Our culture is obsessed with shortages. There is a shortage of success; only one team in a tournament can be the best. Only one job applicant can become the CEO.
Sit by a pond, or on a mountain, and be present. There is an infinite amount of that to go around.
Before our gig, we spotted a helicopter offering rides around the mountain for $20. Pat's Peak had hired the helicopter company to do this.
And, since you only live once, we thought, "Why not?"
Gentle reader, you must ride on a helicopter. Yes, you may lose your stomach momentarily. But it is the most intimate mode of flying machine that I have had the pleasure to experience. The landscape is below you, above you, and at your side. At take-off, one is tilted forward at a 45 degree angle, giving you the ability to feel - momentarily at least - that you (and not the machine) are, in fact, flying.
A vast improvement on the traditional airplane passenger seat, with its one antiseptic plastic window opening to the outside world.
I love serendipity. Helicopter rides at fire performances. Why not?
January 4, 2008 - Back in the USA
I have indeed returned to the USA. Although I adore travel, I have missed my family and friends.
But here are here are some other random things I have missed:
*Being able to watch Boston sports teams play on a TV at a reasonable hour (as opposed to watching games streaming on the internet at 4am as I did in Portugal).
*O'Connor True Value Hardware - great selection of all the gear I need. Hardware stores in other countries are OK, but O'Connor is the best.
*Frappes (actually, Americans from outside of Massachusetts might not even know what these are)...basically, it's an artery-clogging milkshake. They're priceless.
And, here's a new discovery: Chipotle (located on Elm Street in Davis Square, Somerville, MA). No longer owned by McDonald's, Chipotle makes great burritos and strives to use organic ingredients. I am a fan. Check out their webpage; I love companies willing to poke fun at themselves.
Finally, I rang in the New Year by performing at First Night Worcester in Worcester, MA. It was a blast!
A tropical theme for Worcester? Well, why not?
There was a tropical theme to the evening, and I got to throw beachballs into a ravenous crowd after my set. This was one of the greatest cheap thrills of my life. Have you ever been able to get hundreds of people to cheer for you for the chance to receive a cheap plastic inflatable ball? Everyone should get a chance to do this.
December 5, 2007 - Berlin, Germany
I am performing nightly at a tradtional Christmas market in Berlin, Germany.
My communication is through my fire performance.
I cannot use spoken language as a crutch.
I am surrounded by beauty here in Portugal. I wanted this movie to be as much about my surroundings as it is about fire.
October 2, 2007 - Jonathan Givens photo sets
Jonathan Givens is an excellent photographer (and roommate) that I am lucky to have worked with.
Click the thumbnails below to enlarge them. I especially like the two on the right where my head is superimposed on myself. Thank you Jonathan!
I am also (slowly) learning to use the whip, and hope to be able to use a fire whip by January (my teacher - you guessed it - Jonathan). Stay tuned.
August 14, 2007 - Engagement ceremony Last night, I had the privilege of spinning fire at a surprise engagement ceremony.
It was on a beach in Sao Joao do Estoril, Portugal (pictured below)...
It was nerve-racking. I hid behind large rocks while one man got down on one knee and proposed to another. My heart was beating, as I was thinking:
"What if he says no?"
I mean, there is no guarantee that when you propose to someone, that the other person will say yes. I have made up my mind that - when and if I do propose to someone - no one else will be around.
But, back to the story: the man accepted the proposal from his boyfriend, and I came out from my hiding place and started spinning fire. Two other friends came and brought Champagne, drinking glasses and speakers playing the couple's song (namely "Pretty Green Eyes" by Ultrabeat). Beautiful. And I used steel wool for the occasion.
I am lucky to be able to share the gift of fire in these ceremonies.
(*blush* - God, deep down, I am such a hippie).
June 12, 2007 - Beastie Boys concert Last night, I had the privilege of seeing the Beastie Boys (accompanied by Money Mark and Mix Master Mike) live in concert in Lisbon.
I am leading a charmed life, and am well aware of it.
The Beastie Boys do it all: punk rock, rap, hip hop, and now they have a new instrumental album called "The Mix Up."
From what they played from the new album, I would say it is a jam band set with a hip hop flavor...It's amazing. Good heavens, The Beastie Boys can now add 'jam band' to their growing list of genres they have conquered.
After the Beastie Boys concert, my friends and I went to a wonderful bar called Caldo Verde in Lisbon's Bairro Alto section and heard some great live Fado. Fado is heart breakingly beautiful traditional music of Portugal.
So run to your nearest peddler of fine compact discs and pick up some Fado and 'The Mix Up.'
April 24, 2007 - New movie
I've completed a new movie to U2's song 'With or Without You,' which you can watch by clicking here.
I believe it is the first video in existence that can make this claim: part was filmed in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA and the other part was filmed in Estoril, Portugal.
So, clearly, this is a historic event. Billerica and Estoril. Finally united.
A huge thank you to Bob Antonelli (of the band Cahill) and Julie Rampson for filming. And, in addition to filming they, along with Susanna James and Angela Jones gave me some good advice on the project.
Thanks.
March 12, 2007 - A thought....
The measure of a day is not how many tasks one accomplishes, but by their degree of presence.
In other words, not by how many things you get done, but how much you're in the moment of whatever it is you're doing.
March 8, 2007 - Surreal life This morning, I was reading in a spot of sunlight (appropriately enough) in the sunroom, overlooking a green yard and emerald swimming pool. Each night, I spin fire for hundreds of people in a Casino as part of a large cast of talented performers. The show, entitled 'Four' is excellent, in my humble (and biased) opinion. My sister and her boyfriend are visiting me.
This life is surreal.
I have worked some unfulfilling jobs in my life, and am no stranger to long car commutes, snarled traffic and office meetings. That is why I can say to you in all sincerity that I am fully aware of the blessings I am currently experiencing. And, I know there will probably be a letdown once this ride is complete.
'I Will Not Take These Things for Granted,' is a song by Toad the Wet Sprocket off the album Fear. It sums up exactly how I feel. Check it out.
See track 12 off of this album
A note... I am aware that, ultimately, happiness is caused by internal, and not external factors. I realize that the ego cannot be gratified for long, and that searching for happiness in the external is like chasing the wind.
I was happy before I came here. But, those external factors can certainly play a role in the internal state. It is easier for me to find peace in a forest or sipping tea while I read in the sunroom than snarled in rush hour traffic.
January 22, 2007 - Greetings from Portugal
Greetings from Estoril, Portugal, where I have been blessed. The people friendly, the chocolate milk abundant (seriously, they sell it everywhere), and the anti-dandruff shampoo is relatively inexpensive and easy to find (FYI - anti dandruff is 'anti-caspa' in Portuguese).
It is "winter" here, which means 65F degrees during the day, and 45F at night.
I had the privilege of travelling to Lisbon (Lisboa to the locals). Great city with numerous hills on the ocean. Old world charm, cultural delights, and public transit everywhere (trains, historic trolleys, buses, subways, and yes, even funiculars that ride Lisbon's steep hills).
Portugal: where it's at
My performing partner is Susanna James of the Fireflies, and she is great to work with! The show opens on January 27, and we've been going through 10-12 hour rehearsals rather well in my humble opinion.
Though my Portuguese is virtually non-existent, I am happy to report that I know where to procure most types of fuels for fire performance in this nation. Fairly impractical information, but very pertinent to my job.
I am appreciative of all of this. As Tonya Kay says, Gratitude is a Euphoric State.
December 29, 2006 - On Platelets and Portugal
Gentle reader, this journal entry has two sections:
the self congratulatory part and the self absorbed part.
First off, there's a need for platelet donations at the Red Cross. Platelets are the parts of the blood that help with clotting and healing. Cancer patients and burn victims need them.
You can donate platelets as frequently as every two weeks. Gentle reader, here be the scoop:
You sit in an easy chair watching movies, and eat as much free junk food as you want while you donate (there is a tube from you to a machine). There is no easier way to do a good deed for others, and make yourself feel like you kick ass at life. In addition, you can even give both platelets and regular blood at the same time!
Sitting on one's ass, eating junk food and watching movies whilst saving the world is multi-tasking at its finest.
Bostonians - there are many donation centers in the city, including one in the Theater District (tel 617 556 2200 - that's where I go). For others, call
800-GIVE-LIFE to find the platelet donation center nearest you.
Ok, enough with being self congratulatory....
Onto part II :
I am off to Portugal for ten months. I will be one of two fire spinners in a show called "Four: Spirit of the Elements" at the Casino Estoril. The Casino is in Estoril, just outside of Lisbon.
Do I know anyone in the cast? No.
Do I speak Portuguese? No.
Am I scared out of my wits? You bet.
I think fire spinning will relax me, while mundane things like trying to order lunch and do laundry will cause me stress....
Here's hoping I'll find some other Boston sports fans so that we can watch games at 4am in darkened bars. The Patriots could very well win the Super Bowl this year, and I can't miss it.
That woul'd be like reading about the birth of your child, instead of watching it on live TV (ok, that analogy broke down but you get my point).
Mr. Brady, I know you need me, but I will be there in spirit for you.
How do you say "Tom Brady kicks ass" in Portuguese?
Sports aside, I'm very excited to be working with the company!
My family and friends have all been great in getting me ready for this... Here goes nothing.
December 13, 2006 - Trying Too Hard
Dear reader, you simply must watch this You Tube clip of a student's online resume (if the link doesn't work, go to youtube.com and search for Vayner).
You have to see it to believe it
Good heavens, no?
This poor kid has made a video resume which is (unintentionally) funny due to its overserious tone and sheer
pompousness.
It tries, dear reader, much too hard. The kid's family is from Uzbekistan, so I think there's some cultural issues going on here. Uzbekistan, last I checked, is a desperately poor country being run by an autocratic regime. I'm sure anyone who makes it out of there must have a lot of ambition.
Watching this video is like watching a buddy in a bar trying - way too hard - to hit on a girl. First, he tries to impress her with his job title and large salary. He smiles too much and laughs too loudly. And he makes her (and everyone around him) uncomfortable in the process, since they all know he is after her.
This video clip makes me squirm. We ALL try in some ways to impress other people. But, one of the essential aspects of being an adult (especially a male) is to try to impress other people and make it seem completely UN-intentional.
Sad but true.
The reason this kid's video is so maligned is because he forces us to look at an undesirable part of ourselves (the need for other's acceptance). That and the fact it's just plain absurd. It's like making a web page to feature one's fire spinning abilities (...gulp).
Moral of the story; don't try too hard (and have another person watch your online resume before you send it out)!
Many of my cohorts are married with kids. It blows my mind. Sure, for the most part we studied hard and were good people. But there were times that we used to cover cars with toliet paper. Or cruise Hampton Beach making lewd gestures. And now, these high school punks are role models to little ones.
What I'm getting at is this; it's great fun to know a person BEFORE they become a parent. It's like knowing a movie star back when they were a pimply faced loser in high school.
You know their past.
It makes their parental attempts at self-righteousness and good manners all the more hilarious.
In a warm, endearing way.
Fittingly, after a night of schmoozing at the local Elks hall, many of us ended up at a Billerica dive bar called the Center Cafe drinking cheap beer and singing karoake. And yes, the police had to break it up.
I loved my high school years, as I did my college ones. And, I am glad to report that most of the folks I interacted with seemed genuinely happy. Not 'I'm trying to impress you with my BMW,' but rather, 'here's where I am, and it's a good place to be.'
My classmates are amazed I am a fire performer. Yet, I am many times more amazed they are parents.
I think having a child is so much more bad-ass.
November 10, 2006 - Borat
Oh, Lordy... You must see the film Borat. Gentle reader, you simply must.
It exposes the bizarre creature we call American society, in such a funny way.
The man himself
Borat and his friends claim to be from Kazakhstan (they're not: they're just acting, whist the unwitting people they talk to have no idea they're in a major American motion picture)....In the movie, Borat's assitant speaks to him in Armenian (not Kazakh)! If I weren't half Armenian I would never have picked up on this fact, but I kept recognizing things they were saying to each other....
Long story short: go. Just go. And check your senses of decency and political correctness at the cinema door.
October 8th - 2006 - Hooping
I love hooping.
I am grateful to my friend Maria for teaching me this art.
It's funny - the
hula hoop did nothing for me when I first tried it in elementary school. It went around and around your waist. I didn't get the big deal.
Then, about 20 years later, I learned lots of new moves. Transitions. Neck and shoulder movements, with the hoop rotating on different parts of your body.
And fire. That brought it to the next level too.
My close friend Bob in the band Cahill hated guitar when he first tried it. Now, years later, look at the kid. Jamming on that thing at concerts all the time.
Come to think of it, Bob is one of my best friends in the whole world. We hated each other when we first met in elementary school. It was only in 8th grade that we started hanging out.
One thing is clear; whether it be hula hoops, the guitar, or people, first impressions usually don't mean a whole lot.
September 5th -2006 - Worst music video ever
Some folks say you can't truly call a piece of art bad or good. It's all subjective.
I disagree. There are pieces of art so good that - even if they don't appeal to the directly to the viewer's personal taste - one still has to respect them.
The Mona Lisa. To Kill a Mockingbird. You get the idea.
But, to be equally as celebrated are the truly terrible pieces of art. I mean awful. Movies like 'Evil Dead,' 'Evil Dead 2,' and 'Gymkata.'
Go for the extremes. Either be the best, or be the worst (I think the awful 1962 Mets are as memorable - and celebrated - as the sublime 1927 Yankees).
And so, I submit to you, gentle reader, my entry for the worst music video of all time. It is a song called 'Break It Up,' sung by track and field superstar Carl Lewis.
Carl Lewis doing what he does best
I read about this song in Sportsguy's column, and well - you have to see it to believe it. The link is here (if it doesn't work - go to youtube.com and do a search for Carl Lewis Break It Up).
Celebrate it people!
August 13th - 2006 - New Video on the way
I'm hard at work on a new preview video. Many thanks to those supporting me on the effort.
I just returned from a gig August 4-6 in Decatur, IL. Two new movies are in the media section from the performance!
July 29th - 2006 - Great Thinkers
Saw System of a Down last night. My God. If you haven't taken the opportunity, listen to their
music (especially the song 'Sad Statue'). They make you think while they rock out. Many
thanks to Scott O'Brien of the band Cahill for getting the tickets (20 rows back, dead center!).
A more random pairing, you'll probably never find. Tonya Kay is a professional dancer (she was in STOMP for crying out loud!), fire performer, stilt walker, vegan artist who is simply alive.
I met her at Burning Man. Describing this event to people who haven't gone is like describing the color red to a blind person. Here goes: it's a week long event in the middle of the Nevada desert, with 30,000 people from around the world fire spinning, art & love making, bike riding, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. At the end, there's a giant man made of wood that is set on fire. Picture a gi-normous version of this:
Anyways, read Tonya Kay's journal. Seriously. It blows my mind. Half the time, I have no idea what she's talking about, and the other half of the time it's like she's describing the mysteries of the universe in the simplest terms that I can understand.
Regardless, it's a hell of a read. Her first journal entry ever (listed on the web page - 2003) contains one of my favorite quotes:
I love this movie. After seeing it, I renewed my membership to Amnesty International. Hell, this film is a freaking advertisement for Amensty International, in my humble opinion.
Rare is the movie that can satisfy my appetite for action and my appetite for intellect. This film, in addition to Fight Club, do just that.
Ok, fine. Natalie Portman is hot. And she can act (Star Wars fiascos notwithstanding). Talented eye candy is always welcome.
People have been asking about the Kilimanjaro movie. The clip at the beginning & end of the movie is from Ikiru (directed by Akira Kurosawa). Ikiru means 'to live' in Japanese. It's about an elderly government bureaucrat who finds out he has only a few months to live.
This is not a date movie. This is the kind of movie that makes you get off your duff and change your life.
July
2nd - 2006 - Waterfire
Last
night, I had the privilege of performing at Waterfire.
Waterfire is art. Love. Inspiration.
Invented by artist Barnaby Evans,
Waterfire takes place in Providence, RI from the Spring to the Fall (check the
webpage for full schedule).
The rivers of Providence are lit with bowls
filled with burning wood. Music fills the city. It sounds so simple. Water and
fire. I love this event.
Much love to Spogga (pictured below),
a talented musician and fire spinner that is Waterfire's regular performer. Great spinning with you, friend!
Last
night, we performed inside of a set of tennis courts at Connecticut College.
Performing
inside of walls of chain link fence,I felt like a WWF wrestler in a steel cage
match.
Truth be told that's an amazing feeling.
Having a chain link fence
between you and your audience definitely makes you
feel hard core.
We
were really taken care of by the Connecticut College crew.
Huge thank you
to them, and congratulations on their
graduation!
Finally, a
photo from last night's performance from inside the steel cage (I'm on the left):
May
7, 2006 - Cahill & Movies !
In
life, I love it when you plan something and it all works out. On Saturday, May
6th,
I had the privilege of spinning fire while Cahill played at Brandeis University.
My good friends Joanna and Brad also got
in on the fire fun! It was incredible.
Live
music and fire go so well together.
It was also great to see my good friend
Martha Heaney there - she's the one who convinced me to go to the Moby concert
where I first saw poi.
The set list, for those of you keeping score at
home:
So
I'll Wait
Stare
Our Conversation
Blend
The Way It Goes
Mirror
1000
Cars
Easily
Happier (cover - by Guster)
New
Eyes
All Along the Watchtower (cover - by Bob
Dylan)
Here's
the journal entry off of Cahill's web
page:
May 7th, 2006 - Friendly Fire
(entry by Bob Antonelli of Cahill)
I'm
sharing my time writing this entry while watching the Red Sox, so I apologize
for any mistakes...it's tough doing both. Last night, Scott and I had the pleasure
of witnessing a sizzling performance of Fire Spinning. The best part was that
we supplied the music. Our good friend Mike Farrell is a professional "poi"
spinner. If you remember, they used our album version of Easily for a video that
was featured in "Circles of Light 2005" - a collaboration of fire videos
from around the world. Well last night, the crowd got to witness them live as
they jammed to our music and did all kinds of fun tricks (fire swords, burning
hula-hoops, fire eating...good times). Scott and I both agreed that it was a difficult
show to play. We constantly found ourselves not paying attention to the song we
were playing, but watching them spin instead. Here's a handful of pictures for
you to check out and there's a video on its way as well.
~BOB
April
11, 2006 - Platelets
I
truly believe that much of life is a waste of time.
Mindless meetings.
Being stuck in traffic. You get the gist.
This
is why I love giving platelets through the American Red Cross. I truly feel it
is time well spent.
Platelets
are a component of blood which, among other roles, help control bleeding. Patients
who have experienced severe burns, or have
leukemia often are unable to produce
platelets. Hence the great need for donors.
In
a nutshell, you get to watch TV and snack for an hour while a portion of your
blood is placed into a centrifuge. The platelets are
spun off, and the rest
of your blood is returned back into you. By the end of the hour, a small bag is
filled with a yellow substance: your platelets.
The rest of your blood is returned
to you (and you can give platelets as often as once every two weeks).
...I
don't know many ways in which one can make a difference by sitting on their duff
watching TV and eating chocolate chip cookies.
and Reese's Peanut Butter
Cups. 'Swounds, I am a glutton.
In
other news, I'll be spinning to a live band called Cahill.
The show is free at Brandeis University
in Waltham, Mass and will take place
in early May (exact date TBA).
They
are incredible. Their songs are streaming on their web page, so give a
listen.
March
26, 2006 - New Fire Hula Hoop and Sword.
I
have some new toys to report: a 5 foot tall flaming heart, a fire katana and a
fire hula hoop. Check them out in my image gallery!
March
25, 2006 - Grand Canyon
Just
got back from a 3 day hike in the Grand Canyon. I visited
my friend Bill in Arizona, and we went into the Canyon. Some of the folks in our group had fishing rods and caught fresh trout.
One minute,
it's 70 degrees in the Canyon. The next minute, it's snowing like crazy.
It's
unpredictable.... The same way life is unpredictable.....
One minute you're
chilling at home, listening to old Paula Abdul records*, and the next you're gone.
Good
grief. I wish MySpace had entries for things like 'Favorite book.' I mean, if
you take most MySpace profiles at face value, the people are incredibly
narcissistic, self-absorbed, and vapid. I'm not saying that I'm above having a
MySpace profile (I have one!); it's just that I wish the profile had a
place for (dare I say it?) intellectual information. Like favorite philosopher or book, or obscure third world country.. Contrary to popular belief,
some guys actually look for brains in a woman.
March
6 - Cranmore Show
Saturday
night was a great fire show. High energy. And we went snow tubing before hand.
God,
I love snow tubing. The upper snow tubing course at Cranmore Ski Mtn is where
it's at.
Right
now, I'm listening to 'This American Life' - one of my favorite radio shows of
all time. It's on NPR.
It's
all about real people. And real stories. Brilliant stuff.
Feb
18 - Winter beach swim
Today
we had winds of 60 mph (97kph for the Metric fans).
So,
I went to the beach.
I
love New England's beaches in the Winter. They are rocky, rugged and wild. New
Hampshire's and Maine's particuarly.
So,
I ran on the beach. The wind and sand stung. I saw some surfers there. At times,
I felt I was running in place.
I
then stripped to my bathing suit and jumped in.
A
thousand knives on my body at once.
But,
lo! Gentle Reader - after the fact. After your body emerges frozen and you are
running against the wind back to your heated car.
You
are happy.
Nothing
can touch you. The second the heat comes on, and the dry, fluffy new clothes and
socks hit.... it's nirvana.
For
the rest of the evening, I walked the quaint streets of Portsmouth, NH. The cafes
were excellent. A good meal and a cafe mocha after a polar bear swim, and I'm
the happiest guy in the world.
It's
all about moving yourself down Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It gets me in a state
where I don't really care about my sports teams, or Democrats winning, or life
fulfillment, or any of that crap.
It's
about getting warm. And staying warm.
We
should all move ourselves way down the hierarcy of needs from time to time.
Feb
14 - Winter hike
God,
I love the outdoors.
Recently,
I took a snowshoe/crampon walk up Mt. Monroe in the Whites.
The
wind was 80 mph, and you could just lean right into it.
Absolutely
gorgeous stuff. At the summit, it was sunny. Then dark. Sunny. Dark. Sunny. Dark.
Clouds
were moving SO fast.
If
the outdoors were a basketball player, it'd be Bill Russell.
And
that's 11 championships for Boston in a 13 year career.
Hot
damn.
Michael Kevin Farrell’s Poi Spinning performance brought Cranmore Mountain’s Cranapalooza, a Saturday Night skiing festival, to a whole new level last winter. Many eyebrows were raised when guests heard that there would be “fire spinning” later that evening...
