittingly being the biggest enemy of conspirators seeking to bring about the second Cold War. Ritchie's belief that everything he's experiencing isn't real grants him a kind of audacious invincibility—he's able to bluff his way out of torture, not notice being shot at, and avoid getting arrested, all by virtue of believing everything that's happening isn't real.

The asceticism of Scrooged and Rushmore
As practiced by certain sects of Hinduism, Jainists, and even Christians who reject the ideas of "prosperity theology" (and actually, you know, listen to Jesus), asceticism involves a conscious abstaining from worldly pleasures in favor of focusing on one's spiritual life. While he doesn't end up wandering the desert in sackcloth eating only what may fall into his bowl, Murray does arrive at these basic tenets of asceticism in two of his most popular roles: In Scrooged, Murray's Frank Cross is dedicated to success no matter the cost to his basic humanity, until a night of being tormented by spirits—who are really just manifestations of his own conscience—opens his eyes to the simpler joys of "putting a little love in your heart" and helping your fellow man. In Rushmore, Murray's Herman Blume is a self-made tycoon with his own multimillion-dollar business and the lifestyle to match, yet he's crippled by ennui, and despairing over the alienation he feels toward his family. Pursuit of a truer definition of love eventually tears his world apart—and wrecks him both financially and physically—but by movie's end, Blume has undergone a total spiritual reawakening, and seems to have found happiness at last in his total unburdening.

The Pagliacci-ism of Quick Change
Crying-on-the-inside types have long related to Pagliacci, the classic opera first performed in 1892 about a lonely, jealous clown who murders his wife. Everyone from Smokey Robinson to Tony Soprano have name-checked the quintessential sad funnyman, but nobody embodies the archetype as perfectly and completely as Murray, who cast himself as an actual clown for his (so far) only directorial effort, 1990's Quick Change. Murray plays the appropriately named Grimm, a stone-faced goofball who masterminds a successful bank robbery in Manhattan only to foul up the protracted getaway. While Quick Change was co-directed by screenwriter Howard Franklin, the movie's painfully wry worldview is pure Murray: Failure is inevitable, and seeing the humor in this doesn't make it any less soul-crushing. 

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Alex Calderwood’s Design Philosophy Hinges on Carefully Chosen ... - Nymag.com

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 10:46 AM PST

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Alex Calderwood in the Ace Hotel lobby.

Alex Calderwood in the Ace Hotel lobby.Photo: Melissa Hom

As the creative mind behind the growing Ace Hotel chain, Alex Calderwood has established himself as one of the country's most innovative boutique hoteliers (he prefers "cultural engineer"). Though he presides over a growing empire, including Ace outposts in Seattle, Portland, Palm Springs, and New York, Calderwood credits his inventive design approach to creative collaborative efforts (Kaws, Roman & Williams) and an advantageous sense of naiveté. Fittingly, he has followed an untraditional career path over the years, from concert- and party-promoting in Seattle to dealing dead-stock vintage clothing to founding the marketing and graphic-design firm NeverStop. In 1992, he launched Rudy's Barbershop, a throwback-hip men's grooming shop in Seattle (a precursor to Freemans); the chain has since expanded to over a dozen locations throughout the West Coast. This spring, he'll unveil the first Rudy's in New York on the first floor of the Ace Hotel, along with new retail spaces for downtown-cool clothiers Opening Ceremony and Project No. 8 next week. We talked to Calderwood about vintage clothing, the art of clutter, and his upcoming foray into retail.

How did the partnership with Opening Ceremony and Project No. 8 come about?
We appreciated a sort of independent spirit and intuitive curatorial eye in each of them. Both have a really strong collaborative approach to what they do, which is the way we like to work.

The area around the new Ace Hotel [at West 29th Street and Broadway] isn't necessarily known for high-end stores. Are the retail collaborations meant to lure the fashion set?
Ace is very sort of egalitarian; we like to think of ourselves as inclusive, not exclusive. But I think it's more about the editorial point of view of Opening Ceremony and Project No. 8; I think they'll be very complementary to each other and the neighborhood. In some respect, it's sort of an underserved area.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?
I think if you look at all of the hotels, there is still a relatively clean aesthetic. It's a little bit spare, in a sense, but there's also well-edited, carefully chosen clutter.

Who are your favorite designers?
I've always been very inspired by Margiela, and I love A.P.C. There's also a new line out of L.A. called Apolis Activism, which was started by three brothers. I really love what they're doing — there's a special energy behind it.

Where do you like to shop?
Stock Vintage in the East Village is really well edited. And I just heard about this soccer supply store up on East 90th Street that I'm dying to go to. I don't play anymore, but I love the graphics of soccer. I find inspiration in a lot of different places.

How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is pretty simple. I love jeans and dress shirts; it's a really good feeling when you put on a crisp dress shirt. At this point in my life, I literally wear Levi's every day, with minimal exceptions.

What trends are you appreciating right now?
The most interesting stuff is really the vintage downtown stuff. If I have to think of all my favorite things I wear over the years, it's probably things I've found. And a lot of times the fabric quality is actually better than what you find today, like with vintage military wools.

What's one item you're saving to buy?
I've actually been spending a lot of time in Palm Springs recently, and there's a really fantastic thrift scene out there. I have my eye on a table that I want to ship back to New York: It's this really big, low table made of a piece of salvaged wood.

What should every guy have in his closet?
A good set of wingtips.

What's something you never leave the house without?
Last time I was in New York, I bought a Matt Brown wallet at the Smile. I never used to carry a wallet, but now I use it every day.

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Orlando Magic: New Philosophy Working, Yet Inconsistent - Bleacherreport.com

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:35 AM PST

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Upside: Has been aggressively defending his players all year and seems to still have that winning fire to his coaching style.

Downs:
-Let his athletes redefine who he was when he got the Heat and Magic all the way up to The Finals: A gritty, unsatisfied, and grumpy man.
-Became "Jolly-Old" Stan. This isn't who got us to The Finals last year, and the "true" fans of the franchise want Stan Van "Grumpy" back, to stay!
-This team has so much depth and talent that there is no way that Brandon Bass, and our bench should not be in the game more often. I say this as a spectator but when he's on the court, I always see Bass skying for a rebound. His stats could be huge if we could start him a little bit over Barnes this season.

Solution(s):
-Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat are not turnover prone and aren't playing enough! Get him in there!
-More playing time for Anthony Johnson would be nice if Jameer can't play. He's a little taller than our other PGs and could really play well if given more minutes.

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Academica Press,LLC Announces New Addition to History and Ideas Series - PRLog (free press release)

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 11:57 AM PST

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PR Log (Press Release) – Feb 02, 2010 – ACADEMICA

ACADEMICA PRESS, LLC

BOX 60728* Cambridge Station*Palo Alto,CA 94306*T/F 650-329-0685 * E Academicapress@gmail.com

For Immediate Release

Press Release – February 2nd,2010

ACADEMICA PRESS INTRODUCES MONOGRAPH SERIES:

HISTORY AND IDEAS


Academica Press is proud to announce publication of the first two volumes in a new monograph series, History and Ideas, under the editorship of Professor Paul Du Quenoy D/History, American University Beirut. We continue to expand this series and would welcome proposals and manuscripts.


Hallucinating The End of History: Nishida, Zen, and the Psychedelic Eschaton (ISBN

1-933146-28-1) by Eric Cunningham explores and describes the historical continuities and relationships between 20th Century Zen Buddhism and the postwar psychedelic movement and postmoderm eschatology. Release: May 2007, HI Series,No.1


Transfigured Light: Philosophy, Science and the Hermetic Imaginary (ISBN 1-933146-27-3) by Leon Marvell investigates and reexamines the ideas generated by the Hermetic tradition (the hermetic imaginary) to discuss the effects of this tradition on philosophy and science. Release: June 2007,HI Series,No.2


Walter Benjamin's Transit :A Destructive Tour of Modernism(ISBN 1-933146-73-7)by

Stephanie Polsky attempts a radical rethinking of critical approaches to Benjamin and explores a new set of philosophical and political coordinates viable for a current rethinking of fascism.

Release July 2010,No.3


And also

The Decline of Nature : Environmental History and the Western Worldview( ISBN 978193314640-9)by Gilbert F.LaFreniere.

"The virtue of this monograph is threefold: it ingeniously connects the latest findings in environmental science to the broad stream of cultural history; it exposes the flaws inherent in western attitudes about nature, especially the destructive, providential "idea of nature; and revives the much neglected field of speculative philosophy of history"

Dr.Klaus Fischer, author of "Oswald Spengler and the Decline of the West" and "Nazi Germany: A New History"

Academica Press continues to seek monographs of any topic within this series, and specifically the areas of intellectual history and philosophy of science. Please direct inquiries to:


ACADEMICA PRESS, LLC

Contact: Robert Redfern-West, Editorial Director

Box 60827

Cambridge Station

Palo Alto,CA 94306

Telephone (650) 329-0685 - Fax: (650) 329-0685 - E-Mail: academicapress@gmail.com


Academica Press is an independent scholarly press specializing in monographs, revised dissertations, primary sources, bibliographies, textbooks, and other books reflecting scholarship in the humanities and social science.

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