TheWorstHorse.net's blog

New on the Horse: Ethan Nichtern on going “low-res” this New Year

2008-01-01T01:20:43Z

Hey everyone, Happy Arbitrary New Year! Ring it in with Interdependence Project founder Ethan Nichtern in his first piece for The Worst Horse, just posted for you.

Just go to the Horse’s homepage: http://theworsthorse.net.

Thanks, and enjoy a low-res 2008.

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Body Vows: Erin's (beautiful!) foot tattoo

2007-12-27T15:40:20Z

Erinfoot-tattoo-dec07

Worst Horse reader Erin sends this pic of her new tattoo:

Here is another practice tattoo I just got.

It is the Dharma Wheel, I got it to remind me of the Noble Eightfold Path. The artist is Conan Lea.

Thanks for sending it, Erin -- it's gorgeous. (And so is Lea's other work!)

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INLAND EMPIRE: More of a David Lynch/Dharma connection?

2007-12-26T02:35:19Z

Inland-empire-dec07

Fans of David Lynch, of Twin Peaks, of Dharma in films -- and of JUST PLAIN AWESOME FILMMAKING -- might be interested to know:

In Lynch's newest film INLAND EMPIRE (he asks that it always be written in caps like that), there's a scene very much like the one we detailed in the beginning of our latest feature, "The Owls Are Not What They Seem: The Dharma of Twin Peaks' Dale Cooper."

In fact, it's just like it -- making the same Buddhist reference -- only in a super-condensed way.

And yes, we know Lynch isn't a Buddhist (he's a Transcendental Meditation practitioner) but he clearly has received at least a little inspiration from the Dharma.

And while we're at it, here's a thread comprising a Buddhist take on the (very complicated, confounding, and again, AWESOME) movie, from the INLAND EMPIRE message-board.

It probably won't make any sense if you haven't seen the film. But you should see it, so hey.

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What has Garry Shandling learned?

2007-12-26T02:24:52Z

The new (January 2008) issue of Esquire is the "What I've Learned" issue, wherein famous (and not-so) people share, well, what they've learned. Among them is comedian Garry Shandling, who along with a couple of jokes -- "Smoothies might be fattening. Especially the ones made with frozen yogurt and gin." -- lets a wee bit of his Buddhist side show with one very simple "What I've learned" entry:

"Impermanence. Impermanence. Impermanence."

Short and to the point, that.

...For more on Shandling and his Buddhist practice, check out our feature, "Hey Now! It's Garry Shandling's Meditative Search for The Real Thing."

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Wu-Tang forever! / Heart Sutra recitation on new album

2007-12-23T14:34:33Z

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Just got the new Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. Meant to get it the moment it came out, and somehow didn't. What was I thinking? This album is great.

And as a special surprise bonus, it turns out that there's a recitation (in Mandarin) of the Heart Sutra at the end of the final track, "Life Changes." The track is a tribute to fallen Wu-Tang member -- and arguably one of the most unusual and greatest MCs ever -- Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Of course, you have to also deal with the usual language about ho's and such -- and more throughout the album that I really don't feel like typing up -- but then, that's the thing about the Wu: they make albums that mish-mash elements of spirituality and martial arts (Divine Mathematics, Buddhism, tai chi, kung fu, taoism) with all the other lyrical stuff that is almost boilerplate in East Coast rap.

Sometimes (often, really) they really nail it anyhow. Except for a couple of tracks, that's pretty much the case with 8 Diagrams.

Wu-Tang forever! ODB, R.I.P.

(You can download "Life Changes," and the rest of 8 Diagrams here.)

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Dharma-Burger! The "Zen Bear" shirt

2007-12-22T15:28:56Z

ZEN_BEART

In his recent one-man show titled (ever appropriately) "This Filthy World," filmmaker John Waters talked at length about the gay-culture phenomenon of "bears." If you don't know what a bear is, Waters might not be surprised (that is, if you're not gay). His (facetious) contention is that it's something that no straight person knows about.

Bears are, generally, hairy men who might be a bit heavyset. Like, say, the one meditating in the graphic of the "Zen Bear" t-shirt (left). It's a whole subculture of the gay world.

No real judgment to pass here; all I have to say is that this has got to be one of the most oddly specific Dharma-Burgers yet!

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Dharma-Burger! "Enlightenmints"

2007-12-21T16:53:23Z

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Thanks to Horse reader Ilene, who sends this great new Dharma-Burger. She writes:

Saw this and had to send it on to you. And to think I've been meditating all this time and all I had to do to reach enlightenment was eat a mint. Who knew?
Ilene

P.S.
Love your website. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for that, Ilene, and thanks for the tip!

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"Twin Peaks" Dharma? -- A new feature on TheWorstHorse.net

2007-12-20T02:28:57Z

Just posted a new article for you all: The Owls Are Not What They Seem: The Dharma of Twin Peaks' Dale Cooper.

Dharma-of-dale-cooper

Just go to TheWorstHorse's homepage, here.

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"New York" doesn't "Love" "Buddha"

2007-12-19T03:06:14Z

Iloveny2

Well, it had to end sometime. In last night's final episode of "I Love New York 2," the show's titular queen made her pick from her remaining would-be suitors.

While she couldn't deny that "Buddha is hot, sexy, and big" (eccch!), in the end she picked his rival, the weasel-y "Tailor-Made."

I have a feeling, though, that this isn't the last we'll see of "Buddha." After all, I Love New York 2 was a spin-off of I Love New York (duh) and that show was a spin-off of Flavor of Love.

Oh, please, please, please, VH1 -- give us a "Buddha Love" spin-off!

(And if there was such a show, dear readers -- what would you call it?)

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Yeah, we got crazy links for you.

2007-12-19T02:00:29Z

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New on The Worst Horse's homepage:

* The "gold plated Buddhist cell phone for monks"

* What happens when you cross the Buddha with the Michelin man?

* The mighty band Mission of Burma to play Boston-area show for -- what else? -- Burma!

* Cool: cartoonist Joe Matt is a Buddhist

* Noah Levine's Falling Fruit interview: brought to you in part by The Worst Horse

* Rapping monks, nuns hit the catwalk to promote Buddhism

* DharmaCrafts' Dyan Eagles on BusinessWeek.com

* NY Times: "Mindful" scrubbing and vacuuming

* Guardian (UK): Buddhist retreat for caregivers

* Dalai Lama to invade China? Well, in Chris Elliott's mind, he is.

* "Courtney Love: Chanting Buddhist" (via Huffington Post)

Check it all on http://theworsthorse.net

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