More on Mindfulness

I just completed reading The Power of Mindful Learning. It certainly took a while but I was busy with other stuff. At any rate, it was an eyeopening book, and I plan to read it and Ellen's other major work, Mindfulness, again at some point in the near future. However, I would like to post a few quotations from the book that I thought give further insight into the concept of Mindfulness.

Mindfulness

Controls reality by identifying several possible perspectives from which any situation may be viewed

A process of stepping back from both perceived problems and perceived solutions to view situations as novel

A process through which meaning is given to outcomes

Developed from an actor's ability to experience personal control by shifting perspectives

Depends on the fluidity of knowledge and skills and recognizes both advantages and disadvantages in each

On Hopefulness: update

I would like to add Hopefulness as one of the qualities I admire. I had some reservations about the idea of hopefulness because it struck me as an optimism that obscured reality and, consequently, provided a false sense of comfort. But a person does not have to be blind to reality to be hopeful; hopefulness, in my view, requires basically an optimistic disposition and a willingness to imagine, and believe in, a better outcome. One of my favorite films is Shawshank Redemption, and the remarks at the end are among the most moving I have read or heard: "I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." Hope gives life its meaning and elevates our sense of what's possible.

Live 365

My Lastfm facebook application is down for some reason. Anyway, another site I check out occasionally is live365. Although a paid service, many of the stations are free. I obviously listen to mostly folk and soul, but I also check out tunes from other genres.

http://www.live365.com/index.live

Best Comic Book Based Flick Ever

The Dark Knight was brilliant. Definitely see it, or see it again if you saw it already.

I think EW has it right: it is the best comic book based movie in movie history.

Later on, I will rank my favorite flicks so far this year.

The Eight New Natural Wonders

Surtsey Island, Iceland
Formed by volcanic eruptions in the 1960's, Surtsey was declared a natural reserve in 1965, allowing only a limited number of scientists to the island.

Pierre Vauthey / Corbis



Mount Sangingshan National Park, China
Located in eastern China's Jiangxi province, Sangingshan contains an array of forested and fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area.

John Wang / Getty



Monarch Butterfly Biosphere, Mexico
Every year, millions of monarch butterflies wait for the end of the winter season in close-packed clusters in the Oyamel fir forests.

Danny Lehman / Corbis



Sardona Tectonic Arena, Switzerland
An object of fascination for over 200 years, the region features a break in the Earth's crust, where older rocks rest above younger formations.

Pedro Rosabal / IUCN



Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Canada
The most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life, Joggins is over 300 million years old. The remains of the first reptiles are visible here.

Wesley Hill / IUCN



Saryarka, Kazakhstan
A largely undisturbed area of Central Asian steppe and lakes in the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum state nature reserves, Saryarka is a crucial stopover point for globally threatened species and provides feeding grounds for up to 15 million birds.

Chris Magin / IUCN



Socotra Archipelago, Yemen
Nicknamed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Socotra is host to nearly 700 flora and fauna species not found anywhere else in the world.

Khaled Fazaa / AFP / Getty



New Caledonia, France (Colony)
The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They provide habitat to a number of threatened fish and marine mammals.

Lionel Isy-schwart / Getty

Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

TLS Top 100 Movies of all time

The Times Literary Supplement, the acclaimed but overpriced book review, recently came out with its list of top 100 movies. I was happy to see that my favorite flick, Casablanca, was deemed best movie. There were a few surprises, however, like There Will be Blood (which I did not see, but will try to check out as soon as I can) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which I did see, and count as one of my favorites, but did not expect it to be this highly regarded). Also the comments in the "have your say" section highlight other questionable inclusions and omissions. Anyway, without further ado, here is the list.