Van Morrison

Van Morrison is notorious for walking off stage after performing just a few songs if he's not feeling the crowd. In the early 70's when my dad saw him at Winterland in San Francisco, he walked off after 5 songs.

This was not the case on May 2, 2009 when we saw Van Morrison at the Greek Theater in Berkley, CA. My dad prayed all morning and I managed my expectations. We both felt part of a privileged audience when he played a full two sets. After a one hour long set and a 14 minute intermission, he and his band performed Astral Weeks (released in November 1968 on Warner Bros. Records) start to finish, and then ended with Gloria, an old Them B-side (Baby, Please Don't Go recorded in 1964).

Overall, an 8 on the 1-10 scale: his strumming patterns are entirely unique, his voice is an instrument of its own (and he knows it), and, well, he's a genius, period, (which helps balance his funny look).

After such an incredible show in both quality and quantity, I feel a little ungrateful in wishing he would have played Into The Mystic. To quench my thirst, I YouTubed Into The Mystic and found this little gem, definitely worth sharing.



Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, Into the Mystic, November 23, 2007 at the Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, Canada

Van Morrison

Who is Bill?

Apparently, around the time I graduated from college, I sent my parents a brief survey. I have very little to no recollection of this, I am guessing because my mom never filled hers out, and my dad turned his in 3 years late. Just yesterday he found it in a file named "Important Misc. Papers". (Note: He wrote in all caps, and did not punctuate.)

Who am I?
Bill: THERE IS NO WAY TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION IN WORDS EXCEPT FOR STATISTICAL INFORMATION I.E. 54 YEAR OLD MALE US CITIZEN ETC. BESIDES THAT, CLUES TO WHO I AM CAN BE DERIVED FROM OTHER INFORMATION SUCH AS WHAT I LIKE ETC. (SEE BELOW)

What I value most:
Bill: THE PEOPLE I LOVE

What I like the most about education:
Bill: THE TRANSFER OF USE FULL KNOWLEDGE

What I like the least about education:
Bill: THE TRANSFER OF USELESS KNOWLEDGE

Money, time and responsibility aside, I would rather _____ than anything else:
Bill: EXPLORE THE PLANET (INCLUDING POSSIBLY THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE) & WORK FOR CHANGE (NOT SPARE CHANGE)

Excluding my parents, if I could chose any two people for my parents they would be:
Bill: WARD & JUNE CLEVER, MR. ROGERS & AUNT BEA, ANDY GRIFFITH & LAURA PETRI, BILL GATES & MOTHER TERESA. I DON'T KNOW

What geographical location do I most connect myself with?
Bill: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Before I am done in life, I want to:
Bill: EXPLORE THE PLANET & WORK FOR CHANGE (NOT SPARE CHANGE)

Who is Bill?

Right Brain, Left Brain

I've heard many different explanations on how the right and left brain work, and until now, I've really only understood the basic responsibilities of each half. I used to wonder if I am primarily "right brained" or "left brained", but I gave up wondering when my dad asked "Why do you need to know?" (My dad is a wise man.)

What really intrigues me is how the two halves of our brain work together, how each half thinks independently, and how our brain, how our mind, ties us to the universe. This video is not only an incredibly moving story about survival, but is "insightful" in so many ways. Enjoy.

Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight

"Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story of recovery and awareness -- of how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:44.)"



Watch this video on TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Buy Jill Bolte Taylor's book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey on Amazon.com

Right Brain, Left Brain