Reflections on 2008

It was a year of grace for me. I was blessed in so many ways:

1. I met Amma.
2. I asked her for a mantra, and she gave one.
3. I met many beautiful, self-realizing souls.
4. I invited many into my life, and they came and have stayed.
5. Space and the means for foundational change opened.
6. I found a new peace and confidence.
7. All my material needs were met.
8. Everyone close to me who I love has been in good health.
9. America seems to have made a turn for the better.
10. I am looking forward to 2009 and the years beyond with great, but reasonable, hopes.

Saw Benjamin Button

Long.  Slow. Predictable.  Not so profound.  Characters just not that deep or interesting. The hero is lacking in courage.  

It's based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story,  and we have another Daisy as the object of longing. 

Skip it or save for DVD.

Saw Slumdog Millionaire movie tonight

Entertaining film. Official site is here. Story about a kid from Mumbai slums on the Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show. A little predictable perhaps but an interesting depiction of modern slum life -- poverty, private security, communal violence, orphan life, prostitution, gangsters, beggars, the police, hoodwinking tourists, finding and losing family, rich-poor relations, poor-middle-class relations, call centers and the global economy, television and celebrity. Overall, it felt honest and realistic, and even purposeful. Through a love story, it entertains and informs about a life not often seen on screen in the West or even in India. For this, and its soundtrack featuring MIA, it's worthwhile.