Sunday, December 30, 2012

Getting in Gear for the New Year



As 2012 comes to an end, we can look back on what the past year meant for us, & wonder what unimaginable things 2013 will have in store.

I try to live each day fully & consciously, with no regrets. I'm fortunate to have relatives & friends to share great times with. My family is very close & we all look forward to the times we are together on vacation or during the holidays.

This holiday season has been no exception, Christmas was alot of fun this year. My nephews are old enough to enjoy all the Xmas craziness. Our holiday dinner & gift-giving were very lively.

I received some excellent Xmas gifts, mostly books, clothes & a couple video games. I already started playing Saints Row the Third, which is like Grand Theft Auto, but even more over the top. So far it really good. On the totally opposite end of the spectrum, I also received 'Journey' which is more of an artistically-inclined title.

I've been playing through the excellent 'Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood' for the last couple months. This weekend, I finally finished the main story to make way for other games. I'll try to write a review of it soon. I previously played 'Assassin's Creed II' & it also took me forever to finish. It takes me so long because I try not to spend alot of my spare time playing games. Also, besides playing all the side missions, I often just wander the virtual spaces in the games- admiring the level of detail & design that goes into these elaborate productions.

I got a few new books I'm looking forward to reading, too. My parents got me "Net of Being", the new book of visionary art by Alex Grey. Here is a recent interview he gave to VICE.com:


Though I've long been familiar with Grey's work, the book is still astonishing in its profound beauty. Several years ago, I was lucky enough to meet Alex & his wife Allyson. They were both great to talk to & Alex signed a print of his painting "The Artist" for me. It's an experience I'll always remember & treasure.



My brothers also got me some great books. One gave me Stephen Colbert's "America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't" which is full of his characteristic ironic humor.

My other brother got me "The Lost Secrets of Maya Technology" which is about the legitimate engineering achievements of the Maya. The technical knowledge of these people has been overshadowed recently by the whole 2012 Calendar hype.
Now that Dec. 21, 2012 has passed... maybe instead of prophecies & end-time predictions, people will focus on the more practical wisdom these people possessed.

There is still much to be learned from the people of ancient cultures. As we continue our journey into the future, it's always important to refer to the mistakes & lessons from history- to continually inform us moving forward.


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